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Leevi Meriläinen made his Vancouver Canucks debut in relief on October 1, 2026, stopping 10 shots in a 9–7 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. He entered after Kevin Lankinen was pulled early in the second period; the appearance was a relief outing, not a start.
How Meriläinen’s Vancouver debut unfolded
Edmonton built a six-goal lead before Vancouver mounted a late push. Lankinen had allowed eight goals on 20 shots when the Canucks made the change 8:23 into the second period. Meriläinen came in and made 10 saves on 11 shots faced, according to the NHL game recap and CBS Sports’ recap. Vancouver ultimately lost 9–7.
Why Vancouver changed goalies
Head coach Manny Malhotra framed the move as a response to the chances Edmonton was getting and a message to the team, rather than blame directed at Lankinen. As quoted in the NHL recap, Malhotra said: “By no means are we blaming ‘Lanks,’” adding that there were “far too many (Grade-A chances) in front of him and breakaway opportunities. It was more of a messaging to our group.”
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Meriläinen’s recent arrival and career context
Vancouver claimed Meriläinen off waivers from the Ottawa Senators on September 25, 2026, less than a week before his debut. The Canucks’ transaction announcement described him as 24 and supplied the following season figures:
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| Team and competition | Record | Goals-against average | Save percentage | Shutouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa, 2025–26 NHL regular season | 8–10–1 | 3.51 | .860 | not stated (Vancouver Canucks, September 25, 2026) |
| Belleville, 2025–26 AHL season | 8–8–2 | 2.77 | .909 | 2 |
Before appearing for Vancouver, he had played 34 NHL games, all with Ottawa, with a 16–14–3 record, a 3.00 goals-against average, a .885 save percentage and three shutouts. The same announcement recorded 84 career AHL games with Belleville and Finland’s silver medal at the 2022 World Junior Hockey Championships. These are figures published by Vancouver with the waiver transaction, not a live statistical feed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the appearance says about his role
The October 1 game establishes that Meriläinen made his first Canucks appearance as Lankinen’s relief. One outing does not establish a new depth-chart order or a settled starting role, and the cited reports do not identify his next start.
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