Castagna scores twice as Wranglers hold off Canucks in home opener

CALGARY — Jonathan Castagna scored on the Calgary Wranglers' first shot of the game and into the empty net at the end of it, bookending a 4-2 home-opening win over the Abbotsford Canucks on Friday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

The rookie's first professional goal came 5:13 into the first period, when he followed his own attempt off the end boards and finished from the slot. His second, into the empty net with 1:30 remaining, sealed Calgary's first victory of the 2026-27 season and opened the club's farewell campaign at the Dome.

Calgary built a 3-0 lead before Abbotsford took over long stretches of the final two periods and pulled within one, forcing goaltender Arsenii Sergeev to hold the result together.

After Castagna's opener, Calgary native Tyson Gross made it 2-0 with 8:30 left in the first, taking Alex Nylander's feed from below the goal line and snapping a quick shot high to the glove side of Nikita Tolopilo. Dryden Hunt nearly added another from in close, but Tolopilo turned him aside.

Sam Morton took two first-period penalties, but Calgary killed both, with Jake Livingstone, Castagna, Axel Hurtig and Luke Philp among the penalty killers and Ben Jones also taking turns. Livingstone stood out early defensively, using the body to break up one Abbotsford rush and closing quickly in the neutral zone to disrupt another.

Calgary outshot Abbotsford 9-3 in the opening 20 minutes and went on the power play late after Anri Ravinskis was penalized, with Aydar Suniev's one-timer providing the best chance.

Mike Benning made it 3-0 less than two minutes into the second, sending a puck toward the net from the point that deflected off an Abbotsford player and in for his 27th career goal.

From there, the Canucks pushed. Sergeev made a point-blank right-pad save about 90 seconds into the period, then slid from right to left to stop a two-on-one chance on a puck batted out of midair. He added a blocker stop from in close as Abbotsford's pressure built.

Calgary had its moments going the other way. Morton attacked down the left side with speed before Tolopilo stopped him, and a unit with Rory Kerins, William Strömgren, Benning and Suniev sustained offensive-zone pressure around the middle of the period. Morton was later tripped by Tolopilo on a forehand-to-backhand move, giving Calgary a power play with 9:41 left, but it ended early when Hunter Brzustewicz was called for interference in the neutral zone.

Suniev went heavily into the boards during the period and stayed down briefly before returning to the game.

Abbotsford finally broke through with 1:41 left in the second. With Calgary scrambling, Livingstone closed the gap on the puck carrier and Benning worked back toward the net, but the Canucks moved the puck away from the initial threat and Ty Mueller finished a bouncing rebound to make it 3-1.

The third period started with Calgary shorthanded, and the momentum kept tilting. About six minutes in, Sergeev kicked out a shot through traffic, and by then Abbotsford had reversed the shots to a 22-18 lead.

Calgary's power play produced chances at both ends. Gross drew a tripping call on Kirill Kudryavtsev with a hard drive to the middle, but Abbotsford answered with a dangerous shorthanded breakaway that Sergeev stopped, part of a pattern of Canuck shorthanded pressure during Calgary advantages.

Jimmy Schuldt cut it to 3-2 with 11:45 remaining. After Strömgren couldn't get the puck deep at the Abbotsford line, the Canucks transitioned quickly, worked it from the half wall back to the point, and Schuldt wired a shot top shelf past Sergeev, with Kudryavtsev earning an assist.

Tolopilo went to the bench with 2:08 remaining, and Livingstone, a defensive standout all night, blocked a shot during the six-on-five push. Moments later, Castagna hit the empty net from the neutral zone to finish it.

Sergeev stopped 30 of 32 shots as Abbotsford outshot Calgary 32-21. Calgary finished the night perfect on the penalty kill, a unit head coach Brett Sutter called “spectacular” afterward. Sutter also described Jake Livingstone's defensive performance as “unreal,” and added that he trusted the players on the ice late because they had driven the team all night.

The teams meet again Saturday at the Scotiabank Saddledome, with puck drop set for 5:00 p.m. MT.

This recap is brought to you in part by Animas Painting — interior and exterior painting in Calgary. Reach Rafael at 403-604-5529.