Silovs Seized the Moment, Wants to Keep Building

Arturs Silovs, who just signed a one-year contract extension with the Penguins, had an excellent finish to his first season in black and gold.

“I don’t think you can ask for more,” Erik Karlsson said following the goaltender’s performance in the playoffs.

After serving as the backup for Games 1-3 of Pittsburgh’s opening-round series against Philadelphia, Silovs took over in net in hopes of helping his team climb out of a 3-0 deficit.

He put together two straight wins, first on the road, and then at home. When the series returned to the other side of the state, Silovs was brilliant in Game 6. He made some unbelievable saves while ensconced in a pressure cooker, trying to stave off elimination in one of the most hostile environments in sports. He kept it scoreless through overtime before the Flyers broke through.

“For him to come into this series the way that he did, I can’t say enough about him,” Penguins Head Coach Dan Muse said. “He’s such a competitor, his preparation is incredible, and he had a great season for us. A lot of big wins, and his game has continued to grow as the year went on. Going into a game like (that), for him to come in and play that type of game, it’s just a huge credit to him and everything he does.”

Silovs’ ability to rise in big moments is the biggest reason Pittsburgh’s goaltending department had him circled for a while. Before joining the Penguins, Silovs had led the Abbotsford Canucks to the 2025 Calder Cup Championship as Playoff MVP; did well after being thrown into the fire during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs with Vancouver; and was named MVP of the 2023 World Championship while backstopping Latvia to bronze.

The Penguins orchestrated a trade to acquire Silovs from the Canucks, who selected him in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL Draft, in exchange for Chase Stillman and a fourth-round pick. At the time, Penguins President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas said the Penguins could give Silovs more of an opportunity to work through the ups and downs that young goalies in this league typically face.

“But for us, knowing that he’s been able to step up and pull through in difficult moments in the playoffs and World Championships in his career, it’s hard to find goalies who have that same thing,” Dubas said.

Silovs spent the majority of the season alternating starts with his goalie partners, mainly Tristan Jarry for the first part of the year and Stuart Skinner for the second. He did team up with Sergei Murashov for the Global Series in Sweden in November.

Looking back, experiences like that trip overseas and representing Latvia in the Winter Olympics made the season feel like even more intense than it already was.

“Yeah, I felt it was a long year,” Silovs said. “Coming back (from Europe), I think it took a toll on us. It was pretty hard to get back. But I feel like from there, things went our way, we started to win the games.”

It was a lot, especially for Silovs, as he was still technically an NHL rookie despite accumulating games with Vancouver. So, there were certainly some tough stretches, and shootouts were a struggle. But Silovs kept the same daily approach through the peaks and valleys, always taking the ice early for practices and morning skates to get his work in. And with every rep, Silovs got increasingly comfortable.

“In the season, it's more kind of a grind, it's like a marathon,” Silovs said. “So, there's going to be ups and downs. But I think, sure, like, experience-wise, next year will be different. Because I think you experience the league better, you experience the players more, then I think it's going to get better.”

It all culminated with Silovs’ fantastic performance in the playoffs.

“I was really encouraged by Arty Silovs in the series,” Dubas said. “Obviously, he had an up-and-down year, but I think he continues to show when the lights are bright and the moments are big, that he’s able to step up and provide very strong goaltending. I thought that was a real positive for him.”

As if his showing wasn’t impressive enough on its own, Silovs had been playing with an injured knee. He stayed in Pittsburgh through the beginning of July to go through the rehab process with the medical, training and performance staffers here. He’s been working hard to get healthy and be ready for next season.

“I'm happy. I think there's been a lot of progress,” Silovs said. “Just building (through) the summer and getting ready for the next one. I feel confident in my game, so I think just refining it.”

There will continue to be competition at the goalie position. Dubas said in his year-end availability that Sergei Murashov, who’s put together a very impressive body of work at the minor league level, and Joel Blomqvist, just re-signed to a two-year deal, will be competing for a roster spot in Pittsburgh.

Regardless of what happens, Silovs will keep the same mindset every time he gets the call.

“Just trying to do my best, right, for all these guys,” Silovs said. “They deserve the best. So, I want to do my role and be that last guy who they can (depend) on."