Vancouver Canucks Face Uncertainty as Goalie Thatcher Demko's Availability Questioned for Weekend Games
The Vancouver Canucks may have to play without goalie Thatcher Demko in their upcoming back-to-back home games this weekend. Demko, a 29-year-old all-star netminder, was absent from practice on Friday, prompting the team to bring up goalie Jiri Patera from the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks under emergency conditions. Head coach Adam Foote mentioned that Demko is focusing on his well-being during a busy season, but did not specify if he was injured. Demko has a 5-4-0 record this season with a .912 save percentage and a 2.57 goals-against average. He missed a significant portion of the previous season due to a knee injury sustained in the playoffs. Despite his injury setback, Demko was a Vezina Trophy finalist at the end of the 2023-24 season, showcasing his exceptional performance as one of the NHL's top goalies.