Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko out week to week with lower-body injury

Photo: The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks will be without star goalie Thatcher Demko for their upcoming five-game road swing.

Assistant coach Adam Foote said Tuesday that Demko is considered week to week with a lower-body injury and will not travel on the trip, which begins Saturday against the Golden Knights in Las Vegas.

Finnish netminder Kevin Lankinen is expected to meet the team in Nevada after playing at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in Montreal and Boston.

The Canucks (26-18-11) recalled goalie Arturs Silovs from the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis Tuesday.

Demko left Vancouver's 2-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 8 midway through the first period with an undisclosed ailment.

The Canucks then had a 10-day break for 4 Nations, but Demko was not on the ice when his teammates returned to practice Tuesday. Silovs and fellow Abbotsford goaltender Nikita Tolopilo manned the nets during the session.

Demko has dealt with a series of injuries this season, starting with a knee issue that left him on the sidelines as training camp began.

The 29-year-old netminder from San Diego, Calif., has played just 17 games through the 2024-25 campaign, posting a 6-6-3 record with a .891 save percentage, a 2.87 goals-against average and one shutout.

Lankinen, who signed a one-year deal with Vancouver on Sept. 21, has been the Canucks' starter for the bulk of the season. He has a 19-8-7 record with a .905 save percentage, a 2.53 goals-against average and four shutouts.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 18, 2025.