The wait is over Vancouver Canucks fans. According to Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet, the club will have their Vezina calibre goaltender Thatcher Demko will return to the lineup tonight as they host the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, we won’t see him in the starter crease, as he’ll be serving as Kevin Lankinen’s backup.
Demko has been out since Game 1 of the opening round of the playoffs against the Nashville Predators after suffering a popliteus injury in his knee. The club was hopeful he’d return had they advanced past the Edmonton Oilers to the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Stars. However, that wasn’t the case, and Demko was not ready to start the 2024-25 season.
Last season, Demko suited up in 51 games, recording a 35-14-2 record with a 2.45 goals against average (GAA) and a .918% save percentage (S%), with five shutouts. His efforts earned him 20 second-place votes and 10 third-place votes for the Vezina trophy for the league’s top goaltender.
Tocchet met with the media after Friday’s pre-game skate to discuss what having Demko back in the lineup means to the team:
“He’s a leader on the team. He’s a different type of leader. Just him being around, he’s just a glue guy. The guy works awfully hard. He’s spent a lot of time by himself working out. What’s contagious for me is the hard work he does. The young guys see how dedicated he is. That’s the stuff that really helps out locker room.”
Tocchet on if Demko is a possibility to make his season debut on Sunday when the team welcomes the Tampa Bay Lightning to town for an afternoon game:
“We have a practice tomorrow. I’ll talk to Demmer after practice and go from there. If it’s the next game or the next game after that, we’re not quite sure. But I definitely want to get in a good practice tomorrow, then talk to Demmer about it.”
While nothing’s confirmed, it does sound like Demko will make his season debut on the Canucks’ six-game homestand, as he is healthy enough to be serving as Kevin Lankinen’s backup on Friday against the Blue Jackets.
