The Vancouver Canucks announced goaltender Thatcher Demko exited Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs with an injury.
Demko spoke with head coach Rick Tocchet at the bench during the first period before Kevin Lankinen took over in net.
Tocchet provided an encouraging update after the game. “It’s not looking too serious, and it’s not related to his previous knee injury,” he told Sportsnet’s Brendan Batchelor.
The 28-year-old netminder missed the first two months of this season recovering from a knee injury sustained during the 2023 playoffs. He didn’t return to game action until December.
Before Saturday’s early exit, Demko had been finding his rhythm. He posted a .952 save percentage in his previous four starts.
His overall season numbers include a 6-6-3 record with an .889 save percentage.
Lankinen stepped in seamlessly, stopping 20 of 21 shots to help secure Vancouver’s 2-1 win.
The injury comes at a fortunate time in the schedule. Vancouver won’t play again until Feb. 22 due to the 4 Nations Face-Off break. The team is already managing without captain Quinn Hughes, who remains sidelined with an injury.
