VANCOUVER — All-star Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko will make his first start of the season Tuesday.
Head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed after morning skate that Demko will be in net when the Canucks host the St. Louis Blues.
The 28-year-old netminder from San Diego, Calif., last played on April 24 when the Canucks bested the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of a first-round playoff series.
He suffered an injury to the popliteus muscle in his knee during the game and has been working his way back ever since.
A number of factors led to Demko starting Tuesday, Tocchet said.
“You want him to feel comfortable. You want to, obviously, communicate with him," he said. "(Kevin Lankinen) was playing well, too. So there wasn’t a pressing issue to get him in. But we want to get him in. We’re excited. Obviously he’s a huge part of our team.”
Demko had a 35-14-2 record with a .918 save percentage, a 2.45 goals-against average and five shutouts in regular-season play last year and played in the all-star game for the second time in his career.
The veteran goalie is managing his personal expectations as he returns to game action, however.
"I think it'd be foolish to say that I'm going to come back and be perfectly sharp and feel like I have my 'A' game in game one. Obviously, that takes a little bit of time," Demko told reporters last week. "Just seeing game reps and things is kind of a last step of fully doing rehab. So I'm not really putting an expectation on that.
"Obviously, the way Lanks has played kind of takes a little bit of pressure off of myself to come in and not feel like I have to save the world.”
Demko returned to Vancouver's lineup last week, backing up Lankinen for games against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Canucks signed Lankinen to a US$875,000 deal during training camp and the Finnish goaltender has split the crease with Arturs Silovs this season, backstopping Vancouver to a 14-8-4 record.
Lankinen has been "unbelievable" this season, Demko said.
"It's been really fun to get to know him and be able to watch him play," he said. "It’s a challenging position he was put in, coming into a new team and being able to manage the workload that he's been given."
Demko's return to the crease should act as motivation for the Canucks' skaters as the team takes on the Blues, Tocchet said.
“I think, when you look at the way Demmer has worked hard to get back, a lot of lonely times by himself, it should give guys juice that you want to play well in front of him," the coach said. You’d be crazy not to.
"Maybe there’s extra shot blocking, situations to get the puck in deep when we’re tired to give him a break, things like that. I think we need to do that tonight for him.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2024.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
