Injury Troubles Continue for Canucks Goalie

It's been a tough season for the starting Vancouver Canucks goalie as injury troubles continue to bother him.

Feb 4, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko (35) in the net against the Colorado Avalanche in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images / Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Since being named a finalist for the 2024 Vezina Trophy, the starting goalie for the Vancouver Canucks has struggled. Injuries have been a constant issue for Thatcher Demko, and it's limited him to very few games in the last calendar year.

Just when the Canucks thought Demko had put the injuries behind him, they popped back up during the team's recent contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He played just 10 minutes of the game before exiting and being replaced by Kevin Lankinen.

Immediately after the game, Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet addressed Demko's early exit. He tempered expectations by assuring that the injury was not related to the knee ailments that kept him out.

"It was just something happened during the game,” he said. "I don't think it's that serious. I don't know from early reports. It's not the knee. We don't have to have you guys speculate ... I don't think it's as serious, but we'll see."

Whatever the injury is, it's a continuation of a larger problem for Demko and the Canucks. It seems his knee is healthy and recovered, but now there's a new injury to deal with. Nothing can derail a goaltender's career like repeated injuries. This would be the third different injury to pop up for him in less than 12 months, all having to do with entirely separate parts of the body.

It has to be deflating for Demko both personally and as a competitor. He was at the apex of his position entering the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs and in the discussion for best goalie in the league. Now, he's struggling to keep hold of the starting job on his own team due to consistent nagging injuries. It's not only hampering his 2024-2025 campaign, it's holding him back from becoming the elite goalie that Vancouver and the rest of the NHL know him to be.

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