All-star goalie Thatcher Demko was absent from Vancouver Canucks practice Tuesday, days after suddenly leaving a game. Demko (35) stops Winnipeg Jets' Mark Scheifele (55) as Vancouver's Carson Soucy (7) watches during the second period of an NHL game, in Vancouver, Saturday, March 9, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns
VANCOUVER – All-star goalie Thatcher Demko was expected to be absent from Vancouver Canucks practice Tuesday, days after suddenly leaving a game.
Demko went directly down the tunnel during a T.V. timeout in the second period of Vancouver’s 5-0 drubbing of the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.
Backup Casey DeSmith finished out the matchup for the Canucks (42-17-7) and head coach Rick Tocchet declined to speculate about the reason for Demko’s departure after the game.
The team recalled goaltender Arturs Silovs under emergency conditions from its AHL affiliate in Abbotsford on Tuesday.
Demko, 28, boasts a .917 save percentage, five shutouts and a 2.47 goals-against average this season, a performance that’s helped vault Vancouver to the top of the Western Conference standings. He earned his league-leading 34th win of the season Saturday and was named one of the NHL’s three stars of the week Monday.
The Canucks will host the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 12, 2024.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version of this story said Demko has missed practice, when in fact he was expected to miss practice.
