Thatcher Demko may be injured right now, but he was still named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy on Monday after a stellar regular season where he put together a 35-14-2 record alongside a 2.45 goals-against average (GAA), .918 save percentage (SV%) and five shutouts. He becomes just the third goalie in Vancouver Canucks history to receive the honour, and the first since Roberto Luongo in 2011. Luongo was also a finalist in 2007, while Kirk McLean got the nod in 1989 and 1992.
After missing most of the 2022-23 season with a groin injury, the 28-year-old bounced back in 2023-24 and led the Canucks to a Pacific Division championship and their first playoff berth since the 2020 bubble in Edmonton.
Demko Bounces Back From 2022-23 Struggles & Injury
The 2022-23 season was one that Demko probably would like to erase from his memory. He struggled from the get-go, posting a 1-5-1 record with a 4.05 GAA and .874 SV% in October. Before the calendar switched to 2023, he had a 3-10-2 record with a 3.93 GAA and .883 SV%. And to make matters worse, he suffered a groin injury on Dec. 1, which almost required surgery, and was out until Feb. 27. He did have a solid finish to the season posting an 11-4-2 record with a 2.52 GAA and .918 SV%, but by that time, the Canucks were well out of the playoff picture having to rely on backup and third-string netminders Collin Delia, Spencer Martin and Arturs Silovs for most of the season.
Demko and the Canucks bounced back from their mediocre October in 2022-23, jumping out to a 6-2-1 record in 2023-24 backstopped by their starter’s 1.92 GAA and .935 SV%. The success didn’t stop there either as he continued his stellar play throughout the season, culminating in the aforementioned division championship and second place in the Western Conference. If he hadn’t gotten injured at the end of the season, he likely would have finished near the top of the NHL in wins. As it is, he still finished seventh with 35 – the most since Luongo had the same amount in 2007-08.
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Speaking of previous Canucks netminders, Demko also climbed the franchise’s record books in 2023-24, passing both Jacob Markstrom (99) and Dan Cloutier (109) in career wins. He now stands alone in fourth place with 116 victories and will pass Richard Brodeur next season, as he’s only 11 away from moving into third behind McLean (211) and Luongo (252).
Vezina Trophy Hopes Derailed By Late-Season Injury
Unfortunately, injuries always seem to rear their ugly head at the worst possible time. In the midst of his career season, Demko suffered a knee injury on March 9 against the Winnipeg Jets that kept him out until the final two games of the regular season. He returned against the Calgary Flames on April 16 and didn’t look any worse for wear stopping 39 of 40 shots for his 35th win.
But, considering Connor Hellebuyck and Sergei Bobrovsky – the other two finalists for the Vezina Trophy – were healthy and able to play the entire season, the votes likely won’t go his way for him to earn his first win. Hellebuyck is the favourite after leading the Jets with a 2.39 GAA and .921 SV% in 60 starts, even though he’s struggling in the playoffs right now. As we all know, these major NHL awards are based on regular season performance, not the postseason.
Demko will definitely receive some votes, but it probably won’t be enough for him to secure the first Vezina Trophy for the franchise. For most of the season, Demko was neck and neck with Hellebuyck, consistently appearing in both The Hockey Writers and NHL.com’s Vezina Trophy trackers. However, after his injury, the odds got stacked against him seeing that he couldn’t bolster his resume to pass Hellebuyck.
Demko Sitting on the Sidelines Again but Pushing DeSmith & Silovs to Greatness
Canucks fans breathed a sigh of relief when Demko returned for the final two games of the season and was seemingly healthy for Game 1 against the Nashville Predators. He looked more than fine in the team’s first playoff appearance at Rogers Arena in nine years, making a jaw-dropping pad save on former teammate Anthony Beauvillier in the early going. He finished the game with 22 saves on 24 shots and appeared to be fine health-wise.
But a day later, it was announced that Demko would miss Game 2 with an undisclosed injury and that Casey DeSmith (and as it turns out, Silovs) would have to take over for the foreseeable future. Fast forward to today, and there are rumours that he could be out for the entire playoff run with a suspected torn ACL. While that major development hasn’t been confirmed by the team – it likely won’t be until the Canucks get eliminated – they are without their now-Vezina Trophy finalist and will have to rely on the tandem of DeSmith and Silovs to get past the Predators and whichever opponents await them in the second round and beyond.
Demko is around the team providing guidance and motivation to his fellow goaltenders, but was understandably upset once the injury presented itself. Head coach Rick Tocchet reportedly had to calm him down as he was in tears facing the possibility that he might not appear in the playoffs again.
“Your season isn’t over. We’re going to need you, because we’re still going to be playing when you’re ready again.”
Tocchet to an emotional Demko following his latest injury
The Canucks are valiantly pushing forward with DeSmith and Silovs, with Demko serving as a sort-of goaltending coach alongside them. They have now used three goaltenders so far in this series with each of them backstopping the team to a win. Silovs was the latest to do so with a solid 27-save effort in Game 4’s epic comeback where Brock Boeser scored twice in the final three minutes and Elias Lindholm finished it early in overtime.
Game 5 goes on Tuesday, and Demko seems to be channelling his Vezina Trophy finalist self into his backups. Hopefully, one of them can help push the Canucks to the second round.