Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko stronger physically, mentally heading into new season

PENTICTON — Sitting on the sidelines for large chunks of last season wasn’t easy for Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko.

The physical pain of working his way back from a rare knee injury was one thing. Then there were the mental challenges.

“I think as much work as I put in on the physical side, I put just as much work in on the mental side too,” Demko said as the Canucks hit the ice in Penticton, B.C., for training camp on Thursday.

“Just making sure that I was reminding myself who I am and knowing that I’m still capable of doing the things that I know I can do. So definitely excited to continue that throughout camp and get the season going.”

It was at training camp last fall that the Canucks announced Demko was still working his way back after hurting the popelitius muscle in his left knee during Game 1 of Vancouver’s first-round playoff series against the Nashville Predators.

The news followed a 2023-24 season where the 29-year-old netminder from San Diego, Calif., was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s top goaltender, after going 35-14-2 with a .918 save percentage and a 2.45 goals-against average.

Demko didn’t play again until Dec. 10 and struggled to stay healthy once back in the lineup, seeing action in just 23 games. He posted a 10-8-3 record with a .889 save percentage, a 2.90 goals-against average and one shutout.

“He’s a really competitive guy, so it wasn’t easy for him to miss games,” said Canucks captain Quinn Hughes. “Obviously, all of us, we needed him and wanted to be playing, but no one wanted to play more than him.”

Facing more adversity than he’d ever dealt with in the past came with a series of mental hurdles. Getting through them required “breaking it down to the foundation and building it back up.”

Along the way, Demko learned that he can take more than he ever thought — both as an athlete and as a person.

“I think it goes way beyond hockey,” he said. “Just in life, as people, life throws things at us and that’s just part of being a human, trying to figure it out and move forward and take away the positives from it.

“And I think that was one of the biggest things for me, not dwelling on how difficult things were and trying to pick apart some things I could use to grow as a person and ultimately as a player. So I feel like I became a better father through the things I went through last year, became a better husband.”

This summer, Demko got a new appreciation for all the work he’s put in as he ran around the backyard with his son and finally felt like himself again.

He and his wife, Lexie, welcomed their second child, too, bringing yet another adjustment.

“I mean, that’s, the best part of who I am, is being able to be a father,” Demko said. “So at the end of the day, this stuff’s not quite as important anymore, which probably helps me a little bit. Turn the knob down a little bit. For sure, it changes you.”

This season, Demko will share duties with Kevin Lankinen.

Vancouver signed the 30-year-old Finnish goalie in September, and he went 25-15-10 with a .902 save percentage, a 2.62 GAA and four shutouts across the season.

“I think Lanks did a hell of a job for us last year,” Demko said. “I think that the guys in the room, the coaching staff, everyone has a ton of trust in him, as they should. I think he and I also have a great relationship, too. We’re always cheering each other on. … I think we’re in a great position workload wise.”

The goaltending duo spent four or five weeks skating together before training camp began, a process that’s only deepened their connection, Lankinen said.

“It’s been a great relationship with Thatcher, and I think as we get to know each other here, even more, more and more, it’s only getting better,” he said.

“It’s huge, because most of the time there’s only two of us right? And nobody understands a goalie better than another goalie. So it’s only helpful to have a guy who’s cheering for you.”

Canucks head coach Adam Foote knows there’s a fine balance to deploying his goalie tandem, balancing their thirst for competition with a need to keep both men healthy.

The challenge only grows with both netminders in consideration for their respective Olympic teams.

“When you’ve got a top-5 goalie, it’s like football — you have a top-five quarterback, you can do a hell of a lot of things,” Foote said. “So if we can keep Demmer in the right spot, manage him and communicate with him, if he’s in a good spot, he’ll hopefully play a lot of games, right?”

After a season marred by injuries and personnel issues, the Canucks feel like they can rebound this year and get back to being the team that pushed the Edmonton Oilers to Game 7 of a second-round playoff series in 2024.

Demko showed his belief on July 1, signing a three-year, US$25.5-million extension.

“I’ve always wanted to be a Canuck,” he said of the deal. “It was always pretty easy for me. The team knew where I stood on everything. I’ve always been a guy that wants to be part of the solution here. Through the turmoil that maybe we had last year as a group and individually, I still have been 100 per cent committed.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2025.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press