Thatcher Demko being day-to-day is something Canucks fans could get used to going forward. After suffering a torn popliteus muscle injury in Game 1 of Vancouver’s first-round playoff series during the 2023-2024 season, Demko only played a total of 23 games last season where he posted the worst numbers of his otherwise solid career.
A torn popliteus muscle is extremely rare, difficult to recover from, and could be something he deals with for the rest of his career.
That being said, the injury itself is highly dependent on severity and how well it is managed, and so far the prized goaltender has been a big reason why the Canucks have not fallen into the basement of the standings with all of the injuries they have had, as he has won five of his nine starts.
As far as managing the injury, Demko will likely have to take planned maintenance days from practices and games as a preventative measure in order to minimize the risk of re-injury.
Demko has started 9 of 15 games for the Canucks this year, pacing him at around 49 starts for the season, but more importantly is sporting a .912 save percentage which is in line with his career .910 mark, and a 7.6 Goals Saved Above Expected, ranking him fifth in the NHL this season.
Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote addressed the absence of Demko at practice in a media scrum, saying that the team and Demko talked about taking care of himself during the summer, and praised Demko's leadership saying the goaltender does not want to miss time.
Foote didnt want to call this a “maintenance day,” but rather termed it as the goaltender “knowing himself and his body,” and said Demko “may be” an option this weekend with the Canucks playing back-to-back games on Saturday versus the Columbus Blue Jackets, and on Sunday versus the Colorado Avalanche.
Head Coach Adam Foote addresses the media on Demko’s status
Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote talks about Thatcher Demko’s absence from today’s practice. pic.twitter.com/mJQD2hRBnY
— Rink Wide: Vancouver (@RinkWideVAN) November 7, 2025
Demko has not patrolled the crease since winning against the Nashville Predators on Monday, which was followed by a Kevin Lankinen appearance on Wednesday against the Chicago Blackhawks that ended up in a loss.
With back-to-back games on tap this weekend for the Canucks and Demko’s absence from practice, the Canucks wanted to be on the safe side of any goaltending complications and called up Jiri Patera from Abbotsford should Demko not be able to suit up for either of the Canuck’s contests this weekend.