Thatcher Demko to miss the rest of the season

The possibility of Vancouver Canucks top goaltender Thatcher Demko being shut down was brought up a few weeks ago, and now it appears to be a reality as Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin announced this week that Demko will undergo hip surgery and miss the rest of the 2025-2026 NHL season. 

It is very unfortunate news for Demko, as he has battled lower body injuries since sustaining a popliteus injury during the 2023-2024 playoffs, and has clearly not been the same since. 

Popliteus injuries are uncommon and tricky, and it is definitely possible that this initial injury paired with the demanding physical toll and wear and tear an NHL goaltender faces could be stacking up and creating other issues for Demko, as he has been placed on injured reserve multiple times this season and Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote said that Demko has had “a couple of things going on.”

With Demko’s new three-year $25.5 million contract extension set to kick in next season, it is unclear what the Canucks are in store for going forward with Demko, but Rick Dhaliwal tweeted that Demko is looking at 4-6 months of rehab and is expected to be 100% for training camp. 

That being said, I am still quite skeptical about Demko’s ability to stay on the ice, given the nature of his injury, and as proven by the last two seasons. The hope is that more medical attention and rehabilitation will help Demko feel right again and get him back on track to where he was prior to the injury, but it is now the beginning of a long journey back for the goaltender.