Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko out for rest of season

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko will miss the remainder of the regular season with a hip injury.

Demko, who last played Jan. 10 and allowed three goals on six shots, was moved to injured reserve on Sunday. The Canucks said that he is set to undergo hip surgery in what will be the latest interruption for one of the NHL’s best goalies.

The 30-year-old enjoyed the strongest season of his career in 2023-24, going 35-14-2 with a 2.45 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage to help the Canucks win the Pacific Division with 109 points.

Helping the Canucks return to the playoffs after a three-year hiatus led to him being a finalist for the Vezina Trophy that’s annually awarded to the NHL’s best goalie.

Demko then sustained a lower-body injury in the first round against the Nashville Predators and missed the rest of the playoffs. The Canucks advanced to the second round and were a win shy of reaching the Western Conference finals.

The former Boston College star returned to the Canucks in December 2024. Demko played 17 games before he sustained another injury in early February. He didn’t return until March and tried to help the Canucks get back to the playoffs only for them to fall short by six points for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

Vancouver entered this season with several question marks but believed that a healthy Demko in tandem with Kevin Lankinen could help them challenge for the playoffs.

Instead, the Canucks have had what might be the most trying season in the NHL. They haven’t been above .500 since mid-October and have four separate three-game losing streaks.

The franchise made the biggest trade of the season on Dec. 12 when it dealt captain and 2023-24 Norris Trophy recipient Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Zeev Buium, center Marco Rossi, winger Liam Ohgren and a first-round pick.

The Canucks won their first three games after the trade. But they have since lost 13 of 15. That includes an 11-game losing streak that started Dec. 30 and lasted through Jan. 19.

They snapped their streak on Jan. 21 with a win against the Washington Capitals but have since lost two straight.

Demko started in the 5-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 6 but was pulled after the first period for allowing three goals on six shots. That was the sixth defeat of the losing streak.

During the skid, the Canucks also traded leading goal scorer Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks. On Monday, they moved Buium and forward Brock Boeser to injured reserve. It’s a list that also includes defenseman Derek Forbort, Rossi and Demko before he was ruled out for the remainder of a season.

He’ll finish 8-10-1 with a 2.90 GAA and a .897 save percentage.

Entering Tuesday, the Canucks (17-30-5) have the worst record in the NHL. Their 39 points are the fewest in the league, with the next closest teams in the standings — the St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets — being tied with 47 points.

The Canucks are on their way to the best odds to win the draft lottery. If so, it would be the second time in franchise history they would have the No. 1 pick. They also had it in 1999 but traded down to No. 2 and drafted two of the greatest players in franchise history, twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin, with the second and third picks.