VANCOUVER – The Canucks have sent all-star goalie Thatcher Demko back to Vancouver so medical staff can evaluate his latest injury.
Head coach Adam Foote says the 30-year-old American netminder will probably be out “per week or two” after leaving midway through Vancouver’s 5-0 loss to the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Saturday.
He was placed on injured reserve Sunday, and Nikita Tolopilo was called up from the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks under emergency conditions.
Foote says Tolopilo will start in net Monday when Vancouver faces the Canadiens in Montreal.
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Demko missed 12 games in November and December as he recovered from a lower-body injury.
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Foote says the goalie has had “a few things happening” all season and “it is perhaps possible” the Canucks might want to shut him down for the remaining of the campaign, pending what they hear from doctors back in Vancouver.
Demko has an 8-10-1 record with a .897 save percentage, a 2.90 goals-against average and one shutout this season.
Vancouver has struggled with injuries throughout the season.
Defenceman Derek Forbort and centres Marco Rossi, Teddy Blueger and Filip Chytil all remain on the IR list.
Winger Conor Garland is slated to return to the lineup against the Habs on Monday after sitting out five games with an upper-body injury, however the Canucks will probably be without bruising forward Kiefer Sherwood because of an undisclosed ailment.
“He’s attempting to undergo something,” Foote said. “My gut says it’ll be per week to 3 weeks, probably, so it doesn’t look promising.”
Sherwood leads the Canucks with 17 goals on the season.
The pending free agent is widely considered Vancouver’s best asset as teams look to fortify their rosters ahead of the NHL trade deadline on March 6.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press