Top 50 Canucks players of all time: #39 – Thatcher Demko

When Demko was finally promoted to the big club for good in 2019-20 he started as Jacob Markstrom’s backup, though he played a fair chunk of games in the first half of the season. But after a late January injury to Markstrom thrust Demko into the starting role, he struggled to adapt to his now-monstrous workload. By the time the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on the season in mid-March, some questioned if Demko was capable of being a regular #1 goaltender.

People only needed to wait until August to be proven wrong. During the 2020 playoffs, played in front of an empty Rogers Place in Edmonton, Demko took over for an injured Markstrom in Game 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Over the next three games, Demko faced 125 shots on goal; only two beat him. Despite the Canucks being ousted by the Knights in Game 7, “Bubble Demko” provided a sign of hope for the future.

Demko’s play gave the Canucks enough confidence to let Jacob Markstrom walk in free agency, but they didn’t bank entirely on a three-game sample size. In the shortened 2021 season, Demko was expected to split the net with veteran Braden Holtby, but quickly took over the bulk of the games. His ability to play a structured game, while still incorporating the ability to make acrobatic stops on the fly, made him the Canucks’ best chance at winning.

From there, “Bubble Demko” graduated into a full-time NHL starter and then some. Over the last half-decade, arguably no player has meant more to the Canucks’ success than Demko. The number of victories the SoCal kid has stolen for the Canucks since 2021 is far too high to count, and his status as the third-winningest goalie in franchise history (tied with Richard Brodeur at 126) speaks for itself.

When he’s been healthy, the Canucks have routinely punched above their weight and found a wide range of success. When he’s played at less than 100 percent – or missed stretches of time due to regular injuries – his teammates have often struggled to tread water.

In fact, it’s the injury time that’s likely kept him this far down the list. If not for the number of ailments his legs have gone through, how many Vezina Trophies would be sitting on his shelf? How many more playoff trips might the Canucks have made? And the biggest question mark of the 2024 postseason is how far the Canucks might’ve gone had Demko not gotten injured in Game 1 against the Predators.

Where Demko ends up in the Greatest Canucks list in the future is anyone’s guess, but it will certainly change. By the time his recently-signed contract extension expires in 2029, Thatcher will be 33 and have been part of the Vancouver Canucks organization for 15 years. The legacy Demko leaves in this city, and the stamp he puts on this club, will be determined a lot by what kind of success the next four years bring.