Canucks head coach confirms Thatcher Demko's status before round two

The Vancouver Canucks will be starting the second round of the NHL playoffs without their top goalie, Thatcher Demko. He was injured just one game into the postseason, and despite some hope for his return, he's been officially ruled out for Game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers.

Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed the news, with Brendan Batchelo of Sportsnet 650 reporting that Demko will sit out the opening game.





There was a flicker of hope among fans when Demko was seen skating before Game 6 of their series against the Predators, but it seems he's not quite ready to return.

In Demko's absence, Arturs Silovs and Casey DeSmith stepped up admirably in the series against Nashville. However, facing Connor McDavid and the Oilers presents a new and formidable challenge. This playoff meeting marks the first clash between the Canucks and Oilers since 1992. The schedule for round 2 is still pending.

Source: Canucksdaily
Tocchet confirms it for Thatcher Demko ahead of meeting with Oilers