L.A. ON ICE
Thatcher Demko is setting Ice on Fire
The Canucks goalie’s atypical path to success has fueled his team’s revival.
By ETHAN INMAN
There’s an age-old question about success: Would you rather be a lead actor in a bad movie or a supporting character in a great movie?
In the sports world, the question is amended to simply ask: Would you rather be the star player on an unsuccessful team or a benchwarmer for a championship-winning team?
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Thatcher Demko has likely felt the weight of this dilemma of success since he set foot in the NHL.
The Vancouver Canucks goalie is a certified superstar and has been his entire career.
He was a natural from the start. Demko was born in San Diego, California, but his parents were blown away by his natural ability to roller skate as a toddler and enrolled him in hockey at the age of 4.
Demko fell in love with hockey, and at the age of 15, his family moved to Los Angeles so he could play for the L.A. Junior Kings.
This probably sounds familiar if you’ve read other editions of my column, especially the most recent one on goalie Dustin Wolf.
He likely was shown that was possible by his fellow goaltender. Demko is probably the biggest star in the current NHL, and maybe of all time, who chose to stick with L.A..
That stardom, forged in southern California, started to catch the notice of the broader world when he enrolled at Boston College in 2013.
He had an elite 2.08 goals against average during his college career, the second-best in the storied Boston College program’s history. Demko also set the school’s single-season record for shutouts with 10 during his junior season, falling shy of the NCAA record of 12.
The Vancouver Canucks recognized his elite level of play, drafting him in the second round, in the 2014 NHL entry draft.
Demko worked his way up quickly, earning a call-up to the big club in only his second pro season in 2018. During that year, he earned his first NHL win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He would spend most of the year in the American Hockey League, awaiting a full-time opportunity.
That’s exactly what the Canucks gave him in January 2019 when they traded away backup goalie Anders Nilsson to the Ottawa Senators, opening up an opportunity for Demko as a backup.
Similarly to when he was in the AHL, he served that role well and awaited an even greater opportunity.
And then the absolute perfect storm of the 2020 playoffs happened.
With the pandemic, the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs were finished in the fall. Demko was pressed into service in the fifth game of the Canucks’ second-round matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights after starter Jacob Markstrom was injured.
Demko’s performance in the fifth game was all-world, allowing just one goal on 43 shots to will the Canucks to a 2-1 win over Vegas.
If that weren’t enough, Demko’s sixth game performance was somehow even better. He stopped a mind-boggling 48 shots, and the Canucks shut out the Golden Knights 4-0. With that performance Demko set records, including the most saves in a playoff shutout.
Unfortunately, the Canucks couldn’t complete the comeback. They fell to the Golden Knights in the seventh game after an atrocious offensive performance.
Despite personal excellence, Demko hasn’t played another playoff game since.
In March 2021, Demko went on an elite run, winning 8 of 9 starts, posting a 1.74 goals against average in the span. It established him as the Canucks’ permanent number one goaltender and earned him a five-year, $25 million contract.
The Ducks finished seventh in the North Division in 2020-21 and missed the playoffs.
In 2022, Demko was named an NHL All-Star for the first time in his career.
The Canucks finished fifth in the Pacific Division during the 2021-22 season and missed the playoffs. In 2022-23, Demko dealt with several injuries, and the Canucks finished sixth in the division, missing the playoffs once again.
Following that season, Demko’s career was paradoxical. He had established himself as a superstar, but the rest of the team continued to struggle, and that age-old question about success likely haunted him as he realized which of the two situations had become his reality.
But in 2023-24, Demko and the Canucks are rewriting the narrative. They currently sit at 11-3-1, seating them securely in second place in the Pacific Division, behind only the defending champion Golden Knights.
Part of that fast start has been Demko’s elite play. He has elevated his game so far this season, and he is top 5 in the NHL goals against average, save percentage and wins.
If Demko and the Canucks can sustain this success, they’ll find themselves finally back in the playoffs with a chance for Demko to continue to prove his excellence.
And if they raise the Stanley Cup, he’ll be a superstar of a status unlike the L.A. hockey scene has ever seen.
Ethan Inman is a junior writing about Los Angeles’ unique hockey heroes in his column, “L.A. on Ice,” which runs every other Tuesday.
