Canucks sign Thatcher Demko to three-year contract extension

A former Vezina Trophy finalist is staying out west for a few more seasons.

On Tuesday, Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin announced that the team has signed goaltender Thatcher Demko to a three-year contract extension. The deal, set to begin with the 2026-27 season, will carry an AAV of $8.5 million through the 2028-29 season.

Demko has one more season left on his current deal, a five-year contract that he signed in March 2021 while Jim Benning was the team’s GM. That agreement has a cap hit of $5 million.

The extension comes after what was a very tumultuous 2024-25 campaign for the San Diego native. After a prosperous 2023-24 season, which saw him finish as a finalist for the NHL’s top goaltender award, an injury suffered early in that year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs led to Demko requiring surgery for a unique injury. The Boston College star ended up missing the start of the new season, not appearing in game action until December.

Even when he came back, Demko didn’t look like his usual self. He didn’t seem comfortable with his repaired body, and it led to a series of lackluster performances. The 29-year-old posted a 10-8-3 record in 23 games, registering a 2.90 goals-against average, a .889 save percentage and one shutout. The Canucks missed the postseason for the fourth time in five seasons.

With Demko back on the books for the forseeable future, that might mean the Canucks will have to make a decision with its other goaltenders. Kevin Lankinen carried the torch for most of last season, and he’s signed through the 2027-28 campaign.

Arturs Silovs, who played the hero for Vancouver during the 2024 playoffs, had a great season with the Canucks’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. The Latvian backstop helped Abbotsford win the Calder Cup for the first time, earning playoff MVP honors in the process. Silovs has one more season on his two-year contract, with a cap hit of $850,000.

In 242 career appearances in the NHL, Demko has a record of 126-89-20, with a 2.80 GAA, a .910 SV% and nine shutouts.