Given his impressive performance over the regular season, Vancouver Canucks starting goaltender Thatcher Demko has been named a Vezina Trophy finalist.
The 28-year-old had 51 starts, 35 wins, five shutouts, and a .918 save percentage this season. This is despite the netminder suffering a knee injury that kept him out of the line-up for much of March and April.
Demko was in net for Game 1 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Nashville Predators, but was once again injured. He’s still week to week, according to team staff, as of April 26.
Demko missed 14 games with a lower-body injury at the end of the Canucks’ Pacific Division-winning season. He returned for their penultimate regular-season game, where he secured a 4-1 victory.
The Vezina Trophy is awarded each year “to the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at this position,” as voted by GMs of all of the leagues clubs.
The voting is conducted at the end of the regular season, with three finalists named.
The last time a Canucks netminder was nominated for the Vezina was more than a decade ago, when Roberto Luongo was honoured.
Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and Winnipeg Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck are also nominated this year.
Meanwhile, Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet is expected to be nominated for the Jack Adams Award for his role in helping turn the team around. Captain Quinn Hughes is also widely expected to not only be nominated but to win the Norris Trophy.