VANCOUVER -- Thatcher Demko will return from a lower-body injury when the Vancouver Canucks host the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; SNP, MSG-B).
The No. 1 goalie did not dress for back-to-back games on Nov. 8 and 9, then left after allowing three goals on eight shots in the first period of a 5-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 11. Demko, who rejoined the Canucks at practice on Dec. 4, has missed 12 straight games.
"I feel ready to go," Demko said after practice Tuesday. "We knew exactly what was going on. It was a minor tweak of something, and pretty much just had to give it time and get the reps back, so we've done that and excited to be hopefully back in the lineup."
Demko is 5-4-0 with a 2.80 goals-against average and .903 save percentage in 10 games this season. He signed a three-year, $25.5 million contract ($8.5 million average annual value) on July 1 that starts next season and worked all summer on his training after being limited to 23 games last season because of injuries. That included a knee injury at the end of the 2023-24 season that kept him out until Dec. 10, 2024.
Demko, who turned 30 on Monday, admitted it's been frustrating this season.
"There's a narrative around the whole situation, but any guy can go through and have a great summer and then get hurt," Demko said. "I have been sitting there pretty much just beating myself up for a week and you feel guilty and you feel bummed out and [ticked] off and all those things. But it's part of the game, and I can only control so much.
"At the end of the day, I know that I'm doing everything humanly possible, preparation-wise, education-wise. I have a great team that surrounds me and helps me do what I can to make sure that I'm ready to play. I'm the guy who feels it the most when things don't turn out the way we want it to."
Demko was being talked about as a possible candidate for Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 after playing well in October, but admitted he wasn't sure where the injury leaves him now. He said his focus is on helping the Canucks (11-16-3), who have lost eight of their past 10 games (2-7-1) and are currently 31st in the NHL standings.
"I'm trying to be there for my teammates," Demko said. "It's certainly not been trying to get back in the lineup to make the Olympic team. You've got to be healthy to do that, and I've got to be on the ice to do that. So first and foremost, I want to be there for my team, and I want to be impactful on a consistent basis. That's been the focus."
In addition to Demko, Elias Pettersson is nearing a return. The center, who is tied with defenseman Quinn Hughes for the team lead with 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists), missed the past two games with an upper-body injury while undergoing additional testing but could return to practice on Wednesday.
"How I feel today about it compared to yesterday is a big step as far as the news we got," Canucks coach Adam Foote said. "He should be practicing tomorrow, but we'll find out. … I think he should be fine, but it was a good day today for him."
