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Thatcher Demko | #35 | G

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laxdill Junior Prospect

laxdill

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48 minutes ago, CanuckGAME said:

Was at shawnigan lake today.  All I have to say is HOLY **** Demko is good.  I didn't see a single puck make it past him today.  He's also a monster in that net.  

I was there as well, he made some absolute beauty saves 

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thejazz97 Canucks All-Star

thejazz97

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VANCOUVER -- Vancouver Canucks goaltending prospect Thatcher Demko gained new levels of mobility after recovering from hip surgery last summer, and it showed. 

Able to move freely for the first time in his college career, Demko went 27-8-4 with a 1.88 goals-against average and .935 save percentage in his junior season at Boston College. He had 10 shutouts, breaking the school record set by former Canucks goalieCory Schneider a decade earlier, was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in college hockey and won the Mike Richter Award as the top NCAA goaltender when he led the Eagles to the Frozen Four. 

Demko, selected in the second round (No. 36) by the Canucks in the 2014 NHL Draft, turned pro by signing on April 20, and said he was a different goaltender after having his hip repaired.

"I tweaked my style to fit what I wasn't able to do [before surgery], and when I got back on the ice [after surgery], my entire style changed," Demko said. "I was able to be more on top of pucks, be a little bit quicker and I was just more mobile from different positions, where previously if I got into certain positions I could get stuck and just couldn't move. I feel quicker now. I feel more flexible. I feel like there is not a shot I can't get to if there is a rebound."

That athletic ability was on full display at the Canucks' recent development camp, with Demko providing a handful of highlight reel moments, including an out-of-nowhere left pad stop to deny an apparent backdoor tap-in. 

 

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Thatcher Demko gets mic'd up

 

  • 02:16 • July 18th, 2016

 

"His flexibility is better. He can make those desperation saves now," Canucks goaltending coach Dan Cloutier said. 

As Demko prepares for his first pro season at the age of 20, the one thing more impressive than his newfound mobility and flexibility is what he has done with it. Demko consciously tried to move less last season, fully aware his eventual transition to the professional game would require more reliance on moving his 6-foot-4 frame around the crease more efficiently, and less on the raw athleticism others have praised.

"The more mobile my body is, the less I have to move, if that makes sense," Demko said.

It does for goaltenders that understand early arrival to proper position keeps the play coming at them, that over-aggressive positioning makes it harder to beat passes and leaves some chasing the puck instead of letting it come to them. Developing that understanding is usually a part of the transition from college, where most play outside the edges of their crease, to the pro ranks, where the trend has been toward deeper initial positioning. 

It's a philosophy Roland Melanson stuck firmly to during a six-season tenure as Canucks goaltending coach that included the development of Schneider, Eddie Lackand Jacob Markstrom. Demko will be exposed first hand to that ideology with Utica of the American Hockey League, now that Melanson is Vancouver's goaltending development coach, effectively swapping jobs with Cloutier this season. That Demko got a head start on the process in his junior season at Boston College comes as little surprise, in part because Cloutier talked to him about it during development camp last summer, but also because of Demko studies the position.

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That includes keeping notebooks on NHL goalies, something that started any time he watched hockey growing up and evolved to include video sessions with Boston College assistant coach Mike Ayers.

"I study the game quite a bit," Demko said. "I love watching NHL Network, and it's just always been part of my nature to look at the highlights and see 'he did this here, or he didn't do that there,' and pick things up as you go."

That analytical mentality continued when Demko was the No. 3 goalie for the United States at the 2016 IIHF World Championship in Russia.

"That was more locker room etiquette," Demko said. "It's a lot different. We're going out to dinner and Matt Hendricks [of the Edmonton Oilers] is facetiming his two twins -- you don't see that in college. Guys have families and other responsibilities outside of the rink. It's not like college, where you are in the locker room together, you go back home together, you go to eat together, you go to class together. So you learn about being a rookie, and watching your boundaries."

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With Markstrom signed for the next four seasons and veteran Ryan Miller under contract for one more, Demko's lessons will continue with Utica this season. Even with Miller set for unrestricted free agency next summer and no backup plan in place yet, Cloutier said the Canucks will not rush their top puck-stopping prospect, singling out Demko's need to get smoother and more efficient in his movements, and pointing to the three-year development curves for Lack and Schneider in the AHL. When Demko is ready, Cloutier isn't worried about him adjusting to life in a Vancouver market that has traditionally been tough on its goaltenders.

"He has already played in a big school, in the big tournaments, in front of big crowds, as 'the guy,'" Cloutier said. "Playing in this market is different, but he's already a mature kid and I think he's got the makeup to handle it."

That includes already understanding there will be more time -- and adjustments -- required to get to the League, no matter how promising the "new" Demko looks already.

https://www.nhl.com/news/vancouver-canucks-thatcher-demko-improving/c-281236002?tid=277729154

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SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME Canucks Franchise Player

SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME

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Interesting to read that Travis Green is hoping Demko will be ready to play 50, maybe even 60, games next season for Utica. Not a prediction or plan yet as Green hasn't seen Demko play. But nonetheless sounding very optimistic for Demko's rookie pro season:

 

I’m confident in Demko, I know the organization is. But there’s no way that I’m going to sit here without seeing him play, to say, he’s going to play this many games. He’s definitely going to play, and hopefully he’s ready to play 50 to 60 games, and challenge Bachman. Bachman’s a really goalie in that league, there’s a reason that he’s done well. In a perfect world I’ve got two guys that push each other every night.

http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/canucks-prospects-2016

 

 

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vancan3322 Abbotsford Regular

vancan3322

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http://www.uticacomets.com/news/detail/comets-tales-meet-thatcher-demko

COMETS TALES: MEET THATCHER DEMKO

AUG 1, 2016

The Vancouver Canucks 2014 second round draft pick, Thatcher Demko, is entering his first season of professional hockey with plenty of fanfare - to say the least.

Comets Tales caught up with the 6'4" goaltender who is expected to start in Utica this season to learn more about his stellar collegiate career at Boston College, his expectations as a pro, and life away from the rink.

Q: What is a typical day for you living in San Diego?
A: I'll get up early, have a workout, then by 8 or 9am, go golfing. After a round, it is beach time; very casual.

Q: Do you surf?
A.  Ah, I dabble at it a little, but I'm not very good. My mom and her husband live on the beach. I do it just to have a good time.

Q: It's projected that you'll be joining the Comets this fall. What have you heard about Utica?
A. I know they have had 55 consecutive sellouts. That is incredible. They've had some good hockey teams. There is a lot of excitement in The AUD.

Q: Have you been away from home for a prolonged period?
A: Yeah. I've first went away when I was 15 years old. When I'm there (Utica), I'm going to work on not being too overwhelmed.

Q: This past season (junior year) playing for the Boston College Eagles, you put up monstrous numbers. You are leaving the program on a high note.
A: I hit my college peak. I was lucky to be with the whole team through the end of the year. I was able to get in my good-byes, and have closure.

Q: Back to your individual recognitions. You were one of 10 Hobey Baker Award finalists, selected as the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA men's hockey (Mike Richter Award), named the 2016 Co-Player of the Year by the Hockey East Association, and went to the Frozen Four finals - you have some serious bragging material, if you want.
A. I definitely enjoyed my time at BC. Coach York (Jerry York - first NCAA D-I men's hockey coach to win 1,000 games) played a role in my choosing to go there. BC is a smaller school and we're a close knit group. The baseball team came to our games, and we (hockey) went to their games - things like that.

Q: How important is the Bean Pot (annual tournament between the four major hockey programs in the Boston area: Harvard, Northeastern, Boston University, BC) each February?
A: We beat BU (1-0) in overtime this season. That was a highlight for all my teammates. I appreciate all the individual recognition, but my goal was always to win a national championship.

Q: At BC, you had some teammates who have since done well in the NHL.
A: Kevin Hayes (now with the Rangers), and Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary Flames).

Q: You had hip surgeries on April 20, 2015, after your second season at BC. Describe what you went through.
A. I went to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. I had my hips and (torn) labrums taken care of. I had known for about four seasons that I would need them taken care of. (Hockey) began to be really painful, and I didn't have much mobility.

Q: What was the rehab like?
A. I gained flexibility and strength in my hips. I spent three and a half months rehabbing off of the ice, and played in the season opener on October 9. I had gone back to BC to rehab with our trainer (Bert Lenz) for the first 10 weeks. Then to San Diego, for one week, and Vancouver after that.

Q: You and Jack Eichel were teammates on the 2012-13 U.S. National Development team. What was that like?
A: He (Eichel) is a great teammate, and a dynamic player. Jack is a good leader that works hard, and sets an example for all of us in the room.

Q: What was the experience for you on draft day in Philly?
A: That was a crazy time. You never know what's going to happen. I didn't have to wait around too long. Six picks on the second day, and my name was called. Next thing I know, I'm having my picture taken with Trevor Linden and Jim Benning. I had a lot of family there.

Q: You've been to three Canucks' development camps. You should see some familiar faces in Utica.
A. Absolutely. That's the whole point of having the camps. Cole Cassels, Curtis Valk, and Jordan Subban, these guys will help me become comfortable a little quicker in Utica.

Q: You have HAP on your gear. What's the story behind this?
A: It means “Have A Purpose”. Five years ago my friend Ian Jenkins died, falling out of a truck. What happened to Ian gets you real close to reality. His parents went through a really tough time. I keep in touch with Ian's dad Joel. He hasn't been forgotten. I have it (HAP) on all of my gear - chest protector, helmet, pads. 

(Ian Jenkins and Thatcher attended a camp for the best young goaltenders in America when they were 15-years-old. Shortly after the camp, Ian fell from the back of a truck, hit his head, and died).

Q: Are you much of a video gamer? Hooked on Pokemon Go?
A: No (laughs).

Q: What's on your packing list for Utica?
A: I'm not sure. My golf clubs, maybe.

Q: Will your parents be coming to watch you play in Utica?
A: I'm sure they will be out as much as they can.

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Nuxfanabroad Canucks Hall-of-Famer

Nuxfanabroad

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2 hours ago, vancan3322 said:

http://www.uticacomets.com/news/detail/comets-tales-meet-thatcher-demko

COMETS TALES: MEET THATCHER DEMKO

AUG 1, 2016

The Vancouver Canucks 2014 second round draft pick, Thatcher Demko, is entering his first season of professional hockey with plenty of fanfare - to say the least.

Comets Tales caught up with the 6'4" goaltender who is expected to start in Utica this season to learn more about his stellar collegiate career at Boston College, his expectations as a pro, and life away from the rink.

Q: What is a typical day for you living in San Diego?
A: I'll get up early, have a workout, then by 8 or 9am, go golfing. After a round, it is beach time; very casual.

Q: Do you surf?
A.  Ah, I dabble at it a little, but I'm not very good. My mom and her husband live on the beach. I do it just to have a good time.

Q: It's projected that you'll be joining the Comets this fall. What have you heard about Utica?
A. I know they have had 55 consecutive sellouts. That is incredible. They've had some good hockey teams. There is a lot of excitement in The AUD.

Q: Have you been away from home for a prolonged period?
A: Yeah. I've first went away when I was 15 years old. When I'm there (Utica), I'm going to work on not being too overwhelmed.

Q: This past season (junior year) playing for the Boston College Eagles, you put up monstrous numbers. You are leaving the program on a high note.
A: I hit my college peak. I was lucky to be with the whole team through the end of the year. I was able to get in my good-byes, and have closure.

Q: Back to your individual recognitions. You were one of 10 Hobey Baker Award finalists, selected as the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA men's hockey (Mike Richter Award), named the 2016 Co-Player of the Year by the Hockey East Association, and went to the Frozen Four finals - you have some serious bragging material, if you want.
A. I definitely enjoyed my time at BC. Coach York (Jerry York - first NCAA D-I men's hockey coach to win 1,000 games) played a role in my choosing to go there. BC is a smaller school and we're a close knit group. The baseball team came to our games, and we (hockey) went to their games - things like that.

Q: How important is the Bean Pot (annual tournament between the four major hockey programs in the Boston area: Harvard, Northeastern, Boston University, BC) each February?
A: We beat BU (1-0) in overtime this season. That was a highlight for all my teammates. I appreciate all the individual recognition, but my goal was always to win a national championship.

Q: At BC, you had some teammates who have since done well in the NHL.
A: Kevin Hayes (now with the Rangers), and Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary Flames).

Q: You had hip surgeries on April 20, 2015, after your second season at BC. Describe what you went through.
A. I went to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. I had my hips and (torn) labrums taken care of. I had known for about four seasons that I would need them taken care of. (Hockey) began to be really painful, and I didn't have much mobility.

Q: What was the rehab like?
A. I gained flexibility and strength in my hips. I spent three and a half months rehabbing off of the ice, and played in the season opener on October 9. I had gone back to BC to rehab with our trainer (Bert Lenz) for the first 10 weeks. Then to San Diego, for one week, and Vancouver after that.

Q: You and Jack Eichel were teammates on the 2012-13 U.S. National Development team. What was that like?
A: He (Eichel) is a great teammate, and a dynamic player. Jack is a good leader that works hard, and sets an example for all of us in the room.

Q: What was the experience for you on draft day in Philly?
A: That was a crazy time. You never know what's going to happen. I didn't have to wait around too long. Six picks on the second day, and my name was called. Next thing I know, I'm having my picture taken with Trevor Linden and Jim Benning. I had a lot of family there.

Q: You've been to three Canucks' development camps. You should see some familiar faces in Utica.
A. Absolutely. That's the whole point of having the camps. Cole Cassels, Curtis Valk, and Jordan Subban, these guys will help me become comfortable a little quicker in Utica.

Q: You have HAP on your gear. What's the story behind this?
A: It means “Have A Purpose”. Five years ago my friend Ian Jenkins died, falling out of a truck. What happened to Ian gets you real close to reality. His parents went through a really tough time. I keep in touch with Ian's dad Joel. He hasn't been forgotten. I have it (HAP) on all of my gear - chest protector, helmet, pads. 

(Ian Jenkins and Thatcher attended a camp for the best young goaltenders in America when they were 15-years-old. Shortly after the camp, Ian fell from the back of a truck, hit his head, and died).

Q: Are you much of a video gamer? Hooked on Pokemon Go?
A: No (laughs).

Q: What's on your packing list for Utica?
A: I'm not sure. My golf clubs, maybe.

Q: Will your parents be coming to watch you play in Utica?
A: I'm sure they will be out as much as they can.

That young lad who died in the accident, must be the same who Bo has paid tribute to, isn't it? Darn shame when tragedies like that occur. Nice for his family that Bo & Thatcher honour the boy's memory.

 

Seems we're building up a real nice nucleus of character kids. Then they've got some brilliant Van vets to learn from.

 

Thanks for this interview..nice read.

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Sean Monahan Canucks Star

Sean Monahan

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18 minutes ago, Nuxfanabroad said:

That young lad who died in the accident, must be the same who Bo has paid tribute to, isn't it? Darn shame when tragedies like that occur. Nice for his family that Bo & Thatcher honour the boy's memory.

 

Seems we're building up a real nice nucleus of character kids. Then they've got some brilliant Van vets to learn from.

 

Thanks for this interview..nice read.

Correct.

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