A lengthy injury absence will finally end for this San Jose Sharks goaltender.

After not playing in the previous 22 games and not dressing in 20 of them, San Jose Sharks goalie Vitek Vanecek will return to the crease against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. 

Vanecek suffered a broken cheekbone on Dec. 17 while serving as the backup goalie against the Winnipeg Jets. An errant puck was sent flying into the Sharks bench and struck the goalie in the face.

Vanecek is a pending unrestricted free agent and will likely get an extended look in the crease due to San Jose trading No. 1 goalie Mackenzie Blackwood to the Colorado Avalanche on Dec. 8. Just four games were played following the trade, including the game where Vanecek suffered the injury.

Despite what looms for the Czech netminder in the 2025 offseason, he's not worried about where he might play next year.

"You just battle. It is what it is. When you get hurt, you get hurt, you cannot do anything with that. It was bad luck, for sure, but I cannot do anything with that," Vanecek told reporters after Monday's practice. "I'm going to battle, play good, and then let's see what's gonna happen after the season."

San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said he expects some rust from Vanecek.

"[I want to see] if he's tracking pucks," Warsofsky said after Thursday's morning skate. "Obviously, there will probably be a little bit of rust."

During his only start on a conditioning assignment to the American Hockey League, Vanecek stopped 22 shots for the San Jose Barracuda on Jan. 31.

"We got to get him in there. [We] can't let him sit there on the sidelines," Warsofsky said. "We gotta get him in and shake the rust off. He's a good goaltender. Gotta get him going again."

Vanecek has played 14 games for the Sharks and has a 3-8-1 record, a 3.84 goals-against average, and a .885 save percentage. 

San Jose will face the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center at 7:30 p.m. PT. The Canucks will be without their captain and superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes due to a lower-body injury.

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