Thatcher Demko referred to the injury as unique, as only a handful of soccer players have experienced a similar injury.
Thatcher Demko referred to the injury as unique, as only a handful of soccer players have experienced a similar injury.
More information has emerged about Thatcher Demko's lower-body injury. According to Kevin Woodley of InGoal Magazine and NHL.com, Demko is recovering from a Popliteus muscle injury. Demko last played on April 21 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs but missed the rest of the postseason with the injury.
According to Physiopedia, the Popliteus muscle is "a small, thin, flat, triangular shaped musclotendinous complex of the lower leg with the popliteus muscle and the popliteofibular ligament and constitutes a part of the posterolateral corner of the knee.. It is a deep muscle of the knee joint, forming the floor of the popliteus fossa. It also makes up the lateral musculature of the knee joint, along with the iliotibial band. It is the only muscle in the posterior compartment of the lower leg (which also includes tibialis posterior, flexor digitorum longus, and flexor hallucis longus) which is mono-articular and does not influence the ankle joint."
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During Training Camp, Demko described the injury as "rare and unique," going on to explain that they could not find another case of a Popliteus muscle injury in the NHL. Demko also mentioned there have been some cases with soccer players, but even then, it is still a very rare injury. One documented case from the soccer world is Kyle Jisa, who suffered a Popliteus injury in 2010 while playing at Nebraska Wesleyan University. Jisa missed the entire 2011 season but was able to return in 2012 when he was named a First-Team AD3I All-Independent.
As of right now, there is no timeline for Demko's return to the lineup. This means the Canucks will most likely start the season with a goaltending duo of Artūrs Šilovs and newly signed Kevin Lankinen. Vancouver kicks off their 2024 preseason schedule Tuesday against the Seattle Kraken, with opening night set for October 9 at home against the Calgary Flames.
