Canucks prospect Ty Young's 2025-26 season did not start off the way he'd planned it to. Since returning to the Kalamazoo Wings, confidence has been the main thing he's sought from his play.
On a random weekend in November, the Vancouver Canucks organization underwent one of their most puzzling goaltending conundrums in recent history. Thatcher Demko was unavailable due to needing maintenance, Jiří Patera’s services were required to back up Kevin Lankinen, and Nikita Tolopilo was still recovering from an injury. This left Ty Young alone with the Abbotsford Canucks' starter’s crease until Aku Koskenvuo could make it to join the team from the Kalamazoo Wings.
“You never really know what’s going to happen,” Young explained the situation to The Hockey News back in January. “Injuries happen, and especially in the goalie position, there’s not as many guys that could fill your spot. So lots of movement, up and down, and you’ve just kind of got to take it as it goes. Whenever you get your opportunities, [you’ve] gotta take advantage of them. I think it’s just something you don’t really know about pro hockey until you get there. But you’ve just gotta enjoy the ride however long you can go on it.”
To say the start of the season didn’t go as planned would be an understatement for Young. The goaltender, playing behind an Abbotsford team also suffering from a depleted lineup due to injuries in Vancouver, dropped all six of his starts for the AHL Canucks from mid-October to mid-November, also adding a loss in December to his season records. The second-year pro goaltender soon made his return to Kalamazoo to regain some confidence and stability.
“Pretty good, able to kind of get some confidence back here. It wasn’t the start that I was expecting coming into the year, but [I’m] finding the groove a little bit here and enjoying my time in Kalamazoo, and just working one day at a time, trying to get back to the level that I know I can play at.”
Back in Kalamazoo, Young has split starts with goaltenders Jonathan Lemieux, Luke Pavicich, and Hunter Vorva, as well as Koskenvuo when he’s been with the team. In 13 games with the K-Wings in 2025–26, Young has posted a record of 7–5–1, putting up a 3.26 GAA and .896 SV%.
“Last year I didn’t really know what to expect going into it, so I was just learning as I went. This year, I kind of knew a little bit more [...] what it was going to be like, and almost, I think maybe put a little bit of extra pressure on myself because of that. So just trying to get back just to enjoying the game, having fun, coming to the rink every day and enjoying it.”
Photo Credit: Kaja Antic-THNAs Young’s time in the Canucks organization has progressed, the goaltender is learning more and more from others within it. Drafted in the fifth-round of the 2022 NHL Draft, Young is now in his fourth season with the Canucks. Part of what has made Vancouver’s goaltending department so lethal in the past few years is the presence of goaltending coach-turned scout-turned development coach Ian Clark. Young detailed his experiences with the famed goaltending guru throughout the years.
“I didn’t really know too much when I got drafted here, and ever since meeting him for the first time, he kind of took my game to massive steps, and coming out from juniors, I feel like a completely different goalie, and kind of owe that to him and his mechanics and everything that he’s taught me,” he said. “Being able to learn from a guy like that is absolutely incredible. He’s got a great list of goalies that he’s helped out. His stuff works. It’s pretty incredible to kind of be able to go through that.”
In terms of those working in the crease, Young also named Canucks goaltenders Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen as two he’s studied when they’ve shared the ice during training camps and other in-organization practices.
“You go to the main camp and you see Demko and his work habits and everything he does on and off the ice [...] you see that and want to obviously be in his position. He’s one of the best goalies in the world. You look at him and you really kind of want to strive to be there. So you try to take those habits that he has, and then even with Lankinen too, he’s kind of had a little bit different of a career, and his mental game is incredible. You listen to him talk, the mindset of the game is absolutely incredible, and I want to implement that into mine. Throughout the organization, you’ve got something to kind of take away from everybody. It’s just a great group of guys to be around and learn from, and to also be friends with too.”
As one of the Canucks organization’s young-er players, Young has found himself to be a big part of the team's goaltending depth chart towards the middle, which isn't at all a bad thing for a younger player. For now, his focus will be on finding that level of confidence to keep pushing his game to higher peaks.
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