Chalk it up to bad puck luck, but the Vancouver Canucks are down another player.
Backup goaltender Thatcher Demko suffered a concussion in practice Wednesday, coach Travis Green confirmed before Thursday’s home game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The 24-year-old Demko didn’t initially feel symptoms, Green said, adding the problems started later in the evening.
Loui Eriksson collided with Demko while taking the puck to the net during Tuesday’s morning skate. Demko also took a shot off the mask at one point in Wednesday’s practice.
Green wasn’t sure what might have caused the head injury, but he thought it happened Wednesday.
Mike DiPietro has been recalled from the Utica Comets.
Ferland not feeling right
There was no update on Micheal Ferland’s status at Thursday’s morning skate, other than Green confirming he isn’t dealing with a new concussion.
“It’s symptoms but he hasn’t suffered a concussion,” he said of the 27-year-old winger’s status. Ferland was cleared to play again last week after missing 17 games because of a concussion suffered in late October during a fight against the Los Angeles Kings’ Kyle Clifford.
“He’s seeing specialists. Health is for us the No. 1 priority with Ferly. He’s not in the protocol,” Green said. “He’s got some symptoms, doesn’t feel perfect.”
Sutter seemed ready
For the second time this week, it looked like Brandon Sutter would make his return to the lineup; but when Green stepped to the podium, reporters were told otherwise.
An upbeat Sutter told reporters after the morning skate that he felt good and was hoping to be cleared to play. He even skated between Jake Virtanen and Antoine Roussel, in Adam Gaudette’s spot, who was absent from the morning skate.
But Green said there was nothing to Gaudette’s absence, that it was simply an “optional” skate and that Sutter hadn’t been cleared to play.
Still not time for Chatfield
For a moment, it looked like Jalen Chatfield might make his NHL debut.
The right-shot defenceman has been up with the team since Alex Edler suffered an upper-body injury at the end of November. It’s the second time he’s been with the big club, as he was also called up in early November when Chris Tanev was knocked out of a game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
But Tanev didn’t miss a game , and after five days on an NHL wage, the 23-year-old was shipped back to Utica, N.Y.
He took a regular turn in the morning skate alongside Quinn Hughes, but after Green said he wasn’t playing, that the Canucks would go with the same six defencemen they’ve had since Edler went on the injured-reserve list.
While it may be difficult to be so close to one’s dream, Chatfield, who grew up near Detroit and played in the OHL for the Windsor Spitfires, remains philosophical.
“It’s good,” he said of how he’s doing, now that he’s nearly two weeks into his latest NHL stint. “Everybody works to get to the big show so even though, you know, you’re not really playing, I’m going to come to the rink every day and work hard and just keep learning and getting better, and if the opportunity comes I just want to be ready.
“I’ve never had the quickest route to playing hockey. So I know about being patient and, like I said, just keep continuing to get better and never stop growing as a player and everything.”
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