Canucks say goalie Demko sidelined week to week with lower-body injury

The Vancouver Canucks say Thatcher Demko will be out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.

The all-star goaltender was hurt in the second period of Saturday's 5-0 drubbing of the Winnipeg Jets and went directly down the tunnel during a television timeout.

Backup netminder Casey DeSmith finished the game for the Canucks (42-17-7).

Head coach Rick Tocchet said following Tuesday's practice Demko will be sidelined "week-to-week." He would not divulge further injury details.

On Monday, TSN and Rick Dhaliwal of Vancouver-based CHEK television reported the netminder would be out of game action at least two weeks.

Arturs Silovs, summoned under emergency conditions from Vancouver's American Hockey League affiliate in Abbotsford, B.C., joined the Canucks for Tuesday's on-ice session.

In a corresponding move to clear salary cap space, the team announced forward Dakota Joshua, out since Feb. 13 with a hand injury, has been retroactively placed on long-term injured reserve.

Demko boasts a 34-13-2 record, .917 save percentage and 2.47 goals-against average to go along with five shutouts in 2023-24, a stat line that's helped push Vancouver atop the Western Conference standings.

The 28-year-old earned his league-leading 34th win of the season Saturday and was named one of the NHL's three stars of the week.

Also Monday, Demko was named the NHL's Third Star of the Week after going 3-0-0 with a 0.81 GAA and .969 save percentage against the Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings.

A second-round pick in 2014, Demko is in his seventh season with the Canucks and is 115-80-17 with a 2.80 GAA, .912 save percentage and eight shutouts.

The Canucks host the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.