7 interesting facts about new Canucks goalie Casey DeSmith
The Vancouver Canucks looked like they were going to enter the season with goaltending uncertainty behind Thatcher Demko.
Well, they seem to have rectified that problem.
The Canucks traded Tanner Pearson and a 2025 third-round pick to the Montreal Canadians for goaltender Casey DeSmith. This trade saved the cap-strapped Canucks a shade under $1.5 million in cap space, while also giving the team a proven backup netminder.
Heck, some Pittsburgh Penguins reporters were even vouching for him to be the starting netminder last season.
Get to know more about DeSmith with these seven facts.
1. Was with the Montreal Canadiens for just 45 days
It’ll go down as one of the shortest tenures in Montreal Canadiens history.
Back on August 9, the Canadiens acquired DeSmith and defenceman Jeff Petry as part of the three-way trade which helped the Pittsburgh Penguins land star defenceman Erik Karlsson.
Petry was traded to the Detroit Red Wings soon after, and it seemed like DeSmith might follow a similar path. After joining Montreal, DeSmith was one of four Habs netminders to play NHL games last season.
Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes reportedly called starting netminder Sam Montembeault following the DeSmith acquisition, letting him know his job wasn’t in jeopardy.
Hughes reportedly also told DeSmith to “be patient,” in terms of navigating the Canadiens crowded depth chart in the crease.
Well, after 45 summer days as a member of the Canadiens organization, DeSmith is now with the Canucks.
It prompted Canadiens fans to start a “Casey DeSmith Appreciation Thread” on HFBoards.
“[DeSmith] just made history and joined a very short list of 4 Montreal Canadiens goaltenders who didn’t allow a single goal during their tenure,” commenter WatchfulElm said.
“The end of an era. Truly a Hab for life! Congratulations Casey!”
2. Nicknamed “The Golden Snitch”
It sounds like a cool nickname on the surface, although it didn’t come from a place of admiration.
During his first full season in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins back in 2016-17, DeSmith drew some attention from his teammates by showing up to the rink in a 1998 gold Toyota Cecilia with a burnt-out taillight.
It prompted his teammates to nickname him “The Golden Snitch.”
At the end of the 2016-17 season, DeSmith signed his first NHL contract after a stellar AHL campaign. He then traded in his old Toyota and bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
3. Integrated “The Office” into his hockey career
In Pittsburgh, DeSmith donned a mask with artwork from The Office, which included drawing of “Prison Mike” and Dwight Schrute’s infamous CPR doll mask scene.
Reddit.com
Then in 2019, he dropped a Michael Scott quote from The Office in a post-game interview after a 5-0 shutout win over the Buffalo Sabres.
— Sean (@RunSMK) March 15, 2019
4. He’s a disc golf enthusiast
It takes about 20 seconds of internet searching to find out that DeSmith is a passionate disc golf player.
He apparently got into the sport after turning pro back in 2016.
“I had a lot of free time,” DeSmith said in this Disc Golf Pro interview when asked how he got into the sport. “You have practice and then you’re pretty free for the day, so I try to go out whenever I can, whenever it’s nice out after practice on on off days.”
“It’s so nice to get outside and relax, be in nature and not be in a cold hockey rink with the puck flying at my head,” DeSmith said.
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5. Played with Blueger and Garland
DeSmith will recognize a couple of faces in the Canucks’ locker room.
The netminder was teammates with Teddy Blueger back in Pittsburgh. Not only that, the two actually connected for a highlight-reel goal at one point as well.
New Canucks defenceman Ian Cole was also with the Penguins during DeSmith’s rookie season.
The New Hampshire native also played with Conor Garland for Team USA at the World Hockey Championships this past spring.
DeSmith and his Canucks crease counterpart, Thatcher Demko, share the same agent as well.
6. Was injured in first and only NHL playoff start
Shortly before the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, DeSmith was thrust into the starting role for the Penguins after their top goaltender, Tristan Jarry, injured his foot late in the regular season.
It was a prime opportunity for DeSmith, who had performed well in a backup role for four years prior to that.
DeSmith ended up stopping 48 of 51 shots, but left with an injury midway through the second overtime. That ended his NHL postseason career to date, as the injury forced him to have core muscle surgery.
Another former Canucks netminder, Louis Domingue, stepped in for the Penguins following DeSmith’s departure.
7. Left NHL player in disbelief after ridiculous glove save
Standing at 6-feet tall, DeSmith is small in terms of NHL goaltenders.
However, that doesn’t stop him from getting across the crease to make highlight-reel saves.
DeSmith has flashed the glove like that before, making an eerily similar save on Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin back in 2021-22.
Throughout his NHL career, DeSmith has performed like an above average goaltender. He has a career .912 save percentage and have saved 14.3 goals above average in his five NHL seasons.
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