Tocchet pranks Canucks media with Demko update on eve of Game 7
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Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet was in a joking mood this morning as he decided to play a hilarious prank on local media ahead of tomorrow night’s Game 7 against the Edmonton Oilers.
The former NHLer took to the podium to talk with the media after this morning’s practice at Rogers Arena. His first remarks sent shockwaves through the room as he announced that injured goaltender Thatcher Demko would be the Canucks’ starting goalie for Game 7.
“Before we start, Demko is starting tomorrow,” Tocchet said with a deadly serious expression on his face.
That sentence sparked one reporter to respond with “Actually?” to which Tocchet responded with “Yeah… I’m just joking” to uproarious laughter from the rest of the media in the room.
Hereās the audio of Tocchet pranking the media at todayās press conference. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/kxvOQr0BlC
— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) May 19, 2024
It was a unique way to get the question of Demko’s status out of the way quickly ahead of what will be the first elimination game the Canucks have played all season long.
There were previous reports that implied that Demko could be available if the series went to seven games, but Tocchet was adamant after Game 6’s loss in Edmonton that the all-star goaltender would not be the team’s starter in their penultimate game against the Oilers.
Instead, it appears as though rookie Arturs Silovs will make his seventh start of the series after his worst outing in the playoffs saw him give up five goals on 27 shots with a .815 save percentage.
The joke is just another example from Tocchet’s coaching tenure with the Canucks that has made him a media darling and fan favourite in Vancouver. He can balance a no-nonsense approach with well-timed humour in a way that isn’t often seen among NHL coaches.
Having Demko start in such a high-stakes game would be pretty risky if his injury wasn’t completely healed up. Silovs had a forgettable Game 6 but has largely been able to handle the workload against an offensive powerhouse like the Oilers.
We’ll see if he can rebound when Game 7 goes tomorrow night in Vancouver at 6 pm PT.
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