Demko Leaves Boston College for Canucks

And then there were five (gone).

Boston College junior goaltender Thatcher Demko gave up his senior season to sign an entry level contract yesterday with the Vancouver Canucks, who selected him in the second round (36th overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

Demko, 20, who won the Mike Richter Award this year as the top goaltender in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey, joins Adam Gilmour, Steve Santini, Alex Tuch and Miles Wood as ex-Eagles who signed professional contracts with college eligibility remaining following the end of BC's 2015-16 campaign. Gilmour and Tuch signed with the Minnesota Wild, while Santini and Wood inked deals with the New Jersey Devils and then made their NHL debuts in the Devils’ season finale on April 9 against Toronto.

A San Diego native, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound Demko leaves the Heights after recording a 27-8-4 record with a 1.88 goals-against average, a .935 save percentage, and 10 shutouts in 36 games last season, all career bests. In 98 outings over three seasons, he finished with a mark of 62-26-10 (2.08, .928) with 13 shutouts. 

Demko also backstopped BC to two NCAA Frozen Four appearances, two Hockey East regular-season titles, and two Beanpot Tournament championships in his career. He played his final game for BC in a 3-2 loss to Quinnipiac in an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal on April 7 in Tampa, where he made 27 saves. He stopped 60 of 63 shots combined two weeks prior, against Harvard and Minnesota-Duluth, as the Eagles defeated both to claim the NCAA Northeast Regional in Worcester.

The Eagles will return one experienced netminder in the fall in rising freshman Ian Milosz, who posted a win and a tie in two starts against Providence after joining BC at midseason. Sophomore goalie Chris Birdsall is also expected to return, after missing all of last season due to injury.