The mystery behind Thatcher Demko's injury revealed: As uncommon as they come
The circumstances surrounding Thatcher Demko, a star player for the Vancouver Canucks, have come to light following his injury during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Thatcher Demko's services will be unavailable for an indefinite period of time as the Vancouver Canucks begin their preseason schedule tomorrow; even he is uncertain of when he will be back.
The Vancouver Canucks haven't released an official statement regarding their star goaltender's condition for months, leaving fans to wonder what's going on. The regular season is quickly approaching and now that Demko's tough injury has been partially explained, the mystery has been lifted thanks to NHL player Keith Woodley.
When Woodley appeared as a guest on Halford and Brough on Monday, he revealed that Thatcher Demko's injury was related to his Popliteus, a triangle-shaped muscle that is connected to the femur and tibia behind the back of the knee. Woodley clarified that it's unclear whether or not there is a tear and to what extent.
He added, "It is a thin triangle-shaped muscle behind the back of the knee. And that, evidently, is where the injury has occurred. Whether it's a tear, to what degree, we don't know, but this is basically a muscle deep behind under several layers of other muscles deep on the back of your knee. It doesn't do much. It sort of attaches to the top inside of the femur and then back to the tibia on the top of the other side. For runners, it's what unlocks the knee joint from straight, it's actually a pretty negligible effect on the flexion of the knee, but it pulls the lateral meniscus back and out of the way of flexion. It is a small but somewhat significant ligament, and I'm not sure the degree of the damage or whether he's pulled it off the bone at the ligament, or what, but it is super rare. I've talked to a couple of people that have been doing this at the NHL level for 30 years. They've never seen it. So everything they're telling us tracks, and despite it being small and somewhat insignificant, there's obviously uncertainty that comes when there's no sort of prescribed way to either improve it. Like, literally when you first look it up, one of the first things you'll see is the sort of healing time is anywhere from three to 16 weeks. So, nothing like nailing it down, right?"
Popliteus injuries seem to be fairly uncommon, according to X user Chris Nelson, a physiotherapist. Nelson stated that he has never heard of a true Popliteus injury and that meniscus tears are typically misdiagnosed.
Although this is an update for Canucks supporters, it doesn't really help them understand the situation. Online reports have indicated that the recovery period for this injury could take anywhere from three to sixteen weeks, but since Demko needs to be fully recovered, it might take longer.
On a positive note, Thatcher Demko has been active on the ice in Abbotsford since the start of training camp last week, taking shots. Although his return to play timeline remains uncertain, it's encouraging to see him skating and participating on the ice. The next phases of his recovery will involve team practices followed by game participation, though this may take some time.
Meanwhile, the Canucks are well-positioned with Arturs Silovs and Kevin Lankinen as goalkeepers for the season's start. The team is confident in their ability to deliver quality performances.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 23 | 65 ANSWERS The mystery behind Thatcher Demko's injury revealed: As uncommon as they come Will Thatcher Demko be back in the Canucks' goal before Christmas? | ||
| Yes | 43 | 66.2 % |
| No | 22 | 33.8 % |
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