With Jaroslav Halák hurt, Canucks make emergency call for Spencer Martin


The Canucks called up the goalie on an emergency recall on Wednesday, ahead of a two-game road trip to Minnesota and Calgary.

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Spencer Martin played an emergency starring role for the Vancouver Canucks when the NHL team was hit with a crease crisis in January.

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Now he’s back in the NHL, ready to play the role again.

The Canucks called up the goalie on an emergency recall on Wednesday, ahead of a two-game road trip to Minnesota and Calgary.

He was briefly recalled under similar circumstances on Tuesday afternoon, with rumors swirling that Thatcher Demko was under the weather. But in the end he wasn’t needed and was re-assigned to Abbotsford before the game and both Demko and Jaroslav Halák took to the ice for the pre-game warmup.

Halák started the game but took a slash in the hand before the end of the first period and so Demko came in, despite the Canucks hoping to give him the night off.

Boudreau said post-game that Demko was not sick.

“There was no sickness. Demko could have played,” he said, despite moments before having said there was an illness going around the team and Martin’s recall was purely “precautionary.”

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After the game Boudreau also indicated that it was likely Halák wouldn’t be able to travel.

The Canucks confirmed Wednesday that Martin’s recall was related to Halák’s status.

With the season hanging in the balance, it’s unlikely Martin will play, with Demko expected to start both games.

The Canucks essentially need to win all five of their remaining games to have a chance at qualifying for the playoffs.

Martin made three starts in January when both Demko and Halák ended up on the COVID-19 protocol list. He went 1-0-2, posted a .958 save percentage and gave up just five goals.

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