VANCOUVER – With the option to wait a year for unrestricted free agency and a much bigger payday after his body and mind healed from an excruciating 2024-25 season, goalie Thatcher Demko chose instead to sign a three-year contract extension for the Vancouver Canucks on July 1 because he wanted to set an example.

He wanted to show everyone, here and around the National Hockey League, how much he still believes in the Canucks. How much he wants to play in Vancouver and be part of what Demko expects to be a rebound season for the team and himself.

In his first interview since re-committing to the Canucks for $24.5 million over three years, the 29-year-old told Sportsnet on Wednesday that he didn’t want to run from adversity.

“I’ve always wanted to be here,” Demko said before travelling to

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