As I waited nearby, a representative of the NHL Players Association leaned over quietly and asked, “You’re not asking him any questions about hockey, right? Like, who may or may not be getting traded or stuff like that?” I shook my head vigorously. “No, no we’re a music magazine,” I assured him, but because I’m a lifelong Canucks fan, I knew exactly what he was talking about. “Oh okay, that’s great, he’s a big music guy,” replied the representative.  

The team had a practice that morning, but Demko seemed lively as he sat down across from me and took a sip of water from his BioSteel bottle – which the NHLPA guy quickly instructed him to hide since they were no longer an official sponsor of the league. I slid a few back issues of RANGE across the table. He inspected them thoughtfully and said, pointing to the issue with Snotty Nose Rez Kids on it, “Oh, these guys are blowing up. I’ve seen them everywhere.”

It’s clear he’s a creative person. While he is quick to credit artist Travis Michael, and even his dad, for coming up with ideas like turning the iconic Johnny Canuck character into a zombie — as seen on his latest mask design — you get the sense that he’s very much in control of the process. While he wanted to “put ‘Zombie’ Johnny stuck in a cave in Whistler, busting through the ice like some kind of frozen warrior,” he was also aware of how the appearance of ice would translate to people in the stands from 200 feet away. This attention to detail is indicative of his personality.

While known for including fun little easter eggs in his other mask designs, like highlighting the letters S-A-V-E in the East Van Cross, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, or Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly in Step Brothers, the mask sitting in front of us is a bit more stoic. It features a little boy wearing a Roberto Luongo jersey, staring up at the jerseys of Canucks legends hanging from the rafters. It also features the initials MG and JG, a tribute to late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, who were both tragically killed last summer by a drunk driver. Demko reflected on being roommates with Matthew at Boston College and his fond memories of the family. It really reflects the tight-knit community that is hockey – and once again, Thatcher’s own personality. 

But where Demko’s eyes really light up is when I ask him about music, specifically about the song that gets him fired-up pre-game. “Probably ‘Off Da Zoinkys’ by JID. I’ve been re-listening to DiCaprio 2,” he says. “But I bounce around a lot. I grew up listening to metal with my dad; not underground stuff, but I grew up listening to AC/DC, Metallica, Slipknot. Then my mom was more on the R&B side with Lauryn Hill. So I kind of just got this weird blend.” 

It really paints a picture of a guy growing up in the melting pot of San Diego in the 2000s. While I wasn’t expecting him to name drop San Diego post-hardcore bands like The Locust or Drive Like Jehu, it’s still refreshing to hear him recount attending the same high-school in Poway, California as blink-182.

What was most unexpected was when I asked him if there were any Vancouver bands he was into. “Boslen. He’s good shit,” Demko says. “He makes good music. I’m rooting for him, I think he’s getting a little bit of traction right now, which is great. He’s a good dude.”

“I think we’re a dying breed. Not a lot of guys like hip-hop — in hockey anyway.”

— Thatcher Demko

It’s refreshing to have an elite athlete pay attention to up-and-coming local musicians, but it’s also rare to have one that is so into hip-hop. “I think we’re a dying breed. Not a lot of guys like hip-hop — in hockey anyway,” he says. Demko has also cited J. Cole and Mac Miller as favourites, and even revealed that he’s taken a stab at music himself. “I love it, I love finding new sounds. I’ve even dabbled with some writing and production. Some of my buddies still do it. It’s a fun thing — I love music a lot.” Maybe there’s a career there if this whole hockey thing doesn’t work out! 

The pressures of playing in a hockey-mad market like Vancouver must be overwhelming. The media in particular love to pick the team apart, but it’s important to remember that these guys aren’t superhuman. They have regular interests like us, and for Thatcher Demko, it’s music. For Demko, music, and being creative in general, gives him a reprieve from the intensely physical sport. It transports him from the dreary west coast winters to his days as a teenager in sunny southern California. For a guy whose job it is to make saves, it’s rather apt then that it’s the music that saves him.