Photo credit: Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Aku Koskenvuo joins the Vancouver Canucks on emergency recall, and the goalie carousel spins again with Kevin Lankinen at the Winter Olympics.
General manager Patrik Allvin brought the 22-year-old up from Abbotsford under emergency conditions, with the plan for him to practice with the NHL group.
This is the ripple effect of Lankinen leaving the room for Finland’s Olympic run, right when Vancouver needs stability between the pipes.
It also lands in the middle of a season where nothing has been simple in net, with Thatcher Demko still unavailable for the rest of the year.
So the Canucks are back on the ice, and they are back to managing bodies, reps, and confidence as much as results.
And results have been rough, Vancouver sits at 18-33-6, so even “just a practice call-up” carries a bit of tension right now.
General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that G Aku Koskenvuo has been recalled from Abbotsford (AHL) under emergency conditions. He will practice with the #Canucks while Kevin Lankinen is competing at the Winter Olympics.
Koskenvuo is a 2021 fifth-round pick, 137th overall, drafted by the Vancouver Canucks, and he’s still in the early chapters of his pro story.
In Abbotsford this season, he’s been in nine AHL games with a 2-5-0-1 record, plus a 3.20 goals-against average and .895 save percentage.
Aku Koskenvuo gives the Vancouver Canucks breathing room between the pipes as Kevin Lankinen competes for Team Finland at the Olympics
Honestly, the fan mood is a mix of tired and twitchy, because every new goalie move feels like another reminder the season went sideways.
This recall is about structure more than spotlight, extra practice reps, extra shots, and one more option in the building if something breaks on short notice.
Jiři Patera has been in the practice mix too, and that matters, because you can’t run a pro week with one goalie taking every drill.
Cap-wise, Koskenvuo’s entry-level deal sits at an $850,000 cap hit, but an emergency situation is usually paperwork and insurance, not a promise of NHL starts.
For Koskenvuo personally, the win is proximity, NHL shooters, NHL pace, NHL habits, and a goalie coach watching every detail.
For the Canucks, the win is flexibility until Lankinen is back from Milano Cortina and the crease can breathe again.
If Vancouver can stack a calmer week of practice, the next game back feels less like survival and more like a plan.
Previously on Vancouver Hockey Daily
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