NHL Draft War Room: Thatcher Demko

by

by Eldon MacDonald (edited by @ChrisRalphTHW)

Thatcher Demko

THW’s NHL Draft War Room Rankings (E-Mac): #31 (April 2014)

THW’s NHL Draft Rankings – The Next Ones Edition (aka Chris’s List): #53 (March 2014)

Thatcher Demko Eagles
Thatcher Demko has been stellar for the Boston College Eagles so far this season, and his no. 1 CSS midterm ranking is a testament to his solid play in the NCAA. (Jim Rosvold/NCAA)
  • Hashtag: #TheAnchorman
  • Team: #30, Boston College, Hockey East
  • Position: Goalie
  • Shoots: Left
  • Height: 6’3
  • Weight: 192 lb.
  • Born: San Diego, CA, 8-Dec-95
  • Twitter A/C:@thatcher_hockey

Stats

Other Rankings

  • 17 – Future Considerations, Apr-14
  • 24 – HockeyProspect.com, Feb-14
  • 32 – Bob MacKenzie, Jan-14
  • 32 – NHL Combined, Final, Apr-14
  • 44 – Craig Button, Mar-14
  • No 1 goalie – ISS, Apr-14

Worth Retweeting

https://twitter.com/coreypronman/status/454083563340566530

https://twitter.com/StolieTheGoalie/statuses/439080716316737536

[The 2014 NHL Draft War Room: Prospect Profile Index

Contains All the Prospects Profiled in This Series]

Profiles

Interviews

Quotable

  • Quote 1: Al Jensen from NHL Central Scouting at NHL.com, “He’s a huge, strong goalie with excellent net coverage. He has that NHL presence in the net. He’s more of a positional-style goalie that relies on his angles and size and he plays big in his stance. When he drops in the butterfly he gets his body in front of a lot of shots. He’s smart at reading the play and gets set quickly; strength is definitely not an issue with him.”
  • Quote 2: Boston College Coach Jerry York, on the Beanpot Tournament at BostonGlobe.com, “Thatcher kept them off the boards. There was one save, a remarkable save right around the crease area. They made a tic-tac-toe play. I have to see the tape — I don’t know how it stayed out of the net.I don’t think it’s a surprise that he could handle something like this and play well. Thatcher, as I watch him, he’s getting more confident. He handles the puck now. He reminds me a lot of Cory Schneider at the same age.”

From the War Room

Eldon MacDonald, THW:  A few words on Thatcher Demko:

  • The Anchorman:

Who can take a shootout

Sprinkle it with spew

Cover it with pads and a miracle or two

The Anchorman

Oh, the Anchorman can

The Anchorman can

‘Cause he mixes it with glove

And makes the team look good

OK, so I am not Sammy Davis Jr. but the point is Thatcher Demko is the anchorman of your team, the guy you build your world around. If you don’t believe me, just ask his teammates and coaches at Boston College.

  • Qualities: The three qualities that stand out that make Thatcher Demko an outstanding goalie:
      • Size – While he has that god-given size at 6’4, 192 lb, Thatcher plays even bigger in the net to the shooter.
      • Athleticism – Thatcher has outstanding lateral mobility – going post to post in the blink of an eye.
      •  Ownership – Thatcher is the owner of the situation, good or bad – he let’s his teammates know that he has their back so that they can concentrate on getting the puck to the other end of the ice.
  • Comparable – Boston College Coach, Mike York, “He reminds me a lot of Cory Schneider at the same age.”
  • Draft Placement  – Given the glut of goalies in the NHL, it has become a trend that a goalie isn’t drafted until the second round. However, there is a strong possibility that one or two goalies could be drafted in the first round in this draft given the large number of high-end small players available around end of the first round. Whether it is first or second, I am confident that Thatcher will be the first goalie selected in the upcoming draft.

Video