VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Canucks may be without goalie Thatcher Demko for a pair of back-to-back home games this weekend.

The 29-year-old all-star netminder was not on the ice with his teammates at practice on Friday.

Vancouver (7-8-0) has called goalie Jiri Patera up from the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks Friday under emergency conditions.

Head coach Adam Foote said Demko is taking care of himself in a season with a condensed schedule, but did not say he was dealing with an injury.

“He’s doing what we asked him to do. And I like that,” the coach said.

Foote, a former NHL defenceman, compared the situation with his own playing career where he had back surgery in his second season.

“As my career went, in the travel and the tough minutes and things like that, I had to be

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