Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau confirmed today that goaltender Spencer Martin entered COVID protocol and goalie Arturs Silovs tested positive for COVID.
With Thatcher Demko and Jaroslav Halak already on the protocol list, the Canucks only have Michael DiPietro left under contract and healthy. The Athletic’s Thomas Drance says it’s “very likely” that longtime University of British Columbia goaltender Rylan Toth will serve as the team’s emergency backup goalie today against St. Louis.
Toth, a fifth-year netminder for UBC, has a .935 save percentage and four shutouts en route to a 10-2-1 record this season. The 25-year-old Saskatoon native is certainly enjoying the best season of his career, although sitting on an NHL bench for a game will certainly be a highlight.
Starting in goal tonight will be DiPietro, who has a 4-7-3 record and .896 save percentage with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks this year. It will be his third NHL game, seeing game action in 2018-19 and 2019-20.