Latvia men’s hockey team general manager Rūdolfs Kalvītis doesn’t believe Vancouver Canucks fans have any reason to worry about goaltender Arturs Silovs.
Speaking to Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK Television on Thursday, Kalvitis said the move to pull Silovs out of Latvia’s Olympic qualifying tournament this week was precautionary.
Kalvitis told Dhaliwal that Silovs has a little bit of inflammation in his knee, but is expected to be fine for the start of Canucks camp next month.
Kalvitis said Silovs simply needs rest before he returns to the ice. He signed a two-year extension with the Canucks this summer.
Latvia is hosting a tournament with Ukraine, France and Slovenia this week, with the winner going to the 2026 Olympics. Silovs was on Latvia’s initial roster before the team opted to remove him Thursday ahead of its first game.
Silovs’ status is especially important with Canucks starter Thatcher Demko not expected to be ready for the start of camp as he recovers from his own knee injury.
The Canucks do expect Demko to be ready for the Oct. 9 season opener, Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre reported last week.
In Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past season, Silovs was called up from AHL Abbotsford after Demko was hurt.
The 23-year-old served as backup to Casey DeSmith for two games, before DeSmith suffered an injury of his own. Silovs stepped in and led the Canucks to their first playoff series victory since 2020, and earned the starter position in Round 2 against the Edmonton Oilers.
Silovs finished the playoffs with a 5-5 record, a 2.91 goals-against average and an .898 save percentage.
Before his post-season call-up, the Latvian had played just nine regular-season NHL games with the Canucks, four of which were last season.
Dhaliwal, speaking on Sportsnet 650’s Halford and Brough show last week, reported that the Canucks have begun “poking around the goalie market,”
Martin Jones, Kevin Lankinen and Antti Raanta are some of the veteran goalies who remain unsigned.
Canucks’ prospect Arturs Silovs has been forced to withdraw from Latvia’s Olympic qualifier due to a minor knee injury. The 20-year-old goaltender was set to represent his home country in the upcoming tournament, but will now have to sit out due to the injury.
Silovs, who was drafted by the Canucks in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL Draft, has been a standout performer for the Vancouver Giants in the WHL this season. He has posted a 2.84 goals against average and a .913 save percentage in 23 games played.
The young netminder was expected to play a key role for Latvia in their quest to qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. However, with his injury, Silovs will now have to focus on his recovery and getting back to full health before returning to action.
While it is disappointing for Silovs to miss out on the opportunity to represent his country in such a prestigious tournament, his health and well-being must come first. The Canucks will be monitoring his progress closely and providing him with the necessary support and resources to ensure a speedy recovery.
In the meantime, fans of both the Canucks and Team Latvia will have to wait and see how Silovs’ absence will impact their respective teams in the Olympic qualifier. Hopefully, the young goaltender will make a full recovery and be back on the ice in no time.