Rick Tocchet Announces Starting Goalie & Makes Significant Lineup Changes for Tonight's Game vs Utah

Earlier on Sunday, that the Vancouver Canucks placed goaltender Thatcher Demko on injured reserve and used his roster spot to call up Victor Mancini from the American Hockey League's Abbotsford Canucks.

On Sunday afternoon, Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet met with reporters in Salt Lake City ahead of tonight's game against Utah Hockey Club where he shared his starting netminder, as well as some lineup changes.

Given that Kevin Lankinen got the start against Vegas last night, Tocchet is turning to Latvian Arturs Silovs between the pipes for his first NHL action since November 27th.

Tocchet also shared that Carson Soucy, who was made available for trade earlier this month, and Nils Aman will be healthy scratches tonight, with Arshdeep Bains and Victor Mancini drawing into the lineup, the latter of whom is making his Vancouver Canucks debut after being acquired from the New York Rangers in the J.T. Miller trade.

Silovs, a native of Riga, Latvia has a record of 1-4-1 in seven games for Vancouver this season along with a 4.11 goals against average and an .847 save percentage.

Bains, 24, has appeared in 11 games with the Vancouver Canucks this season, scoring his first NHL goal on October 26th against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In the AHL with Abbotsford, Bains has registered 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists), 22 penalty minutes and is a plus-two in 32 games.

As for Victor Mancini, he has 15 games of NHL experience this season with the New York Rangers and has played quite well for a 22-year-old defenseman coming into the league, putting up five points (one goal, four assists), two penalty minutes and is a minus-three.

Puck drop for tonight's game between the Vancouver Canucks and Utah Hockey Club is set for 5 pm PT and can be viewed in the Vancouver area on Sportsnet Pacific.