It has been a busy start to the season for Vancouver Canucks goalie prospect Nikita Tolopilo.
The 25-year-old goaltender is fresh off starting in just his fourth-ever NHL game last week after being called up to the Canucks with both Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen unavailable. Now, he has temporarily left the organization to return home and be with his wife as the couple welcomes their first child.
Rick Dhaliwal has the initial report on the Belarusian heading back home, and confirmed that Jiri Patera has been called up to the Canucks in his stead. With Lankinen back with the club, it’s likely the 26-year-old will serve as the backup until Tolopilo returns.
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Nikita Tolopilo’s wife is in labour, he is flying home and Jiri Petera has been called up.
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) December 1, 2025
Baby fever has hit this iteration of the Canucks, with Tolopilo being the fourth member of the team to get the exciting news this season. In October, Lankinen and his wife welcomed their firstborn, followed by Kiefer Sherwood announcing that his family is expecting their first child. David Kämpf then dropped the news that his family was expecting shortly after inking a contract with the Canucks.
Though the Canucks are going through a rough start to the year, plenty of players are taking big steps in their personal lives.
Tolopilo is undrafted and came to the Canucks as an overseas free agent in 2023. He was a standout in the Swedish Hockey League, posting an impressive .924 save percentage through 45 games in the 2022-23 season. That earned him a two-year entry-level deal with the Canucks beginning in 2023-24.
Since then, the Minsk native has spent the majority of his time in North America playing in the AHL. Tolpilo made his NHL debut last season with two games, splitting them for a 1-1 record. This season, he’s managed to get the same results through two games once again.
He has practically split the net with Patera this season in Abbotsford. Once Demko is healthy enough to return, both Tolopilo and Patera are expected to return to the AHL.
