One day after Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko scored his second shutout of the season, hundreds of fans lined up outside Langley’s Pastime Sports and Games on Sunday, Nov. 5, to get his autograph.
It was the grand opening and 30th anniversary celebration at the store’s new location, which had just relocated from Langley City to newer, larger premises at 6375 202 St.
Maple Ridge resident Mark Igglesden was first in line to get an autograph, and his picture taken with Demko.
“As far as I’m concerned, he’s the hottest goalie in the league right now, and I’m a Canucks fan,” a delighted Igglesden told the Langley Advance Times.
Pastime owner Ken Richardson was cheerfully supervising the lineup of fans that stretched from the front of the building, to the rear of the parking lot, and back again.
“There’s lots of Canucks fans these days,” Richardson remarked, “and the performance of Thatcher, it couldn’t be better timing.”
READ ALSO: Goalie Demko shines with 27 saves as Canucks power past Stars 2-0
Demko stopped 27 shots to produce a 2-0 win over the Dallas Stars in front of a home crowd on Saturday at Rogers Arena.
“That was a good game,” Demko remarked.
The 27-year-old appeared to be enjoying his visit to Langley, saying “it’s good to get out of the city every once in a while.”
On Sunday, fan and after fan praised Demko’s performance on Saturday, one calling him “Thatcher the catcher.”
One grandparent brought a photo of her goalie grandson, and after getting an encouraging message written on it from Demko, said “grandma’s going to cry when she gets in the car.”
A young fan shyly offered a portrait she made of Demko.
“I drew this for you,” she said, “do you want to keep it?”
Demko picked it up gently for a look.
“Absolutely,” he said.
“That’s awesome. How long does that take you?”
“A couple hours,” she replied.
“That’s pretty quick,” he responded. “Well, thank you, I appreciate that.”
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Former Canucks goaltender Richard Brodeur, who has gone on to become a respected artist after he retired from the NHL, was also enjoying himself as fans presented photos and jerseys for autographs.
“It’s nice to see the people still appreciate and show me some love, and that’s that’s nice,” Brodeur told the Langley Advance Times.
“It makes me feel good. I’m not a young chicken anymore, I’m an old guy,” he smiled.
“To be able to do that and share some time with people, it’s always nice and it’s really good.”
It marked a return to the social events the store was known for before the pandemic, Richardson said.
“There’s always been a sense of community and camaraderie at Pastime,” he commented.
“It’s a generational appeal, especially with trading cards,” he said. “People that used to come in as kids now bring their own children to trade, play and finish off their sets. I’ve been fortunate to have been part of all that.”
Since opening in 1993, Pastime has grown to four locations in the Lower Mainland, and is considered Western Canada’s number one source for sports memorabilia and collectible card games.
