Notably, Lankinen made history as the first goalie in NHL history to start a season with a 10-0-0 record on the road.

Before his time with the Canucks, Lankinen served as a backup goalie for two seasons with the Nashville Predators, supporting Juuse Saros.

Undrafted, Lankinen has built a career record of 64-51-19, with seven shutouts and a .905 save percentage across 146 NHL games.

He joined the Canucks to fill the gap left by Demko, who was recovering from a knee injury and later faced back spasms.

At 29 years old, Lankinen has stepped up significantly in the absence of injured starter Thatcher Demko, boasting a record of 19-8-7 this season.

Lankinen, who previously signed a one-year deal for $875,000 in September 2024, has achieved career highs this season with 19 victories and four shutouts.

Recently, he represented Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off, further showcasing his international experience.

Expressing gratitude for the management's trust, Lankinen highlighted his long journey in hockey, which began at age three.

His performance includes a goals-against average of 2.53 and a save percentage of .905 over 34 games played, showcasing his strong contributions to the team.

The Vancouver Canucks have secured goaltender Kevin Lankinen with a five-year contract extension worth $22.5 million, averaging $4.5 million annually.

Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin praised Lankinen as a competitive player who is essential to the team's current success.