Thatcher Demko has been one of the Utica Comets’ best players over the last two seasons.

Now, he’s been voted as the top prospect in the American Hockey League’s Eastern Conference.

Demko earned the East’s Top Prospect Award as voted on by the player membership of the Professional Hockey Players’ Association.

According to the PHPA website, the Top Prospect Award is presented to a player from AHL Eastern and Western conferences as well as the ECHL’s Eastern and Western conferences “who stands out as the best next future star to succeed and make an impact at the next level of the sport.”

The other winners were defenseman Sami Niku (Manitoba, AHL Western) and forwards Grant Besse (Norfolk, ECHL Eastern) and Michael Joly (Colorado, ECHL Western).

“A lot goes into winning an award like this,” Demko said in a statement. “I have to thank my teammates, they make it fun to come to the rink every day and make it easy to play.”

The 22-year-old Demko, widely considered to be the future top goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks, is coming off an impressive season that saw take part in the AHL All-Star Classic in front of a home crowd as well as win his National Hockey League debut at the end of March against Columbus.

The outgoing San Diego native, referred to as a “calming influence” by Comets head coach Trent Cull, was the AHL’s Goaltender of the Month last November, kept the team in many games with his stellar play and a number of athletic “Did-you-just-see-that?” saves” and became the Comets’ team record for career wins (47) late in the season.

Demko, who is expected to compete for one of the Canucks’ two goaltending spots in the fall, finished last season with 25 wins and an impressive 2.44 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage.

Previous winners of the PHPA award include former Toronto Marlies players William Nylander and Kasperi Kapanen as well as Teemu Pulkkinen and Mikko Rantanen.