"Just when it looked like Pavol Demitra was finally back, he is gone again.

Demitra left the Canucks Monday afternoon and returned to Vancouver to deal with what the team is calling a personal matter.

"He has a personal matter that he had to take care of so he flew back to Vancouver this afternoon," coach Alain Vigneault said after his team's practice here.

Vigneault said he does not know whether Demitra will be back for any of the four remaining games of the Canucks' eight-game road trip. The team would not make any further comment on Demitra, who is scheduled to play for Slovakia at the Winter Olympics.

Demitra, who had missed most of the season with a serious shoulder injury, had his best game since his return in Saturday's 3-2 shootout win in Boston. He tied the game with less than five minutes left in the third period and then scored the shootout winner.

Steve Bernier, who sat out Saturday's game as a healthy scratch, is expected to fill Demitra's spot in the lineup tonight."