One of the top roster debates leading up to the player reveal for the 4 Nations Face-Off was which goaltenders would be included on Team Canada. We learned on Wednesday that Montreal Canadiens starter Samuel Montembeault will be one of the three on the team.
He had represented Canada at the 2016 World Junior Championship, but didn’t play a game in that tournament as he third goalie. His first game action in Canadian colours came in the spring of 2023 when he helped Canada win gold at the World Championship. That performance certainly factored in to his inclusion on this roster, with little other competition to evaluate goalies at a best-on-best level in recent years.
Montembeault kept himself on the radar with a great season last year, rising to the top of a three-goalie tandem in Montreal and finishing with some impressive advanced stats. He made a loud statement in the first game of this season by stopping 48 shots to shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs. While he has had some struggles along with the rest of the Habs this year, his body of work was great enough to merit his addition.
He may once again be the third goalie on a Team Canada roster, but it is a great honour to be part of the team. It will help his case when it comes time to select a new roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which NHL players will once again participate in.
Canada opens the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montembeault’s home arena of the Bell Centre on February 12. The tournament will conclude at TD Garden in Boston with the championship game on February 20.
