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Canadiens Goalie Earned Role on 4 Nations Roster

Despite the record and rumors, the go-to Montreal Canadiens goalie earned his spot on Team Canada's 4 Nations Face-Off roster.

Nick Horwat

Dec 5, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault (35) skates first on the ice during warm-up before the game against the Nashville Predators at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Dec 5, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault (35) skates first on the ice during warm-up before the game against the Nashville Predators at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / David Kirouac-Imagn Images
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Rosters have been announced for the NHL’s upcoming international tournament, the 4 Nations Face-Off and while Team Canada is a favorite, there is a clear soft spot in their lineup. Goaltending felt like an open competition all season with Montreal Canadiens netminder Sam Montembeault making the cut.

The 28-year-old Canadiens goalie will join Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues and Adin Hill of the Vegas Golden Knights, but there are easy arguments to be made for any of those three to not represent Team Canada.

While the arguments can mostly be made regarding skill and recent performance, there is belief that some politicking played a role in getting Montembeault on the roster. His French Canadian background allegedly played a hand in getting him the nod over the likes of Logan Thompson or Cam Talbot.

“It doesn’t get mentioned very much, this is Hockey Canada,” Insider John Shannon said on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer. “And I know it’s not a topic that gets brought up a lot in the province of Alberta, but if you look at the ratio of French-Canadian players to Anglos on the Canadian team, I don’t think they had any choice but to pick Samuel Montembeault for this roster.”

While the idea that Montembeault is heading to the 4 Nations Face-Off because of his background is one man’s opinion, there are ardent supporters the netminder, and that he earned his spot in the lineup.

According to a source with Responsible Gambler, Montembeault deserves his role and has been under consideration from Team Canada for quite a while.

“If this kid was from Ontario, he’d still be on the team,” the source told rg.org. “To watch people dissect this on the basis of politics is deflating for Hockey and for that young man. There’s a reason Team Canada invited him to the World Championships in 2023. And what happened? Oh yeah, he won a gold medal.”

Montembeault went 6-1 in the 2023 World Championship tournament, posting a .939 save percentage and 1.42 goals against average. The NHL numbers may not look like that, but he has proven his worth on the international stage.

“Montembeault has been on their radar for a while now and anybody paying attention to the steals he’s made in Montreal over the last two seasons would tell you.”

In 20 games played this season, Montembeault holds an 8-10-3 record with a .906 save percentage, 2.82 goals against average, and three shutouts. His win/loss record might be chalked up to the poor performance of the Canadiens overall, and not solely on their goaltending.

With a much stronger defense in front of him at the upcoming tournament, if he gets playing time over Binnington and Hill, Montembeault should be a good option for Canada. He’s got the skill and earned his way to his spot.

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Nick Horwat
NICK HORWAT

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