Blues' Jordan Binnington Solidified Spot at Olympics

Team Canada was criticized for their goalie choices, but St. Louis Blues netminder Jordan Binnington came up big at the right time.

Feb 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada goalie Jordan Binnington (50) stops Team United States forward Auston Matthews (34) in the first period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Heading into the 4 Nations Face-Off, no one had faith that St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington would be able to handle the crease for Team Canada. In reality, numerous goalies seemed like better options than all three of the names Canada brought with them, but it was clear early on that Binnington would be the go-to starter.

The decision was criticized before the tournament thanks to a less-then notable season from Binnington and the Blues, and those critics didn’t stop when Team Canada lost to the United States in the round-robin match.

Even while defeating Team Finland to seal their spot in the 4 Nations championship game, Binnington allowed three straight goals in the third period that let the Fins pull within one.

It wasn’t a great tournament for Binnington leading into the final against the United States, but he showed exactly why he was chosen for that team.

With all the chips on the table, Binnginton shut down the United States, and the league’s best goal scorer on numerous occasions for a perfect third period and overtime frame. Binnington made 14 saves in the final 28 minutes of play including six in overtime, four of which were massive game-saving stops.

Auston Matthews had three great chances to seal gold for the United States, but Binnington came up with huge saves. On one of those saves, the rebound found its way to Brady Tkachuk, who had an entire open net to work with.

JORDAN BINNINGTON STANDING ON HIS HEAD 😱 pic.twitter.com/450zpwwwOG

— ESPN (@espn) February 21, 2025

Binnington fought his way back to make a huge glove save on Tkachuk to keep overtime alive.

That overtime period alone not only helped Canada reach gold, but likely sealed his spot in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The 4 Nations Face-Off was just the first of numerous opportunities the NHL has with international play. The 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy are just a year away and it’s already a safe bet Binnington will once again represent Canada.

Binnington proved that despite being six years removed from a Stanley Cup, he can still make all the right saves at the right time to secure huge wins. He silenced all of the critics and set himself up to be the face of Canadian goaltending moving forward.

Maybe the Canadian management considers other options for backups since the Olympics are a longer tournament with a bigger likelihood they see ice time, but Binnington etched his name in stone on the roster with his gold medal performance at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

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