Far as I’m concerned: Joe Veleno should be done for the Worlds. pic.twitter.com/n5vyzNtqxu
– Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) May 20, 2023
It was an important match for both clubs, as Canada (3-1) took on Switzerland (4-0), who were sitting atop Group B. And Samuel Montembeault clearly understood this, standing up to his opponents’ 16 shots in the first period.
In a period dominated by the Swiss, Montembeault did what he’s been doing all year in Montreal: keeping his team in the game even when outrageously outshot.
AFTER 1 | Sam Montembeault stops 16 shots and it’s still 0-0 between 🇨🇦 and 🇨đź‡.
AFTER 20 MIN | Sam Montembeault stops 16 shots and it’s still 0-0 between 🇨🇦 and 🇨đź‡.
đź“ş @TSN_Sports / @RDSca
đź’»https://t.co/Wj8YMmeBgO
đź’»https://t.co/Sdh4gXfdNK#IIHFWorlds | #MondialIIHF pic.twitter.com/3mG9Bka7IN– Field hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) May 20, 2023
And for some reason, Veleno did something disgusting: he delivered a horrible skate to his opponent’s ankle.
Even worse: on the ensuing power play, Canada took the lead thanks to a Tyler Toffoli goal. And the Swiss fans on hand weren’t exactly satisfied customers.
First goal of the tournament for the captain! 🚨
First goal of the tournament for the captain! 🚨#IIHFWorlds | #MondialIIHFpic.twitter.com/R1zVf1WIWf
– Field hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) May 20, 2023
Getting back to Veleno, that said, just because he wasn’t penalized on the sequence doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll get off scot-free. We know that the IIHF is much stricter than the NHL when it comes to player discipline, and clearly, Veleno is in for a good suspension.
Don’t rule out the idea of his tournament being over, for example.
In the end, however, the Swiss had the last word. They scored three unanswered goals, and despite a late goal from Michael Carcone, AndrĂ© Tourigny’s team lost 3-2.
Nico Hischier ties it with a top-shelf snipe.🎯🇨🇠@SwissIceHockey @njdevils pic.twitter.com/aDa8JzbCtS
– IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 20, 2023
Extension
In addition to Montembeault, there’s also Justin Barron among the CH players representing Canada. That said, he’s not playing much (he only spent 10:08 on the ice today) and he didn’t get on the scoresheet in any way today.
In five games, he has one assist and a +1 rating. In a limited role, he’s not hurting his club, and that’s just fine.