We have been waiting to learn the identity of the starting goalie for Canada, and Jon Cooper – unlike other coaches – has not decided to keep it a secret.
It’s Jordan Binnington who will be starting:
Jordan Binnington starts for Canada vs Sweden
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 11, 2025
This means that Samuel Montembeault will have to wait before having the chance to prove himself… But he could be waiting for a long time as well.
Monty – who has been having his share of difficulties since the start of the new year – may not get any playing time during the tournament since the two other goalies ahead of him are solid.
Unless Binnington or Hill get injured…
That said, I am curious to see what Canada’s plan will be in goal. Will they want to stick with Binnington for the whole tournament if he has a good start tomorrow?
We know he has experience in goal because he has already won the Stanley Cup. He can handle the pressure… And the same goes for Hill, who lifted the big trophy with the Golden Knights in the spring of 2023.
From what Don Sweeney has said, Binnington and Hill definitely have an edge over Monty… whom he qualifies as a “goalie on the rise”:
“We would have surely liked to make our decisions about the goalies a bit later to let the season run its course. We are very comfortable with our decisions with two former Stanley Cup winners (Binnington, Hill), and one goalie on the rise (Montembeault)” – Don…
— Anthony Marcotte (@anthonymarcotte) February 11, 2025
Even if he doesn’t play, this is still a great experience for Montembeault because he has the opportunity to be around the guys and face shots from the best players in the world during practice.
So it’s not a wasted week… Even though we can agree it would be cool to see him in goal for Team Canada.
Overtime
Let’s note that the Swedes seem ready to face Canada tomorrow night.
Rasmus Dahlin has been quite clear: there will be no friends on the ice at the Bell Centre…
Ramsus Dahlin, very clear about Sweden’s intentions against Canada:
“We cannot respect them. We are a very good team as well. We will use the good old Swedish recipe. 0 respect on the ice tomorrow.”
— Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) February 11, 2025
