Team Canada announced the 42 NHLers invited to its
orientation camp for the upcoming Olympics in Milano Cortina on Friday, and the
list includes three Montreal Canadiens. Of the three Habs invited, two weren’t
part of the national team for the 4 Nations Face-Off: Nick Suzuki and Noah
Dobson. Dobson did, however, play for Canada at the World Championships in May.
The final Montreal player invited was Samuel Montembeaul, who acted as Canada’s
third-string goalie at the 4 Nations.
What’s surprising, however, is the fact that out of the 42
players invited, only three are goaltenders. The netminding job sparked great
debate ahead of the 4 Nations, with no one particularly standing out. In the
end, the Canadian outfit elected to go with St. Louis Blues’ Jordan Binnington,
Vegas Golden Knights’ Aidan Hill, and, of course, Montembeault.
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Although Canada is no longer a major producer of
goaltenders, 25 Canadian goaltenders played in the NHL last season. One would
have expected the national team to keep the door open for alternates in case of
injuries, at the very least.
Washington Capitals’ Logan Thompson could have been a viable
option. Still, he was reportedly left off the 4 Nations roster because
assistant coaches Bruce Cassidy and Peter DeBoer didn’t have a good experience
with him in Vegas. Since they will both be part of the Olympics coaching team, the
justification must be the same.
Los Angeles Kings’ 35-year-old netminder Darcy Kuemper could
also have been a possibility. He started 50 games with the Californian outfit
last season and posted a 31-11-7 record with a 2.02 goals-against average and a
.922 save percentage.
Jet Greaves could also have been an intriguing alternative.
The 24-year-old almost managed to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets to the
playoffs last season when he joined them down the stretch. He only played 11
games, but had a 1.91 GAA and a .938 SV. Granted, he wasn’t exactly impressive
when he joined the Cleveland Monsters for their playoff run in the AHL, but
still.
In any case, the fact that only three goaltenders were
invited is good news for the Canadiens’ masked man; he will get plenty of
valuable experience by just going to the Olympics, even if he doesn’t get to
see any action. The Becancour native was over the moon with his experience at
the 4 Nations. Montembeault enjoyed practising with the best-of-the-best and
facing shots from the likes of Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby every day.
Making the Olympics is a much more prestigious achievement than
being selected for an NHL-created event, though, and Montembeault will be
living the dream if he boards the plane to Milan Cortina in February.
Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
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