Canada’s goaltending woes are in the spotlight again a year ahead of the Milan Olympics

MONTREAL (AP) — When Canada won the two most recent major international tournaments featuring the best hockey players in the world, the goaltending of Carey Price was one of the biggest reasons why.

Price is gone, Hall of Famers like Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo and Patrick Roy are not walking through the door to the dressing room and the birthplace of the sport has arguably never been weaker in net than it is right now. Who might be Canada’s starter at the Milan Olympics a year from now remains a question, with the 4 Nations Face-Off the next chance for one of Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill or Samuel Montembeault to change that perception.

“There’s not much to be said, right?” said Binnington, who was named the starter for the tournament opener Wednesday night against Sweden. “It’s about action, and let that do the talking. I’m excited. I’m excited to be here. Us three are all excited to be here. I mean, Canada’s got a lot of good goaltending, for sure, just like the rest of the world.”

Hill, Montembeault and Binnington rank 30th, 35th and 36th in save percentage in the NHL this season. None are in the top 20 in goals-against average. Just once in the past eight years has someone from Canada won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender.

General manager Don Sweeney said Canada has “confidence in all three guys,” citing Hill with Vegas in 2023 and Binnington with St. Louis in 2019 each backstopping his team to the Stanley Cup and Montembeault learning from playing in the pressure cooker that is Montreal.

Sweeney, who runs the Boston Bruins, who lost to Binnington and the Blues in that final, pointed out he “had a front-row seat for watching Jordan Binnington rise to that occasion

“We have no qualms about which goaltenders are going into the net,” Sweeney said.

There are plenty of qualms about the three goalies Canada chose for this tournament, leaving at home Washington’s Logan Thompson, who is second to Winnipeg’s (U.S.-born) Connor Hellebuyck in save percentage. Sweeney acknowledged the early December roster deadline prevented his team and others from waiting to see who might have a hot hand.

Since then, all three goalies picked have struggled. Canada is banking on Binnington being closer to form from five years ago than what he has shown in recent months.

“This kid’s played in some huge moments and some big games and he’s a competitor,” coach Jon Cooper said. “Not that the other guys aren’t. These guys are ready to go if anything happens. But Jordan’s been our guy. That kid’s got fire in the belly, he’s a competitor and we’re really confident in him.”

The always confident Binnington said his game has been “all right” and he has been putting in the time to try to win games.

“Personally, I put my right foot forward every day, and I keep my head down and keep working,” said Binnington, who is 15-19-4 with a 2.89 save percentage and .897 goals against average this season. “Whatever comes up, I just handle it the best way I can and now we’re here.”

Binnington, who will be 32 when the puck drops on the 2026 Milan Olympics, looks like the leader in the clubhouse, in part because his GM with the Blues, Doug Armstrong, is in charge of picking that roster. That would make him next in the line of Brodeur, Luongo and Price.

He is not trying to compare himself to those greats.

“I’m just going to be me,” Binnington said. “Those guys were themselves, and I’ll be me and we’re proud to be hockey players from Canada and compete together to be successful.”

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