Under the cold, electric glare of the Bell Centre, Samuel Montembeault stands alone in the crease, his breath curling in the winter air as thousands of eyes fixate on his every move. It’s a scene that could be mistaken for triumph—a goaltender in his prime, fresh off a gold medal run with Team Canada, his name whispered in Olympic conversations just months ago. But tonight, beneath the roar of Montreal hockey, something is shifting. The cheers are tinged with uncertainty; the spotlight, once so warm, now flickers with doubt.

Just days ago, a photograph surfaced online: Montembeault, his gaze steely, standing alongside Elliotte Friedman, the renowned hockey insider. The image, credited to All Montreal Hockey / NHL, captured more than two men—it froze a moment of transition, a crossroads between expectation and reality. For Montembeault, the path to Milan 2026 seemed all but paved after his heroics at the Four Nations Face-Off and his invitation to Team Canada’s Olympic orientation camp. He was part of an elite trio: Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, and himself, each vying for the honour of guarding the nation’s net on the world’s grandest stage.

But in hockey, as in life, momentum can shift in an instant. Over the past week, whispers have grown into headlines, and headlines into a narrative that threatens to rewrite Montembeault’s Olympic dreams. The latest edition of Elliotte Friedman’s “32 Thoughts” podcast sent shockwaves through the hockey community, as Friedman listed the names now favoured by Canadian management: Binnington, Logan Thompson, and Scott Wedgewood. Noticeably absent were Montembeault and Hill, a silence that spoke volumes. Fellow insiders Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston echoed the sentiment, suggesting that a new wave of goaltenders—Wedgewood, Thompson, MacKenzie Blackwood, and Jet Greaves—has surged ahead in the race for Team Canada’s crease.

For fans of the Montreal Canadiens, the news lands like a puck off the crossbar: unexpected, jarring, and impossible to ignore. Montembeault’s early-season numbers have done him no favours. A 5-5-1 record, a 3.49 goals-against average, and a .864 save percentage—with no shutouts—paint a picture of a goaltender struggling to find his rhythm. His recent 30-save performance in a 4-1 victory over Vegas was a flash of brilliance, but the shadows of October’s struggles linger on the stat sheet, refusing to fade.

Yet beneath the surface of stats and speculation, a deeper story unfolds—one that isn’t easily captured by numbers or insider reports. This is the tale of a goaltender who, just last spring, led Canada to gold at the World Championship with a dazzling 1.42 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage. It’s the story of a player who wore the maple leaf with pride at the Four Nations Face-Off, who earned his Olympic camp invite through grit and excellence. Now, as his place on Team Canada grows uncertain, Montembeault faces a crossroads not just in his career, but in his identity as one of hockey’s rising stars.

What happens next? The answer is shrouded in the tension between past glory and present challenge—a tension that promises to unravel in unexpected ways as the season unfolds. For Montembeault, for his fans, and for anyone who believes in the unpredictable drama of sport, the next chapter is waiting to be written. And it begins right here.

Photo of Samuel Montembeault and Elliotte Friedman

Photo credit: All Montreal Hockey / NHL

Samuel Montembeault has just learned some bad news regarding his spot on Team Canada’s Olympic roster.

At the end of August, the 29-year-old goaltender was part of the trio of goalies invited to Team Canada’s orientation camp in Calgary, alongside Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill. For many people, his place for Milan 2026 seemed almost reserved, especially after the Four Nations Face-Off.

Over the past few days, the signs have been coming from everywhere, and they all point in the same direction. In a recent edition of 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman spoke about the goaltenders targeted by Canadian management: Binnington, Logan Thompson, and Scott Wedgewood.

No mention of Montembeault, nor even of Adin Hill, which says a lot about the new short list. The same goes for Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston, who also see Montembeault slipping behind a new wave of goaltenders such as Wedgewood, Thompson, MacKenzie Blackwood, or even Jet Greaves.

When several insiders draw the same hierarchy in Team Canada’s crease, it starts to look like a pretty clear message for the Montreal Canadiens’ goaltender.

Samuel Montembeault is paying the price for his start to the season

“Team Canada goaltending: Binnington’s gonna be there and I think Logan Thompson’s gonna be there; at the very least I’d be looking at [Scott Wedgewood] as someone, he can play behind a really good team.”

– Elliotte Friedman

It must be said that his start to the season in Montreal isn’t helping him. As of today, he carries a record of 5-5-1, with a 3.49 goals-against average and a .864 save percentage, with no shutouts.

Yes, he just delivered a strong 30-save performance in the 4-1 win over Vegas, but his very difficult month of October remains highly visible on the stat sheets.

What hurts here is the entire story around the Team Canada jersey. Montembeault won gold at the 2023 World Championship by shining with a 1.42 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage, he represented Team Canada at the Four Nations Face-Off, and he was invited back by Hockey Canada for the Olympic camp.

For Canadiens fans, the priority remains simple: that he regains his confidence in the Tricolore’s net and improves his numbers by spring. If Montembeault strings together big starts, who knows, he might still force the discussion.