One of the ongoing debates among hockey fans and the media was whether veteran St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington should be named to Team Canada’s Olympic roster.
Binnington, who has struggled this season with a subpar 7-9-6 record, 3.44 GAA and a well below average .870 save percentage, has many critics believing he shouldn’t have been picked, but that doesn’t include Team Canada General Manager/Blues General Manager/Team President Doug Armstrong. Armstrong has never doubted his 32-year-old goalie, who in the past, has shown that knack to excel in pressure situations.
“When we selected all the players, we looked at their recent play, and we looked at their resume,” and Jordan Binnington’s resume speaks for itself,” Armstrong said. “Talking to the coaches and the management, that was one thing that surprised me a little bit with the group, was that his name never came up as a question mark.” “I think what everyone saw from him at the 4 Nations cemented his legacy for this tournament.”
Blues Goalie Jordan Binnington Has Proven Himself to be Team Canada’s Starter
One of the several reasons why Binnington deserves to represent Canada next month at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and d’Ampezzo, Italy, is because of his solid play in helping Canada last February claim the 4 Nations Face-Off Gold.
Binnington made a statement with his tournament play by going 3-1 with 2 shutouts, a 1.25 GAA and a .944 save percentage. His biggest test came in the finals, where he passed with flying colours by stopping 31 shots during a 3-2 4 Nations Face-Off OT gold medal championship win against the U.S.A.
Not only does Binnington have the experience of representing his country on five different occasions, but was also red hot in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs when as a rookie he went 16-10 with 1 shutout, a 2.46 GAA and .914 save percentage in helping the underdogs Blues win the franchise first ever Stanley Cup.
The vast experience along with the success he had in international and Stanley Cup playoffs, is a big reason why Binnington is the correct choice to represent Canada at the 2026 Olympics.
Binnington Emotional Upon Finding Out He Made Team Canada’s Olympic Team
Representing Canada never gets old for Binnington. Upon getting the call Wednesday (Dec 31), informing him of making the team, Binnington used the words ‘moved’, ‘excited’ and ’emotional’ to describe how he felt.
“I feel very grateful and honored,” Binnington said. “You’ve got to trust the process, believe in the plan, and stick to it, and that’s what I’ve been doing. And just put my best foot forward every day and building for whatever’s to come and enjoying all the moments along the way.”
Washington Capitals Logan Thompson and Los Angeles Kings Darcy Kuemper Round Out Canada’s Goaltending
Also representing Canada at the upcoming Olympics will be Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson along with Los Angeles Kings netminder Darcy Kuemper.
Kuemper, has in 23 starts produced 2Â shutouts along with 2.19 GAA and .917 save percentage. His finest moment came in 2022 when in playoffs he posted a 2.57 GAA and .902 save percentage in helping the Colorado Avalanche win the Stanley Cup. He also played for Canada at the 2018 World Championship and again during the 2021 World Championship where he posted a .916 save percentage in helping Canada win gold.
Thompson, who is 15-10-3 with 2 shutouts, a 2.33 GAA and .915 save percentage, played in the 2022 IIHF World Championships before suffering an injury. This was a tournament which would see Canada win silver.
During his career, Thompson won the 2023 Stanley Cup while with the Vegas Golden Knights.
“I think Logan, statistically, has been maybe the top Canadian goaltender over the last couple of years,” Armstrong said. “He was very close last year (to making) the 4 Nations. All he’s done since then is play exemplary hockey, and Darcy has a great resume. He’s got the Kings in a good spot. He’s a Stanley Cup champion. We believe in those three, we the proper components.”
Main Image: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
