Montreal Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault was one of three netminders named to Team Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster on Wednesday.
While the Habs starter has had a solid start to the season, posting a .901 save percentage and two shutouts, some believe his cultural background may have influenced his selection.
In a podcast interview with Bob Stauffer on Oilers Now, NHL insider John Shannon suggested that Hockey Canada’s decision to include the Bécancour, Quebec, native might have been politically motivated.
“If you look at the ratio of French Canadian players to Anglos on the Canadian team, I don’t think they had any choice but to pick Samuel Montembeault for this roster,” said Shannon.
Shannon said that while Montembeault is a capable goaltender, Canada’s lack of French-Canadian representation might have tipped the scales in his favour.
“I think everything with Hockey Canada is partly political,” Shannon said. “That’s not a knock at Sam Montembeault. He’s a good goaltender. But the reality is that I’m looking down this list and I’m looking at how many kids from Ontario, how many kids from the Maritimes, how many kids from the West. And really, I only see one player from the province of Quebec.”
It’s an intriguing perspective, especially since part of the 4 Nations Face-Off will be held at Montreal’s Bell Centre. For context, Canada’s roster includes seven players from Ontario, six from Alberta, three from Newfoundland, three from BC, three from Manitoba, and just one from Quebec
However, Canadiens reporter Marco D’Amico shared a different take in a Thursday article. Citing an unnamed source close to Hockey Canada, D’Amico wrote that Montembeault’s French Canadian roots had nothing to do with his selection.
“If this kid was from Ontario, he’d still be on the team. To watch people dissect this on the basis of politics is deflating for hockey and for that young man,” the source told RG.org.
The source highlighted the 28-year-old’s standout performance at the 2023 World Championships, where he posted an impressive .939 save percentage and 1.42 goals-against average, adding that Montembeault has been on the national side’s “radar for a while now.”
With the rosters for Canada, USA, Sweden, and Finland now finalized, the 4 Nations Face-Off will officially kick off on February 12.