It’s now confirmed: Samuel Montembeault will represent Canada at the World Championship next month.
We learned on Thursday that an invitation had been sent to him, but elements still had to be clarified. It is now official.
“It’s going to be a great experience! “, exclaimed the goalkeeper, Friday, day of assessment of the end of the season of the Habs.
It will be my first time with the Canadian team. I have already participated in the World Junior Championship [en 2016], but as a third goalkeeper. Well, that’s going to be fun! “.
Samuel Montembeault
Montembeault has stood out in two ways over the past few months. On the one hand, he had a good campaign on a personal level, while his team was stuck in the bottom of the rankings. On the other hand, he stayed healthy throughout the calendar, a feat he shares only with Nick Suzuki.
“When Kent [Hughes] called me to ask if I was interested [pour le Mondial], this is one of the first questions he asked me: to know if I was healthy, ”said the Quebecer. That gives a good idea of just how crippled this team has been…
At the Habs, we already know that Martin St-Louis declined an offer to be part of the Canadian team’s coaching staff. Separated from his family for the entire NHL season, he wanted to return home to Connecticut.
Nick Suzuki revealed Friday that he has no plans to join the Canadian team. Mike Matheson said he was approached, but he still wants to think before providing his answer. Joel Armia and Jesse Ylönen (Finland), Jordan Harris and Sean Farrell (USA) appear as the main candidates likely to receive a call from their respective national teams.
Trust
Samuel Montembeault believes he has “progressed” this season, confirming the general observation made about him.
His overall stats aren’t glowing, but his five-on-five performance rather describes a keeper who, being bombarded from all sides, kept his head above water from October to April.
“I worked hard with Éric [Raymond, entraîneur des gardiens], we have a good relationship. We talked a lot about consistency, and I did much better. He says in particular that he approaches matches with more “confidence” than in the past.
After playing about 40 games in each of the last two seasons, he feels ready to increase his workload. He has already crossed the threshold of 50 in the QMJHL, he recalled, specifying nevertheless that the challenge is different among professionals.
He will devote his summer to “improve physically and mentally”. Thus, “next year, if the load is higher, I will be ready”, he assures.