The Montreal Canadiens announced on Monday that they have reached an agreement with goaltender Samuel Montembeault on the terms of a two-year, one-part contract worth an annual value of $1 million.
Posted at 4:13 p.m.
The Quebec goalkeeper is therefore rewarded for a season during which he held the fort behind a diminished team.
In an interview with colleague Richard Labbé in June, the athlete from Bécancour revealed that he had suffered an injury on January 13, but that he had nevertheless decided to continue the season, without having surgery, so as not to put the CH in trouble, since all the other goalkeepers were injured. He also wanted to take advantage of his chance to occupy a role of number one goaltender in the NHL.
He was finally operated on in May. Even though his dream came true, he played to the detriment of his health and he evolved through adversity, knowing full well that his team was not going to make the playoffs.
Montembeault had also stressed that he wanted to return at all costs with the Canadians. ” I want to come back. I really loved it,” he said.
The file is now closed. Montembeault will earn $1 million per season and is expected to meet with members of the media on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old goaltender went 8-30-16 last season, while maintaining a 3.77 goals-against-average and 0,891 save percentage.
Montembeault was a third-round pick by the Florida Panthers in 2015. He was waived by the Habs in October 2021.