Canada’s men’s hockey team is gearing up for its Olympic opener against Czechia, and head coach Jon Cooper is already setting the tone - especially when it comes to the conversation around his goaltending group.
There’s been some chatter suggesting goaltending might be Canada’s weak link heading into Milan Cortina. Cooper? He’s not buying it.
“I understand people have to write about stuff,” he said. “But our guys go through a wall for them, and they do the same for us.
To me, it's not a story. I don't know where it comes from.”
Translation: Cooper has full confidence in his netminders, and he’s not interested in outside noise.
While Cooper hasn’t officially named a starter for Thursday’s opener, the signs point toward Jordan Binnington getting the call. Based on Canada’s practice rotations, the Blues goalie appears to be the frontrunner - even though, statistically, he’s had the roughest NHL season of the trio. Binnington enters the Olympics with just eight wins in 32 appearances and a .864 save percentage.
But numbers don’t always tell the full story - and Cooper is clearly leaning on something deeper: trust, experience, and that elusive “it” factor.
“He proved everything I felt about him,” Cooper said, referring to Binnington’s showing at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off. “The biggest stage, at the biggest moment, at the biggest time, he delivered. There’s just some guys that got the it factor.”
That performance at the 4 Nations tournament - where Binnington stepped up when the lights were brightest - seems to have carried real weight in the coaching staff’s decision-making. And let’s not forget, this is a goalie who backstopped the St.
Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup in 2019. That kind of championship pedigree doesn’t fade.
Still, Canada has options. Logan Thompson and Darcy Kuemper are both in the mix, and both bring solid resumes.
Thompson, who went into the Olympic break with a .912 save percentage, finished fourth in Vezina voting - a sign of how well-respected he’s become around the league. Kuemper, meanwhile, has a Cup of his own from 2022 and was a Vezina finalist last season.
His .900 save percentage this year might not jump off the page, but his big-game experience is undeniable.
So while the numbers may raise eyebrows, Cooper sees a different picture - one built on past performance under pressure and the belief that his goalies can rise to the moment again.
Canada’s depth in net might not be the flashiest storyline heading into Milan Cortina, but don’t mistake that for weakness. With three goaltenders who’ve all proven they can handle the spotlight, this team isn’t short on confidence - and neither is its coach.