It’s now confirmed: Samuel Montembeault will represent Canada at the World Championships next month.
We learned on Thursday that an invitation had been sent to him, but elements still needed to be clarified. It is now official.
“It’s going to be a great experience! exclaimed the goalkeeper on Friday, the Habs’ end-of-season review day.
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 [in the Worlds], that was one of the first questions he asked me: whether 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 coaching staff of the Canadian formation. Separated from his family for the entire NHL season, he wanted to return home to Connecticut.
Nick Suzuki revealed on 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.
Samuel Montembeault believes he has “progressed” this season, confirming the general observation made about him.
“I worked hard with Eric [Raymond, goalkeeper coach], we have a great relationship. We talked a lot about consistency, and I did much better. Notably, he says he approaches games with more “confidence” than in the past.
After playing around 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 dedicate his summer to “better physically and mentally.” So, “next year, if the load is higher, I’ll be ready,” he says.
