Samuel Montembeault makes controversial decision that disappoints fans
Photo credit: Daily Faceoff
At the end-of-season review, several players from the Montreal Canadiens, including Samuel Montembeault, reflected on the past season and what awaits them during the summer period.
For his part, Tricolore's number 35 expressed great satisfaction with his performance this year, having achieved a consistent level of play. Were it not for a few challenging games, Montembeault claims to have achieved a save percentage of 0.900 or higher in at least 70% of the games he played, a percentage he hopes to further improve next year.
Nonetheless, he received a strong vote of confidence from his general manager as Kent Hughes firmly indicated that, in his view, the Quebecer is a true number one in the NHL. The same sentiment was echoed by the goaltender coach, Éric Raymond, who was impressed by the 27-year-old's progress this season.
« Yes, for us, Sam has shown this year that he is capable of being our number one.
Often, people have asked this question since the beginning of the season... I think he is our number one, but we want him to continue to excel to be the best goaltender he can be. The same goes for Cayden Primeau. I don't like giving a title that leads someone else to believe there is no room [...] We want there to be internal competition. » - Kent Hughes
This means that Monty may possibly start with a slight advantage over Cayden Primeau at the next training camp. However, he cannot take this competition lightly, as the American goaltender has clearly demonstrated that he too is capable of excellent performances, despite a somewhat complicated April.
However, during his end-of-year assessment, the Quebec goalie made a somewhat controversial statement. Indeed, despite receiving an invitation from Team Canada, Samuel Montembeault will not participate in the upcoming World Hockey Championship, a decision that did not seem to be unanimously approved by the fans of the Sainte-Flanelle.
« Despite an invitation, Samuel Montembeault has confirmed that he will not participate in the next world hockey championship! » - RDS
We remember how much he progressed last summer at the same tournament, where he was undoubtedly one of the best players on the Canadian team. He greatly helped the team win the gold medal by recording simply incredible stats, with a save percentage of 0.939 and a goals-against average of 1.42.
Given his strong performance in the tournament, many observers saw him ahead of Jake Allen at the start of the season, so it is strange to see him refuse such an invitation. He could have had the opportunity to gain experience and continue developing, especially since many NHL players will be present in the Czech Republic this summer.
But after a 41-game season, the Quebecer will take this break to spend time with loved ones and prepare adequately for the next campaign, during which his workload could once again increase in 2024-2025.
| POLL |
18 AVRIL | 173 ANSWERS Samuel Montembeault makes controversial decision that disappoints fans Are you disappointed that Samuel Montembeault will not be going to the World Championship? |
| Yes | 70 | 40.5 % |
| No | 103 | 59.5 % |
| LIST OF POLLS |
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