Ex-NHL HC Bruce Boudreau makes his feelings known on Team Canada's goaltending for 4 Nations Face-Off

Hockey insider Bruce Boudreau was blunt in his assessment of Team Canada’s goaltending roster for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off. Speaking during TSN’s "First Up with Korolnek and Colaiacovo" on Monday, the ex-NHL coach said he does not have confidence that the three Canadian goalies chosen for the tournament would excel.

“It’s usually the goalie that wins the Stanley Cup for you in the end,” Boudreau said. “I don’t know if the Canadian goaltenders can outplay the opponent’s goaltenders. That’s my worry. Can the Canadian team outscore the other team?”

Hockey Canada chose St. Louis Blues‘ Jordan Binnington, Vegas Golden Knights’ Adin Hill and Montreal Canadiens’ Sam Montembeault as netminders for the upcoming tournament.

Boudreau added that he could not picture any of the three players being a match for the likes of American goalie Connor Hellebuyck. However, he said that the Canadian players were “incredibly motivated.”

“That’s where I struggle; in thinking that Canada gonna be a shoo-in to win this thing," Boudreau said. "What I do think is that Canada is by far the most motivated country to win this thing.”

Boudreau went on to say that the Canadian junior team’s recent early exit from the World Juniors might serve as an extra boost for the 4 Nations team in the upcoming tournament.

Boudreau called Canada’s choice of goalies a “mistake” when the roster was announced in December. In particular, he questioned Montembault’s selection on TSN’s "That’s Hockey" show, saying that the goalie was not experienced enough to serve as a crunch-time substitute.

“Maybe I'm way out to lunch, but I wanted somebody with some experience to be the third goalie if I was on Team Canada," Boudreau said.

The 4 Nations Face-Off is set to kick off on Wednesday with Canada taking on Sweden and the USA will face Finalnd on Thursday in the second game. All four teams in the tournament are set to face each other in a round-robin format with the top two teams heading to the final on Feb. 20.

Legendary Canadian goalie Carey Price backs the nation’s goalies for 4 Nations Face-Off

Former Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price, who has won multiple national championships and Stanley Cups, backed Adin Hill, Jordan Binnington and Sam Montembeault to perform well for Team Canada in the upcoming tournament.

"They've had success," Price said on Friday, via Sportsnet. "They've stepped up on the biggest stages."

Binnington and Hill have been part of Stanley Cup-winning teams in 2019 and 2023, while Montembault was Canada’s netminder when they won gold at the 2023 IIHF World Championship.