Team Canada GM Doug Armstrong gets bluntly real on goaltending 'battle' for 2026 Olympics at orientation camp

Team Canada GM Doug Armstrong addressed a major point of concern for fans: The team’s goaltending situation heading into the 2026 Olympics at Milano-Cortina.

During a media availability a Team Canada’s orientation camp on August 28, Armstrong discussed the process going into the selection of the netminders who will be part of the Canadian squad at the Olympics.

Armstrong had this to say about the situation:

“That's probably the most open competition on our group right now. And we're here with three goaltenders because, when we talked about the actual number that are going to be participating, we didn't really want to have that many goalies in one spot, so we decided to go with the three.”

While Armstrong admitted that he has a “soft spot” for St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington, that’s not a determining factor in the Canadian squad’s ultimate decision. Doug Armstrong revealed the criteria that will determine who will get the nod for Team Canada for the Olympics:

“We pick the team, and their championship goalies are Stanley Cup-winning goalies there, and they're going to have that opportunity from October 7 to January 1 to prove who should be on the team.”

Check out Armstrong’s comments from the 4:32 mark onwards:

In other words, Doug Armstrong had made it clear that his management group will pick the best-performing goalies during the NHL season to represent Canada at the 2026 Olympics. So, it’s fair to say that there could be surprises forthcoming from now until the final rosters are announced in January.

Doug Armstrong faces tough choice for Team Canada goalies

Jordan Binnington was solid for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 - Source: Imagn

Doug Armstrong faces a tough choice in selecting the three goalies that will travel with the squad to Italy for the Olympics next February.

The three goalies named to Team Canada’s orientation camp were the same trio that represented Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Leading the way is Jordan Binnington. He won the 2019 with the Doug Armstrong-led St. Louis Blues. Then, there’s Adin Hill. He emerged as a number-one goalie during the Vegas Golden Knights’ 2023 Stanley Cup run.

Rounding out the group is the youngest of the bunch. Montreal Canadiens starter Samuel Montembeault has proven he can be an effective NHL netminder despite playing on a largely young, inexperienced Habs team.

Any of the three would be a solid choice. But there could also be other Canadian netminders who could push Doug Armstrong for a job on Team Canada. For instance, Washington Capitals number-one goalie Logan Thompson and last season’s Vezina nominee Darcy Kuemper could also be fine selections.

As Armstrong alluded to in his comments, the final decision will boil down to play on the ice. So, a goalie like Thompson or Kuemper could make a strong case, potentially pushing any of Binnington, Hill, or Montembeault off the final roster.