Blues Statistically Worst Goalie Delivers When Canada Needs Him Most

From his inclusion in the 4 Nations last week to his time with the St. Louis Blues, everyone doubted this goalie but he stepped up when Canada needed him the most.

[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 12, 2026; Milan, Italy; Tomas Hertl of Czech Republic in action with Jordan Binnington and Shea Theodore of Canada in a men's ice hockey Group A match during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Segar/Reuters via Imagn Images | Mike Segar/Reuters via Imagn Images

Jordan Binnington's selection to the Canadian Roster for Milano 2026 raised a lot of questions among fans and critics alike. After all, Binnington wasn't exactly having a great season with the St. Louis Blues. But Bill Guerin showed faith in the netminder, and he stood on his feet for Team Canada.

Binnington entered the tournament as one of the NHL's worst-performing goaltenders. The St. Louis netminder posted an .864 save percentage through 32 games, ranking dead last among starting goalies. His minus-13.68 goals saved above expected led the entire league.

Yet when Canada needed a save to keep their gold medal dreams alive, Binnington delivered the moment of the tournament. His sprawling pad stop on Martin Necas with 1:10 remaining in regulation preserved a 3-3 tie against Czechia, sending the quarterfinal to overtime, where Mitch Marner eventually scored the winner.

Controversy to Redemption

Binnington's Olympic selection sparked widespread criticism across Canadian hockey circles. His 8-17-6 record and 3.65 goals-against average with St. Louis made him statistically the worst goaltender among the three Canadians named to the roster.

The Athletic labeled him an "underwhelming" option while analysts questioned why Canada passed on better-performing netminders. Even Blues backup Joel Hofer had claimed the majority of starts by the Olympic break, relegating Binnington to a backup role in St. Louis.

But head coach Jon Cooper never wavered in his faith. The decision to start Binnington came from his 4 Nations Face-Off performance last February, where he backstopped Canada to gold with a game-saving glove stop on Auston Matthews in the championship overtime.

Big-Game Performer

Binnington has consistently elevated his play when stakes rise highest. He led St. Louis from last place to a Stanley Cup championship as a rookie in 2019. At the 4 Nations Face-Off, he went 3-1 with a .907 save percentage despite allowing soft goals in early games.

His Olympic performance followed the same pattern. Binnington posted a 26-save shutout in Canada's 5-0 opener against Czechia, including a diving stop on David Kampf that kept the game scoreless.

CANADA TAKES IT IN OVERTIME TO GO TO THE SEMIFINALS 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/hp5OGkMsS8

— ESPN (@espn) February 18, 2026

Silencing Critics

The contrast between Binnington's NHL struggles and Olympic excellence couldn't be starker. While Blues coach Jim Montgomery had benched him for extended stretches this season, Team Canada leaned on him in their most desperate moment.

His breakaway denial of Necas came after Czechia had taken a 3-2 lead late in regulation. Nick Suzuki tied the game with 3:27 remaining before Binnington's heroics prevented an immediate response.

The save allowed Canada to survive and advance to the semifinals, where they'll face either Sweden or the United States, depending on other quarterfinal results. Binnington has now won four consecutive games for Canada, dating back to the 4 Nations tournament.

Canada sits 33-5-8 through the round robin and quarterfinals, with Binnington posting a .950 save percentage at the Olympics, proving Jon Cooper's faith in big-game performers over regular-season statistics remains justified.

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