Although it hasn't been confirmed just yet, the expectation is that St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington will start the tournament opener for Team Canada at the 2026 Olympics.
Team Canada is preparing to take on Team Czechia in the 2026 Olympic opener, and they are expected to do so with Jordan Binnington in goal.
Canada held another practice on Wednesday morning, with Binnington in his own net, while Logan Thompson and Darcy Kuemper split time in the other net, according to Dan Rosen of NHL.com.
Following practice, coach Jon Cooper told the media he wouldn’t name his starter until tomorrow, but the goaltender will be informed tonight.
Binnington tended the goal for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off and stepped up in the finals to help propel Canada to gold. He finished the tournament with a .907 save percentage in four games.
Although he has a strong track record of stepping up in big moments, Binnington has been far from his best self this year. Prior to 2025-26, Binnington’s lowest save percentage had been .894, and he had only been below .900 in his career that one time.
This season, his save percentage is at an abysmal .864. By several statistics, Binnington has been one of the worst goaltenders this season, but Canada believes he has what it takes to quiet the noise and step up when representing his country.
Canada takes on Czechia on Thursday, with a roster featuring high-end NHL players like David Pastrnak, Martin Necas, and Tomas Hertl. Czechia is expected to be Canada’s toughest test in the group stage, and starting Binnington against them shows who they have the most faith in.
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