Samuel Montembeault (born October 30, 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the third round, 77th overall, by the Florida Panthers in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
| Samuel Montembeault | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Montembeault with the Springfield Thunderbirds in 2019 | |||
| Born |
October 30, 1996 Bécancour, Quebec, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 222 lb (101 kg; 15 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Catches | Left | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
Montreal Canadiens Florida Panthers | ||
| National team |
 Canada | ||
| NHL Draft |
77th overall, 2015 Florida Panthers | ||
| Playing career | 2015–present | ||
Playing career edit
Junior edit
Montembeault first played junior hockey in his native Quebec, with the Trois-Rivières Estacades of the QMAAA from 2011 to 2013. Showing early promise as the starting goaltender with the Estacades, Montembeault was selected to the Second All-Star Team and collected the best goalie prospect award from the 2012–13 season. He was selected 40th overall by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the 2013 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft.
After appearing in a career high 52 games with Armada during his second season in the QMJHL in 2014–15, Montembeault was selected by the Florida Panthers in the third round, 77th overall, of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.[1]
In the following 2015–16 season, recorded a 17–19–8 record with a 2.63 goals against average, .901 save percentage with three shutouts. Leading Armada in the post-season, Montembeault was named the Vaughn Canadian Hockey League Goaltender of the Week for the week ending April 3 after earning a 3–1 record, 2.27 goals against average and .933 save percentage during Blainville’s first round playoff series win against Val-d'Or Foreurs. Montembeault finished the postseason with a 2.45 goals against average, .925 save percentage and one shutout.
On May 11, 2016, Montembeault was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Florida Panthers.[2] He returned for his final junior season in the QMJHL, establishing new career high with 2.40 goals against average and a .907 save percentage.
Professional edit
Florida Panthers edit
In his first professional season, Montembeault attended the Panthers 2017 training camp, before he was re-assigned to begin the 2017–18 season in the American Hockey League with affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. He made his professional debut, making 25 saves for the Thunderbirds, in a 3–2 defeat to the Providence Bruins on October 13, 2017.[3] He collected his first win in his 7th outing, backstopping the Thunderbirds in a 5–3 decision over the Hartford Wolf Pack on November 3, 2017.[4] With the Thunderbirds finishing well out of the playoffs, Montembeault finished with 13 wins through 41 games.[5]
Montembeault was assigned to continue in the AHL with Springfield to begin the 2018–19 season. After 33 games with the Thunderbirds, having already matched his previous win totals, Montembeault received his first recall by the Panthers due to starting goaltender Roberto Luongo briefly leaving the team on bereavement leave, on February 18, 2019.[6] In his second recall to the Panthers following an injury to backup James Reimer, Montembeault made his NHL debut in his first career start with the Panthers in a 4–3 overtime defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida on March 2, 2019.[7]
Montreal Canadiens edit
On October 1, 2021, Montembeault was placed on waivers by the Panthers. The following day, he was claimed by the Montreal Canadiens.[8] Montembeault made his debut for the team in a pre-season game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, where the Canadiens lost 6–2, but Montembeault was widely credited for a strong performance despite weak defending by the team.[9] Following starting goaltender Carey Price's taking a leave of absence for mental health reasons, Montembeault temporarily became the primary backup goaltender to Jake Allen.[10] On January 12, 2022, Allen was injured in a game against the Boston Bruins and subsequently announced to be out for at least two months, with Montembeault becoming the Canadiens' starting goaltender in the meantime.[11] The Canadiens named him their player of the month for January, having become the first goaltender in team history to post two consecutives games with 48 saves or more.[12] He earned his first NHL shutout win against the Buffalo Sabres on February 23, 2022.[13] Upon Allen's return he played only sparingly, but after Allen's re-injury in early April he was again the team's starting goaltender, pending the return of Price.[14] Following the conclusion of the season, Montembeault underwent wrist surgery.[15]
On July 18, 2022, Montembeault was re-signed to a two-year, $2 million contract extension with the Canadiens.[16] Beginning the 2022–23 season as Allen's backup, he was soon noted for markedly improved performance, particularly when evaluated by advanced statistics.[17] A notable stretch of games in January saw an injury to Allen necessitate Montembeault taking over as starter again, playing eight straight games and recording a 4-4-0 record with a .930 save percentage in that span. The team's general manager, Kent Hughes, praised his performance and said "he still has a lot to experience as a goalie, but we see the potential. So Sam definitely isn’t going anywhere."[18] Discussion of whether Montembeault should be treated as the team's main goaltender on a long-term basis began in sports media.[19] Upon Allen's return, the two largely alternated starts on an equal basis.[20] Montembeault finished second to team captain Nick Suzuki for the Molson Cup as team player of the year.[21] Upon the conclusion of the season, he was given the chance to represent Canada internationally for the first time.[22]
The Canadiens began the 2023–24 season with three goaltenders on the roster, as, in addition to Montembeault and Allen, prospect goaltender Cayden Primeau was no longer exempt from waivers and thus could not be sent down to the AHL's Laval Rocket without possibly being lost to another team. This precipitated discussions about one of the three being traded.[23] Montembeault appeared in ten games in the first two months of the season, recording a 5-3-1 record and a .910 save percentage, before it was announced on December 1 that he had been re-signed to a three-year, $9.45 million contract.[24]
International play edit
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey | ||
| Representing Canada
| ||
| World Championships | ||
 |
2023 Finland/Latvia | |
Montembeault was named to Team Canada for the 2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, but as the team's third goaltender did not play.[25] Seven years later, following the Canadiens not qualifying for the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, Montembeault accepted an invitation to join the national senior team at the 2023 IIHF World Championship.[22] In his first international appearance, he recorded a shutout victory over Team Latvia.[26] Montembeault started seven of the team's ten games, including all in the knockout rounds, posting a 1.42 goals against average and a .939 save percentage en route to Canada winning the championship.[27]
Career statistics edit
Regular season and playoffs edit
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | OT | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 2011–12 | Trois-Rivières Estacades | QMAAA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.000 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Trois-Rivières Estacades | QMAAA | 19 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 1110 | 47 | 1 | 2.54 | .915 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | 2.79 | .915 | ||
| 2013–14 | Blainville-Boisbriand Armada | QMJHL | 14 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 714 | 28 | 0 | 2.35 | .898 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 3 | 0 | 3.40 | .824 | ||
| 2014–15 | Blainville-Boisbriand Armada | QMJHL | 52 | 33 | 11 | 7 | 3104 | 134 | 3 | 2.59 | .891 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 353 | 14 | 0 | 2.38 | .878 | ||
| 2015–16 | Blainville-Boisbriand Armada | QMJHL | 47 | 17 | 19 | 8 | 2711 | 119 | 3 | 2.63 | .901 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 685 | 28 | 1 | 2.45 | .925 | ||
| 2016–17 | Blainville-Boisbriand Armada | QMJHL | 41 | 28 | 9 | 1 | 2226 | 89 | 6 | 2.40 | .907 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 1070 | 42 | 0 | 2.35 | .910 | ||
| 2017–18 | Springfield Thunderbirds | AHL | 41 | 13 | 23 | 3 | 2196 | 119 | 2 | 3.25 | .896 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Springfield Thunderbirds | AHL | 39 | 13 | 16 | 8 | 2188 | 118 | 1 | 3.24 | .899 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 11 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 592 | 30 | 0 | 3.05 | .894 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 14 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 701 | 39 | 0 | 3.34 | .890 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Springfield Thunderbirds | AHL | 11 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 659 | 33 | 1 | 3.00 | .918 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Syracuse Crunch | AHL | 13 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 775 | 37 | 1 | 2.86 | .898 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 38 | 8 | 18 | 6 | 1943 | 122 | 1 | 3.77 | .891 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 40 | 16 | 19 | 3 | 2334 | 133 | 0 | 3.42 | .901 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 103 | 33 | 45 | 12 | 5,569 | 324 | 1 | 3.49 | .896 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International edit
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | W | L | OT | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Canada | WC | 
|
7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 423 | 10 | 1 | 1.42 | .939 | |
| Senior totals | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 423 | 10 | 1 | 1.42 | — | ||||
Awards and honours edit
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| QMAAA | ||
| Second All-Star Team | 2013 | |
| Best Goalie Prospect | 2013 | |
| QMJHL | ||
| CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game | 2015 | |
| Second All-Star Team | 2015 | |
| AHL | ||
| All-Star Game | 2019 | [28] |
References edit
- ^ "Grading the Florida Panthers at the 2015 Entry Draft". litterboxcats.com. 2015-06-28. Retrieved 2015-06-28.
- ^ "Florida Panthers sign goaltender Sam Montembeault". Florida Panthers. 2016-05-11. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
- ^ "Thunderbirds, Bruins game summary". American Hockey League. 2017-10-13. Retrieved 2017-10-13.
- ^ "Wolf Pack, Thunderbirds game summary". American Hockey League. 2017-11-03. Retrieved 2017-11-03.
- ^ "Done with first pro season, Panthers goalie prospect Montembeault has "all the talent in the world"". Sun-Sentinel. 2018-05-22. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
- ^ "Panthers recall goaltender Sam Montembeault from Springfield". Florida Panthers. 2019-02-18. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
- ^ "Montembeault's NHL Debut Spoiled, Hurricanes Come Back To Beat Panthers In OT". CBS Miami. 2019-03-02. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
- ^ "Canadiens claim Samuel Montembeault off waivers". nhl.com. October 2, 2021.
- ^ MacMillan, Ken (October 6, 2021). "Montreal Canadiens: Skaters Give Sam Montembeault No Chance in Only Preseason Action". A Winning Habit.
- ^ O'Brien, James (2021-10-07). "Price on leave from Canadiens, enters player assistance program". NBC Sports. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
- ^ "Allen out eight weeks for Canadiens with lower-body injury". NHL.com. January 21, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
- ^ "Samuel Montembeault earns Molson Cup for January". National Hockey League. 8 February 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ "Suzuki scores two, Montembeault grabs first shutout; Canadiens top Sabres". TSN. February 23, 2022.
- ^ Leijon, Erik (April 12, 2022). "Montembeault earns place in Habs' goalie debate". Montreal Gazette.
- ^ "Medical update regarding Samuel Montembeault". nhl.com. May 9, 2022.
- ^ "G Samuel Montembeault signs two-year extension with Canadiens". Sportsnet. July 18, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ Godin, Marc Antoine (December 21, 2022). "Why Sam Montembeault's Canadiens breakout is not surprising to those that know him best". The Athletic.
- ^ Cowan, Stu (January 26, 2023). "Canadiens' Sam Montembeault grabs bull by the horns". Montreal Gazette.
- ^ Hickey, Pat (January 22, 2023). "Sam Montembeault staking claim to be No. 1 goalie". Montreal Gazette.
- ^ Szporer, Ryan Antoine (March 18, 2023). "Canadiens' Goalie Montembeault Lays Claim to No. 1 Job". The Hockey Writers.
- ^ Montreal Canadiens (April 14, 2023). "Nick Suzuki wins the Canadiens' Molson Cup Player of the Year". National Hockey League. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
- ^ a b Montreal Canadiens (April 14, 2023). "End of season blog - April 14". National Hockey League. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
- ^ Galanopoulos, Chris (November 20, 2023). "How Long Will the Montreal Canadiens Keep Three Goalies?". The Hockey News. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ Montreal Canadiens (December 1, 2023). "Three-year contract extension for Samuel Montembeault". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ Milner, Evan (April 27, 2023). "Montembeault: 'Couldn't be happier' in Montreal". National Hockey League. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- ^ "Flames' Weegar, Canadiens' Montembeault lead Canada to win over Latvia at worlds". Sportsnet. May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ Cowan, Stu (May 28, 2023). "Canadiens' Samuel Montembeault is good as gold". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ "AHL All-Star Montembeault making strides in 2nd season with Thunderbirds". Florida Panthers. 2019-01-30. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
External links edit
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database