"Cooper told the AP's Stephen Whyno that his mind was made up to put Binnington in goal, "probably about 358 days ago," referring to Canada's success in the 4 Nations tournament. Despite telling the media that he would reveal his decision about the starting goaltender the night before the game, Cooper appeared to let Binnington know he would get the nod in January, per a story relayed by FanDuel Sports Network's Andy Strickland."
""Jon Cooper and Jordan Binnington met a few weeks ago at the Lightning hotel when Tampa Bay was in St. Louis," Strickland tweeted. "The two had a great conversation, enjoyed a Guinness or two, and Cooper confirmed his belief in Jordan Binnington, who left the meeting feeling confident knowing he'd be given the opportunity to be the guy.""
"To Cooper's credit, Binnington rewarded his faith with a 26-save shutout of the Czechs to put the Canadians atop Group A after their first game. However, it's still tough to ignore just how bad Binnington has been in the NHL for the Blues compared to Thompson and even the team's third goalie, Darcy Kuemper."
Team Canada entered the 2026 Winter Olympics with goaltending uncertainty, choosing Jordan Binnington to start despite his poor NHL numbers. Logan Thompson dominated the NHL for a second straight season but was never considered for the Olympic opener. Head coach Jon Cooper committed to Binnington following Canada's 4 Nations Face-Off performance and informed Binnington weeks earlier after a meeting in St. Louis. Binnington delivered a 26-save shutout against Czechia to open the tournament. Critics note Binnington's NHL struggles with the St. Louis Blues compared to Thompson and Darcy Kuemper. Canada faces back-to-back group games against Czechia and Switzerland.
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