Fleurdelisé is becoming increasingly rare on Canadian teams. It blends into the maple leaf for a very simple reason: Quebec produces fewer high-level players than before.
The numbers prove it. In the National League, the number of Quebec players is decreasing. From around 80 there 30 years ago, they have grown to 70 a decade later, to around 45 having touched the ice in the Bettman circuit this season. Here are also two repechages in a row where they are ignored in the first round, an unprecedented situation, as colleague Martin Leclerc recently recalled.
It is therefore logical that this shortage manifests itself at the top. In view of the 4 Nations Showdown next February, only one Quebecer has been selected: Samuel Montembeault. For the moment, the Canadian’s goalkeeper is seen as the third wheel of this team’s carriage even if BriseBois, during a virtual meeting Monday afternoon, assured that the Canadian selection has not yet decided on the identity of his starting goalkeeper.
In Edmonton, the choice of Montembeault caused a reaction. Veteran journalist John Shannon suggested, in an interview with Bob Stauffer on the show Oilers nowthat the porter of Bécancour had been chosen because of his place of birth. Columnist David Staples, Edmonton Journalalso slipped in a word, repeating Shannon’s words.
These Alberta upheavals were not felt as far as Quebec, even if they did not bother with nuances.
Everything is partly political with Hockey Canada, Shannon said. This is not a disavowal for Sam Montembeault. He’s a good goalkeeper. But I look at the list and I see a lot of players from Ontario, a lot from the Maritimes and quite a few from the West. And I only see one player from Quebec.
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Samuel Montembeault
Photo : Associated Press / Pamela Smith
There is only one in fact. And he’s there for a reason, BriseBois blurted.
We analyzed a lot of videos, we watched a lot of matches, we have access to advanced statistics. The beauty of our team of managers is that there are five CEOs. Everyone manages an organization that has resources and we were able to draw on each of these resources, in addition to those of Hockey Canada, which has its own statistics department, its own scouting department. The three goalkeepers who give us the best chance are them
argued the director general of Lightning.
Barely spoken, BriseBois admitted that Montembeault’s performance at the World Championship in 2023 weighed heavily in the balance. The CH goaltender guided his team to the gold medal while maintaining a 6-1-0 record, an efficiency of .939 and an average of 1.42.
More than collecting good statistics, this international experience allowed him to become known to Hockey Canada decision-makers who saw him at work under pressure. It’s not the Stanley Cup Final, but it’s certainly not trivial either.
Who will get the net?
asked BriseBois, before answering his own question.
THE coachs will decide in due time. It will probably come down to who plays their best hockey as the tournament approaches. I imagine it’s this goalie who will have the net. We have no reason to believe that these three players are not capable of making the job.
Shortage
There are therefore no Quebec attackers or defenders in this select group. As the source has dried up upstream for a long time, we should hardly be surprised by its rarity among the cream.
This season, at the time of writing, no Quebecer is among the top 100 scorers in the league. Jonathan Huberdeau, Alexis Lafrenière and Pierre-Luc Dubois are tied for 102nd place with 21 points.
Canadians are also fewer in number than before, even if other provinces are much more successful than Quebec in developing great talents.
The fault is on the Americans, more and more numerous, more and more efficient. We included a word about it in a file devoted to the development of goalkeepers published recently; the observation also holds true for skaters.
It’s a reality. The Americans are producing more and more hockey players and this is reflected in the composition of their national team. It doesn’t take anything away from Canada or other countries. It is a population area of 330 million people. It used to be a more regional sport, but I see it with my boys now. We live in Florida and pretty much every state develops players. I don’t remember seeing a Hawaiian yet, but other than that, yes. We see it every year at the draft
affirmed the DG of Lightning.
Many observers have also identified the American team as the big favorite of the tournament. BriseBois is suspicious of everyone, particularly the Finns.
He recalls that we are used to assembling dangerous formations in the country of Paavo and Anne Nurmi and that this one (the formation, not Anne) will rely on 4 of the 10 best Finnish scorers in the history of the NHL. One of them, can you believe it, even plays for the Montreal Canadiens.
In short, it won’t be easy.
Enthusiasm
The adopted Floridian was full of enthusiasm two months before this tournament, seen as an appetizer, a prelude to the Olympic meeting.
He himself was marked by Rendez-Vous ’87 and hopes that the team he helped to form can do the same with the younger generation.
Is there a danger that these star players will put their foot on the brake in a fabricated tournament, without any history, in the middle of February, in order to preserve themselves for the series of the NHL who will then be on the horizon?
Zero. The guys are competitors. To get to this level, you have to be an extraordinary competitor. They want to win, they want to be at their best, they want to show what they can do, surrounded by the best and against the best. As an amateur, you won’t find better hockey until the Olympics. In terms of the caliber of play, the intensity and the talent on the ice, it will be the highest level of the year.
Let’s take it for granted.
