Penguins Goalie Deserves Shot at Team Canada

PITTSBURGH – The NHL recently announced that more international play is coming, and several Pittsburgh Penguins should be involved in the upcoming tournaments. Between the 2026 Olympics and the newly created Four Nations Face-Off, Team Canada will have a few chances to flex their muscles still as the powerhouse of the hockey world.

While Canada usually has some of the best groupings of talent within the sport, their goaltending depth has dropped in recent years. Much of the discussion around Canada’s top goalies has centered around guys like Aiden Hill, Jordan Binnington, and Darcy Kuemper.

Those three are decent options and recent Stanley Cup winners, but all have flaws. Hill is still unproven as a goalie who can maintain his ability. Binnington has struggled to retain consistency, and Kuemper doesn’t strike as a proper top option on the national stage.

This is where Penguins’ starting netminder, Tristan Jarry, enters the conversation as someone who deserves a look between the pipes for Team Canada.

The 2023-24 season was set to be a bounce-back year for Jarry, and he’s shown up considerably. There were some rough patches early on, but he’s rebounded nicely to lead the league in shutouts with six. Aside from his 14-14-4 record, Jarry’s numbers have been stout.

Among active Canadian goalies, Jarry’s numbers rank among some of the best. His 2.45 goals against average and .916 save percentage are second among Canadian goalies who have played in 30 or more games.

Insider Elliotte Friedman noted in his 32 Thoughts article on SportsNet that Hill is likely the leader of the pack, but Jarry deserves some more respect. The Four Nations Face-Off is set to replace next season’s All-Star Game, meaning Jarry has some time to solidify his name as a top option.