Binnington starts Canada's Olympic opener vs. Czechia

Goaltender Jordan Binnington started Canada's Olympic hockey opener Thursday against Czechia.

Logan Thompson backed him up, with Darcy Kuemper serving as the No. 3. Seth Jarvis and Travis Sanheim were the two scratches among the skaters.

Binnington started every game en route to Canada's victory at the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025, stopping 31 of 33 shots in the final against the United States. However, he's struggled mightily with the St. Louis Blues this season, ranking 57th out of 59 qualified goalies in save percentage (.864).

Head coach Jon Cooper brushed off any concerns about Canada's goaltending Wednesday.

"To me, it's not a story," he said. "I don't know where it comes from."

Thompson ranks second to Ilya Sorokin among all 86 NHL goalies this season, with 38.8 goals saved above expected, per Evolving-Hockey. Kuemper ranks 26th (12.92), while Binnington is last (minus-20.61).

Canada's second game comes Friday against Switzerland. Thompson or Kuemper are expected to get the call for that contest regardless of how Binnington performs Thursday.