Vegas Golden Knights fans were excited when they saw Adin Hill on Team Canada's roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off. They were hoping he'd get a start or two and representing his fair nation in the tournament. But Jon Cooper started Jordan Binnington for the opener against Sweden on Wednesday.
No big deal there's always the match against the United States. He can start that game and face Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin. But that turned into another Binnington start where the Canadians lost to the United States, 3-1. Perhaps a start against Finland is in the works.
Cooper says, "Not so fast."
Jordan Binnington will start for Canada against Finland, Jon Cooper announced. #4Nations pic.twitter.com/M6ItdJRVnr
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 17, 2025
Despite allowing five goals in his first two starts combined, the St. Louis Blues netminder got priority over the Calgary native. Mind you, there was a do-or-die game for Canada where they can't let the Finns win. Otherwise, they'd be belting out tunes about vodka after sending the Canadians home.
After all, you can't miss a hockey championship round if your national sport is... hockey. The good news for the team up north is they held on for a ticket to the championship round. While the decision to start a rage-filled goaltender over the Golden Knights star might've been a head-scratching decision to numerous Canadians, it's a silver lining for hockey fans in Las Vegas. Why, you ask?
Vegas Golden Knights fans saw what happened with Shea Theodore
Looking at the Shea Theodore injury, it was tough to swallow. Losing one of your best players on a week-to-week basis after getting hit by Adrian Kempe on Wednesday hurts. This is a massive loss for the Vegas Golden Knights considering it affects them in more ways than one.
The first reason is obvious. He's a great offensive facilitator who runs the transition attack well. He pairs great with players like Jack Eichel and Mark Stone, giving them better scoring opportunities while on the rush. That's why he has 41 assists (a career-high) this season.
But 17 of those assists came on the power play. Fans might laud Tomas Hertl for his immaculate work (10 goals and eight assists on the unit). However, the defenseman has played a crucial role in keeping the second-best group in the NHL afloat (28%). All that came undone at the 4 Nations Face-Off, where one injury could change the trajectory of the team's Stanley Cup run.
Adin Hill sitting won't be as bad as people think
Now where does that leave the Vegas Golden Knights if Hill starts and gets hurt? They'll be forced to rely on Ilya Samsonov, who might be doing decent as a backup goaltender (2.72 GAA, .897 save percentage). However, those numbers aren't sufficient for a starter.
Look at Samsonov's numbers from last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs and you'll see why he's not a starter. A GAA of 3.13 and a save percentage of .890 (2023-24) won't get the job done in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Therefore, fans should see their starting goaltender ride the bench rather than be put in a risky situation.
Watching Shea Theodore get hurt during the 4 Nations tournament shed new light on seeing their players play. The risk of injury is too much to bear for a team with a fairly clean bill of health this season. Why risk it at the most vulnerable position and see your starter get hurt? As Marie Antoinette once said (allegedly), "Let them eat cake." Or poutine. That works, too.