Adin Hill received some bad news in lieu of the 4 Nations Face-Off starting on Wednesday. No, it wasn't him getting booted off the team for having a bad glove side. Instead, it was Jordan Binnington getting the nod in net for Team Canada.
Jon Cooper confirms Jordan Binnington starts in goal for 🇨🇦
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 11, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights fans certainly weren't pleased with the news, for their goaltender's an all-around good guy. Stories have emerged about the 28-year-old saving drowning kittens from a running storm drain. Imagine him sprawling out like he did in Game 1 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals.
What's more, Binnington has a bad reputation around the league. He's notorious for his bad temper, questionable remarks, and picking fights with other NHL stars. Just look at his past tweets deemed racist or misogynistic. Just know that Hill saves everyone and everything, regardless of where they come from or who they are.
But does the Blues netminder deserve the starting spot to kick things off? Let's look at the stats and see where both goaltenders stand.
Goaltender | GAA | Save percentage |
|---|---|---|
Adin Hill | 2.64 | .900 |
Jordan Binnington | 2.89 | .896 |
Do you notice the contrast between both players? It's clear the Vegas goaltender is the better option. He's able to stop more shots and comes up big when needed. Meanwhile, the 31-year-old has been consistently... average. He's gone all five months with a save percentage of .900 or below and a GAA of 2.80 or higher. If you want to go one step further, Sam Montembeault of the Montreal Canadiens has a GAA of 3.00 and a save percentage of .897. Hmm... Who should really be starting in net?
But the case for Hill to start the festivities stems beyond him being statistically better than both of his peers. In fact, advanced statistics tell a deeper story pertaining to the Calgary native's case to start against Sweden. Mind you, the Swedes have solid goal scorers such as Elias Pettersson on their team. Therefore, Team Canada needs their best in the net, starting with the Vegas netminder.
Why Adin Hill should start in net on Wednesday
First, let's start with goals saved above expected (minimum of 15 games). Binnington is tied for 33rd in this category at 0.2. Wow. There's not much meat to that statistic, especially when compared to Montembeault (8.0, 22nd in the NHL) and Hill (8.8, 21st in the NHL). Let's also throw in other stats to show why the Golden Knights goaltender makes more sense.
Goaltender | Goals saved above expected | Goals saved above expected per 60 | Save % on unblocked shots | Save % above expected | GAA better than expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adin Hill | 8.8 | .264 | .951 | .004 | 0.26 |
Sam Montembeault | 8.0 | .206 | .951 | .003 | 0.21 |
Jordan Binnington | 0.2 | .005 | .950 | .000 | 0.01 |
Look at those advanced statistics between the three netminders. Does that look like a starting goaltender for a nation rabid about hockey? It's as disgraceful as using American cheese on poutine. Canadians should be up in arms over this atrocity.
Sure, the Calgary native has regressed to the mean since having a dominant December (2.62 GAA, .895 save percentage since January 1st, 2025). But Binnington has a higher GAA (2.87) and a save percentage (.897) that's slightly higher in that span. Certainly, those aren't ideal numbers to carry into a global competition, especially without Logan Thompson.
The goaltender is arguably the most vital part of a hockey team. They can keep you in a game with a solid performance or leave you blown out of the Thunder Bay waters. For Team Canada, that decision could haunt them in the 4 Nations Face-Off, leaving them to come back from a large deficit. That's all because they went with a St. Louis Blues goaltender to start the festivities. Talk about a bad call, eh?