Photo credit: NHL
The Montreal Canadiens’ goaltender, Samuel Montembeault, made a significant gesture immediately upon his return to the NHL following his stint with the Laval Rocket.
He faced the music right away, stepped up to a press conference with his head held high, and answered every question, even the toughest ones. We love it!
The goal was to get him back into rhythm, without turning everything upside down. Montembeault explained that he had good practices every day. He said that with Marco Marciano, no one tried to reinvent the wheel. Instead, they focused on small details, corrected habits, and emphasized puck tracking and hand work.
“They told me about it after the morning skate. I think we were playing in the morning-I was doing a regular practice with the guys, and then Kent and Jeff met with me. They talked to me about the idea behind that plan.
It allowed me to go play. I hadn’t had a start since the beginning of the month, so being able to go down there and work was important. I intended to play two games, and then we were heading out on the road. I wanted to go there with the right mindset, work hard, and get quality reps.”
– Montembeault
Samuel Montembeault explains what he worked on in Laval and reveals the truth about what was done with the Rocket
On the ice, he made two starts in Cleveland against the Monsters on December 18 and 20. The Rocket lost the first game 5-2, followed by a 2-0 loss in the second. In total, he allowed five goals on 52 shots, making 47 saves. That translates to a 2.53 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage with the Rocket.
The contrast with his season in Montreal is obvious. In 2025-2026, he has played 15 games, with five wins, a 3.65 goals-against average, and a .857 save percentage.
“I had good practices every day. We didn’t try to reinvent the wheel with Marco (Marciano). We looked at some small things and correct some habits. We did a lot of tracking and work on my hands to try to get better and make quality saves”
– Samuel Montembeault, via Chris G
Now it’s about execution. Montembeault owned the moment, did the work, and returned with a clear mindset. With a defined plan and real opportunity ahead, the next step is simple: turn this reset into results in the crease.
It sets the stage nicely for what’s next.
Previously on Montreal Hockey Fanatics