Samuel Montembeault (born October 30, 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the third round, 77th overall, by the Florida Panthers in the 2015 NHL entry draft. He played major junior for four seasons with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, before playing two seasons with the Florida Panthers. He was later placed on waivers by the team in October 2021, before he was claimed by the Montreal Canadiens.
Internationally, Montembeault represented the Canada junior team in 2016. He represented the Canada senior team at the 2023 IIHF World Championship, winning gold at the tournament. He was selected to represent the country again at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, where he won gold with Canada at the tournament.
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Playing career
Junior
Montembeault first played midget hockey in his native Quebec, with the Trois-Rivières Estacades of the Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League (QMAAA) from 2011 to 2013. Showing early promise as the starting goaltender with the Estacades, Montembeault was named to the QMAAA Second All-Star Team and received the league's Best Goalie Prospect award for the 2012–13 season. He was then selected 40th overall by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the 2013 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) entry draft.
After appearing in a career high 52 games with the Armada during his second QMJHL season in 2014–15, Montembeault was selected by the Florida Panthers in the third round (77th overall) of the 2015 NHL entry draft.
In the following QMJHL season, he recorded a 17–19–8 record with a 2.63 goals against average (GAA), .901 save percentage, along with three shutouts. Leading the Armada into the postseason, Montembeault was named the Vaughn Canadian Hockey League Goaltender of the Week in early April after earning a 3–1 record, 2.27 GAA and .933 save percentage during Blainville's first round playoff series win against the Val-d'Or Foreurs. Collectively, Montembeault finished the postseason with a 2.45 GAA, .925 save percentage and one shutout. He was also selected to represent in both the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and CHL Canada/Russia Series.
On May 10, 2016, Montembeault was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Florida Panthers. He subsequently returned for his final season of major junior with the Armada, establishing new career highs with both a 2.40 GAA and a .907 save percentage in 2016–17, and earned the QMJHL Second All-Star Team honours.
Professional
Montembeault first attended the Panthers' training camp in 2017, before reassignment to the American Hockey League (AHL) with affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. On October 13, 2017, he made 25 saves in a 3–2 defeat to the Providence Bruins, being his professional debut for the Thunderbirds. Montembeault collected his first win in his seventh outing, backstopping the Thunderbirds in a 5–3 decision over the Hartford Wolf Pack on November 3, 2017. With Springfield finishing well out of Calder Cup playoff contention, Montembeault compiled a total of 13 wins through 41 games during the 2017–18 season.
Montembeault was again re-assigned to continue in the AHL with Springfield to begin the 2018–19 season. He was selected to represent the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic. After 33 games with the Thunderbirds, having already matched his previous win totals, Montembeault received his first recall by the Panthers due to starting goaltender Roberto Luongo briefly leaving the team on bereavement in February 2019. In his second recall to the Panthers following an injury to backup James Reimer, Montembeault made his NHL debut in a 4–3 overtime defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida on March 2, 2019. He made another start against the Minnesota Wild the following week, giving up two goals in a 6–2 win. In his first five starts, Montembeault posted a 4–0–1 record. After making 35 saves in a 2–1 shootout loss to the New York Islanders, he was reassigned to the AHL ranks. He finished the season playing 11 games, with a record of 4–3–2, a 3.04 GAA and a .894 save percentage. His conclusion to the season was considered "very successful," with then-general manager Dale Tallon noting significant development in his play. Thereafter, Montembeault was re-signed to a one-year, two-way contract by the Panthers, on July 19.
Making his first start of the 2019–20 season on October 12, 2019, a 3–2 shootout loss against the New York Islanders, Montembeault posted a 1–0–1 record before allowing five goals in each of his next three starts. On November 12, he replaced Sergei Bobrovsky after the foregoing was pulled, allowing four goals on 23 shots against the Boston Bruins. Montembeault stopped all shots he faced and the team rallied back to win 5–4 in a shootout. However, after giving up five goals against the Buffalo Sabres in a 5–2 loss on November 24, he was returned to Springfield. Once again recalled by the Panthers in January 2020 to serve as a backup to Chris Driedger after Bobrovsky sustained an injury during a team practice, he concluded the season with a 5–5–1 record, a 3.34 GAA and a .890 save percentage.
Personal life
As a youth, Montembeault was an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox and himself played baseball, primarily in the catcher position. He has one sibling, his brother Matthieu.
Montembeault met his fiancée, fellow Québécoise Daryanne Ayotte, while playing for the QMJHL's Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in 2017. The couple were engaged in September 2024 and married at the Four Seasons Hotel in Montreal eleven months later.
International play
Internationally, Montembeault first represented Team Canada at the 2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, however, as the team's third goaltender, did not see any tournament play.
Following the Montreal Canadiens not qualifying for the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, Montembeault accepted an invitation to join the Canadian national senior team for the ensuing IIHF World Championships. In his first international appearance, he recorded a shutout victory over Latvia. Ultimately starting seven of his country's ten games, including all in the knockout rounds, Montembeault posted a 1.42 GAA and a .939 save percentage en route to Canada winning the championship final.
In December 2024, Montembeault was named as one of three goaltenders, alongside Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill, to the Canadian roster for the NHL-sanctioned 4 Nations Face-Off held in the midst of the 2024–25 campaign. Assuming the role as Canada's third goaltender, he ultimately did not see any game action throughout, but nonetheless won a gold medal following their overtime defeat of archrivals the United States on February 20, 2025 in the tournament final.
Goaltending style
Montembeault is a hybrid style goaltender, who uses his size to cover the net and challenge shooters. During his time in the 4 Nations Face-Off, he enhanced his ability to stop shots by understanding the speed of execution from shooters.
Montembeault also has the visual ability to know the shooting handedness of the opposing player, memorizing the color of the tape job on each of their sticks.