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Binnington’s Viral Blues Meltdown Raises Big Questions for Team Canada
Jordan Binnington refused to leave the ice during a bizarre Blues goalie change, raising questions for Team Canada decision-makers.
The St. Louis Blues found themselves in the middle of one of the strangest moments of the NHL season on Wednesday night — and it had nothing to do with a highlight-reel goal.
Down 7–2 to the Chicago Blackhawks with roughly seven minutes remaining, Blues head coach Jim Montgomery tried to make the call to pull Jordan Binnington and give backup Joel Hofer the rest of the night. That’s where things went sideways.
Binnington appeared to flat-out refuse to leave the crease. Despite Montgomery signaling for the change, the veteran goaltender stayed put, ignored the bench, and showed zero interest in skating off. Normally, that would still force the issue — except the Blues had another problem.
Hofer was nowhere to be found.
Instead of waiting at the bench, the backup goalie was hiding down the tunnel near the locker room, leaving the Blues without a replacement. With no goalie ready to jump in, Montgomery had no choice but to leave Binnington in net after he’d already surrendered seven goals.
The bizarre sequence quickly went viral online, leaving fans confused and laughing. Whether it was miscommunication, frustration boiling over, or just pure chaos, the moment was embarrassing for a Blues team already having a rough night. Some fans sided with Binnington, arguing that the point of trying to pull him was only seven minutes after seven goals. It’s embarrassing. Others bashed Binnington for his refusal to be a good teammate and ignore the game plan.
It’s the kind of scene you almost have to see to believe — and one that raises serious questions about composure, accountability, and what’s going on behind the bench in St. Louis. Team Canada has to be watching, and it will be intriguing to see how they view this behavior by Binnington. Is it a good thing that he’s so fiery and competitive? Or, is it a bad thing that he appeared to have a bit of a tantrum and prove a point by ignoring everyone?
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