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Insider Clears Up Binnington Misconception from Weird Goalie Incident

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | Last updated Jan 8, 2026 12:58 PM ET

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun is reporting that there’s a need to correct a possible misconception regarding the odd incident in the game between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks from Wednesday night. Binnington is taking some heat for what appeared to be an unwillingness to leave the net. LeBrun is reporting that the narrative isn’t accurate.

Instead of this being about Binnington ignoring the coach or not wanting to come out of the game, backup Joel Hofer wasn’t ready to go in.

Apparently, the backup isn’t on the bench or close to the rest of the team the way the arena is set up. It took some time for Hofer to get ready, and by the time he did, the puck had already been dropped. Basically, the Blues couldn’t organize the switch quickly enough to make the move.

Obviously, some fans aren’t going to buy that explanation. It’s an odd look that Hofer was peeking around the corner, almost as if he was waiting to not go in. However, this kind of thing isn’t completely out of the ordinary and logistically possible.

Other Goalies Have Run Into the Same Issue as the Blues

While on the NHL on TNT panel, Henrik Lundqvist explained that he’d been in this kind of situation before. He told a story about how he was actually in an arena gym watching the game when it became clear he might have to go in. It was a situation where he knew it would take him some time to get ready, and it was weird because he went from a totally dark and quiet room to a bright and loud ice surface, which really threw him off.

So, was Binnington not being defiant after all? And, should Team Canada not be worried that he’s the kind of player who only does what he wants? It appears, despite his feisty reputation, on this one, he’s getting a bad rep for no reason.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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