‘We knew he had a chance’ says coach about Saskatoon goalie being picked for Olympics

As the 2026 Winter Olympics gets closer, player preparations are still being made.

This year’s games will mark the first time National Hockey League (NHL) players will be allowed to participate since 2014, and Saskatoon’s Darcy Kuemper is among those heading to Italy in just more than a month.

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In Saskatoon, Tynan Smysniuk, part owner of Focus Goaltending, said he wasn’t shocked to see Kuemper selected.

“We knew he had a chance at it,” he said. “I would pick him looking at the goalies, but I’m biased in that regard. It’s pretty cool and awesome to see that.”

Smysniuk has worked with Kuemper for more than 20 years, first starting one-on-one goalie sessions when Kuemper was just a teenager.

“The thing that most people don’t realize, it doesn’t change a whole lot,” he said. “The best players in the world are really good at doing all the basic stuff really well and they continue to work on those things all the time.”

He said the sessions are pretty simple because Kuemper knows what he needs to do and what to work on.

“He knows how to play goal, he knows what makes him good,” he said. “There’s just times where we’ve got to make sure that he is doing the proper things, that make him good all the time.”

Smysniuk said Kuemper’s past experience in both the NHL playoffs and international competition helped him make the team, in addition to his stellar numbers to start the season.

“He’s done well this year, he’s got the (Stanley) cup experience,” he said. “He’s played with a lot of those players on that team, he’s played against a lot of those players in big moments. I think that really helped solidify the choice to put him on there.”

Smysniuk said he enjoys seeing Kuemper’s pure joy when it comes to hockey – whether it’s playing or practicing.

“The thing I always like is his smile. You can see his smile through his mask anywhere on the rink,” he said. “He’s pretty awesome when the little kids are on the ice and taking the time to do autographs and talk to little kids.”

Smysniuk said Kuemper possesses the best trait a goalie can have and that helps him succeed.

“He’s really consistent, he’s hard to score on, he makes you beat him with a good shot,” he said. “When he’s playing his best, his style that works for him, he’s just really hard to score on which is a good trait and builds that consistency.”

Smysniuk added that it’s been fun watching Kuemper grow as both a player and as a person and to see where his hockey journey has taken him.

“You see them as a little guy, and then a junior and then a pro, and then get married, then have kids,” he said. “It’s just part of life that most people go through. I don’t know if it’s surreal, but it’s pretty neat to see the journey.”

The Olympic games start on Feb. 6. Canada’s first game is on Feb. 12.