The announcement of the new three-season contract that goaltender Samuel Montembeault signed with the Canadiens pleased many people in Quebec.

Former NHL defenseman Philippe Boucher is one of them.

“I love it,” the former Quebec Remparts driver and former general manager of the Drummondville Voltigeurs responded to “JiC” on Friday.

“Everyone loves him in Montreal,” he continued. We want Quebecers in training, we want them in the National League. We have been so spoiled in the past with Quebecers in front of the net playing important roles in the National League.

Boucher then recalled Montembeault’s time in the QMJHL, spending four seasons with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

“I will always remember what Joël Bouchard (who then managed the Armada) told me a long time ago: ‘Samuel Montembeault will play in the National League,'” he said.

“I saw him as a junior, my son stayed at boarding school with him, he’s a good little boy,” he added. I didn’t necessarily see him play in the National League at junior level, but we have to admit that he has done an excellent job since his time with the Canadians and this contract is very, very deserving.

All of this, Boucher says, makes the Canadiens’ much-maligned current “ménage à trois” in front of the net even more untenable, with Montembeault still splitting the task with veteran Jake Allen and the irregular Cayden Primeau.

In his opinion, Primeau, who was disappointing against the Panthers on Thursday, may be the man too many right now because “Jake Allen would still be the perfect assistant to Samuel Montembeault while he waits for the next generation.”

However, according to Boucher, there is still a possibility that certain NHL teams will want to acquire Allen by the end of this season.

Watch his full post in the main video.