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4 Nations Face-Off

Canada Announces Roster For 4 Nations Face-Off

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The NHL has confirmed Canada’s 23-man roster for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off in February:

F Sam Bennett (Panthers)
F Anthony Cirelli (Lightning)
F Sidney Crosby (Penguins)
F Brandon Hagel (Lightning)
F Seth Jarvis (Hurricanes)
F Travis Konecny (Flyers)
F Nathan MacKinnon (Avalanche)
F Brad Marchand (Bruins)
F Mitch Marner (Maple Leafs)
F Connor McDavid (Oilers)
F Brayden Point (Lightning)
F Sam Reinhart (Panthers)
F Mark Stone (Golden Knights)

D Cale Makar (Avalanche)
D Josh Morrissey (Jets)
D Colton Parayko (Blues)
D Alex Pietrangelo (Golden Knights)
D Travis Sanheim (Flyers)
D Shea Theodore (Golden Knights)
D Devon Toews (Avalanche)

G Jordan Binnington (Blues)
G Adin Hill (Golden Knights)
G Sam Montembeault (Canadiens)

It’s a roster out of a fantasy draft. This roster includes six Hart Memorial Trophy winners, one Norris Trophy winner, and 20 Stanley Cup rings. There will be no shortage of firepower when this collection of players takes the ice.

It’ll be difficult for any of the other three international teams to match up against McDavid who will assuredly be Team Canada’s first-line center. The last time McDavid suited up for the Canadians came back during the 2018 IIHF World Championships. He scored five goals and 17 points in 10 games a few weeks before signing his eight-year, $100MM extension with the Oilers.

The other Canadian forward to look out for will be ’Captain Canada’ himself. Crosby’s exploits on the internal stage are well known. He scored the gold-medal-clinching goal in the 2010 Olympic Games against the United States and followed it up with another gold medal four years later in Sochi. There are not many awards Crosby has left to win but the 4 Nations Face-Off could be one of them.

Things are similarly in good shape on the blue line. Canada is bringing multiple defensive pairings that play together on their NHL clubs, giving them a seamless transition into international hockey. The group of defensemen is headlined by Makar who, despite already having a Norris, Calder, and Conn Smythe Trophy under his belt is the favorite to win the Norris Trophy this year with eight goals and 32 points in 26 games.

Canada’s only question mark comes between the pipes. Gone are the days when Canada could rely on legendary netminders such as Martin Brodeur, Marc-Andre Fleury, Roberto Luongo, or Carey Price. The trio of Binnington, Hill, and Montembeault have a combined save percentage of .900 this year with their respective teams and may have Canada intertwined in some high-scoring affairs. Still, the rich continue to stay rich when it comes to international hockey.

USA Announces Roster For 4 Nations Face-Off

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The NHL has confirmed the United States 23-man roster for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off in February:

F Matt Boldy (Wild)
F Kyle Connor (Jets)
F Jack Eichel (Golden Knights)
F Jake Guentzel (Lightning)
F Jack Hughes (Devils)
F Chris Kreider (Rangers)
F Dylan Larkin (Red Wings)
F Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs)
F J.T. Miller (Canucks)
F Brock Nelson (Islanders)
F Brady Tkachuk (Senators)
F Matthew Tkachuk (Panthers)
F Vincent Trocheck (Rangers)

D Brock Faber (Wild)
D Adam Fox (Rangers)
D Noah Hanifin (Golden Knights)
D Quinn Hughes (Canucks)
D Charlie McAvoy (Bruins)
D Jaccob Slavin (Hurricanes)
D Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets)

G Connor Hellebuyck (Jets)
G Jake Oettinger (Stars)
G Jeremy Swayman (Bruins)

The Americans certainly don’t boast the offensive firepower of Team Canada, however, there is a good argument to be made that they have a more balanced lineup, particularly in net, where they have the goaltending that could steal some games.

Up front, Team USA doesn’t lack firepower, with arguably the NHL’s best goal scorer in Matthews as well as some incredible depth down the middle with Eichel and Hughes as well as Larkin. The wingers boast a little bit of everything, led by the Tkachuk brothers who will certainly be difficult to play against as they bring an element of skill and grit. As for goal scorers, the team boasts several other perennial 30-40 goal scorers in Connor, Guentzel and Boldy.

On the backend, the team should have an elite power play with Hughes and Fox manning the points. On top of that, McAvoy and Faber will offer solid skating and two-way play that will balance things out. In net, the Americans have arguably the best trio of goaltenders, and it will certainly be a massive advantage over Team Canada.

The biggest surprise for the Americans was a couple of roster snubs in Cole Caufield and Tage Thompson, who were left off the roster in favor of Brock Nelson, Vincent Trocheck, and Chris Kreider. Thompson and Caufield have averaged nearly a point a game this season in the first quarter of the season, while Kreider and Trocheck have struggled in New York with the Rangers. Nelson, on the other hand, isn’t the biggest name and won’t put up offense like Caufield and Thompson, however, what he does offer Team USA is the ability to play anywhere with anyone, in nearly all situations. Something they clearly coveted, given who they left off the roster for him.

Sweden Sets Roster For 4 Nations Face-Off

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1:23 p.m.: The NHL has confirmed the roster, as Expressen reported.

12:46 p.m.: Swedish national team head coach Sam Hallam has finalized the country’s roster for February’s 4 Nations Face-Off, Expressen reports. All four countries participating in the tournament will confirm their rosters later Wednesday. The reported roster, which comprises 13 forwards, seven defensemen, three goaltenders, and two reserves, is as follows:

F Viktor Arvidsson (Oilers)
F Jesper Bratt (Devils)
F Leo Carlsson (Ducks)
F Joel Eriksson Ek (Wild)
F Filip Forsberg (Predators)
F William Karlsson (Golden Knights)
F Adrian Kempe (Kings)
F Elias Lindholm (Bruins)
F William Nylander (Maple Leafs)
F Gustav Nyquist (Predators)
F Elias Pettersson (Canucks)
F Lucas Raymond (Red Wings)
F Mika Zibanejad (Rangers)

D Rasmus Andersson (Flames)
D Jonas Brodin (Wild)
D Rasmus Dahlin (Sabres)
D Mattias Ekholm (Oilers)
D Gustav Forsling (Panthers)
D Victor Hedman (Lightning)
D Erik Karlsson (Penguins)

G Filip Gustavsson (Wild)
G Jacob Markström (Devils)
G Linus Ullmark (Senators)

Reserves: F Mikael Backlund (Flames), D Adam Larsson (Kraken)

As is the case with every other team, the Swedes had 19 spots to fill after naming their first six players – Forsberg, Forsling, Hedman, Nylander, Zibanejad and Erik Karlsson – all the way back in June. That exercise provided a safety net for a player like Zibanejad, who’s struggled heavily for the Rangers this season with five goals and a team-worst -14 rating in 24 games, to remain on the roster.

That meant the goaltending position was technically up for debate heading into the season. Gustavsson and Markström essentially established themselves as locks with their respective hot starts, and they currently sit tied for the league lead in wins among Swedish netminders with 12. Ullmark would have been a popular pick at the beginning of the year after his impressive resume with the Bruins, but after posting a .888 SV% and 5-7-2 record in 15 games with Ottawa, there may have been an opening for someone else, like Flyers up-and-comer Samuel Ersson. However, Sweden will opt to go for the more veteran presence with a longer track record of success, even if this season hasn’t been a smooth one.

Sweden’s skaters, as per usual, are quite a well-rounded group. While their European rival Finland likely has some major question marks on defense, that isn’t the case with Tre Kronor. They boast one of the best stay-at-home defenders in the world in Brodin, top-end offensive threats in Dahlin and Karlsson, and two-way dynamos everywhere else.

The forwards pack some punch as well, although there’s a somewhat notable snub of Sharks winger William Eklund. The 22-year-old Stockholm native, who San Jose selected seventh overall in 2021, is second on the Sharks this season with 23 points in 27 games and is arguably a higher-ceiling option than someone like the more established Arvidsson, a two-time 30-goal scorer who’s battled injury this year and has been limited to five points in 16 games.

NHL Announces Finland’s Roster For 4 Nations Face-Off

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The NHL has confirmed Finland’s 23-man roster for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off in February:

F Sebastian Aho (Hurricanes)
F Joel Armia (Canadiens)
F Aleksander Barkov (Panthers)
F Mikael Granlund (Sharks)
F Erik Haula (Devils)
F Roope Hintz (Stars)
F Kaapo Kakko (Rangers)
F Patrik Laine (Canadiens)
F Artturi Lehkonen (Avalanche)
F Anton Lundell (Panthers)
F Eetu Luostarinen (Panthers)
F Mikko Rantanen (Avalanche)
F Teuvo Teräväinen (Blackhawks)

D Jani Hakanpää (Maple Leafs)
D Miro Heiskanen (Stars)
D Esa Lindell (Stars)
D Niko Mikkola (Panthers)
D Olli Määttä (Utah)
D Rasmus Ristolainen (Flyers)
D Juuso Välimäki (Utah)

G Kevin Lankinen (Canucks)
G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Sabres)
G Juuse Saros (Predators)

As expected, Team Finland will boast an adequately deep forward group led by Barkov, Rantanen, and Aho. The trio has combined for 86 points in 69 games for their respective organizations and should help Finland in the goal-scoring department. There will be a few more question marks toward the bottom of their offensive structure as Armia and Haula don’t necessarily jump off the page as international stars.

Goaltending won’t be an issue unless Saros is injured at any point during the event. He’s been objectively elite for the last nine years, collecting 188 wins in 353 starts (.532 W%) with a .917 save percentage and 2.63 goals-against average. Toss in four finishes in the top-five of Vezina Trophy voting and Team Finland has one of the most consistently good goaltenders over the last decade. It’ll be interesting to see whom the Finnish coaching staff tabs as their backup netminder given that Lankinen and Luukkonen are enjoying relatively similar seasons.

The real question marks for Finland lie on the blue line. Heiskanen is the only above-average puck-moving defenseman on the roster as he’s scored 24 goals and 140 points in his last 174 games in Dallas. The rest of the defensive group is comprised of ’shutdown’ defensemen or at the very least defensemen not known for their offensive prowess.

Finland’s objective may have been to build their roster from the crease. Saros has been a top goaltender regardless of the defensemen playing in front of him and his skill may be even more highlighted with an entire group of defensive defensemen in front of him. If they keep the games close, Finland could succeed by relying on the abovementioned forwards to score clutch goals.

Evening Notes: Team USA, Annunen, Misa

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Chris Johnston of TSN’s Insider Trading reported tonight that it appears Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield and Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson will not be a part of Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Both Caufield and Thompson have had strong starts to the season but were reportedly left off the roster as Team USA prioritized experience over young skill.

It’s a tough decision for Team USA, but one that makes sense given that the players they chose will be a better fit in the team’s bottom six forward group. Johnston floated the names of Vincent Trocheck, Chris Kreider and Brock Nelson as the players likely to make the team over Caufield and Thompson.

In other evening notes:

  • The Nashville Predators reportedly tried to acquire goaltender Justus Annunen from the Colorado Avalanche last season in the Yakov Trenin deal (as per Predators reporter Brooks Bratten). The Predators scouts coveted Annunen for quite a while and are thrilled to have him in the fold. The 24-year-old has dressed in 11 games this season with Colorado, posting pedestrian numbers with a 6-4 record and a .872 save percentage. While those numbers certainly don’t jump off the page, Annunen was solid last season in 14 NHL games, posting a .928 save percentage and a 2.25 goals-against average.
  • Jeff Marek of Daily Faceoff tweeted today that Boston University is interested in potential 2025 first-overall pick Michael Misa. The 17-year-old has been tearing up the Ontario Hockey League this season with the Saginaw Spirit, tallying 25 goals and 24 assists in 25 games. The Oakville, Ontario native is in his third full season in the OHL and has registered 76 goals and 104 assists in 137 career OHL games. BU is also apparently interested in Misa’s brother, Luke Misa, who is a Calgary Flames prospect playing for the Brampton Steelheads. Luke is having a nice season in Brampton, scoring 13 goals and adding 19 assists in 24 games.

Flyers Notes: Konecny, Sanheim, Grans, Ersson

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There are only two days until rosters are announced for the 4 Nations Face-Off but we may already have a sneak peek at a couple of players that will play for Team Canada. According to Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff, Philadelphia Flyers’ players Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim will be named to Canada’s roster.

Konecny would be an unsurprising addition to Team Canada. He’s been a point-per-game player for the Flyers over the last three years with 77 goals and 159 points in 161 games and has represented Canada well in the past. Konecny tallied eight assists in 10 games during the 2017 IIHF World Championships and two points in five games for Team Canada’s U20 team during the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championships.

Sanheim’s inclusion on the roster would be an interesting development. Along with increased ice time, his scoring has increased over the last two years but Sanheim’s name typically isn’t mentioned with the top Canadian defenseman. He hasn’t suited up for Team Canada since the 2022 IIHF World Championships when he scored one goal and four points in 10 tournament games.

Other Flyers notes:

  • The Flyers organization announced a small roster move earlier today by loaning defenseman Helge Grans back to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Grans’ demotion could correlate with the return of defenseman Jamie Drysdale or the team may not feel the need to carry eight defensemen on the active roster. The Ljungby, Sweden native tallied one assist over six games with Philadelphia averaging 14:28 of ice time per game.
  • Philadelphia is nearing the reality of a full goaltending trio as Jackie Spiegel of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that goaltender Samuel Ersson was a full participant at today’s practice. Ersson hasn’t played since November 11th due to a lower-body injury. Still, over 11 games with the Flyers this year, he’s managed a 5-2-2 record with a .902 save percentage and 2.70 goals against average.

West Notes: Predators, Gourde, Daccord

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes that the Nashville Predators aren’t looking to move any of their three 2025 first-round picks. The news comes in as the team’s general manager Barry Trotz is reportedly shopping for a center as well as a top-four defenseman with some term left on their contract.

The Predators have had a disappointing start to the season and are currently sitting in the second-last spot in the Western Conference with a 6-11-3 record. The team had high hopes coming into the season after several high-priced free-agent acquisitions. However, it’s easy to see why Trotz is apprehensive to move out any first-round picks to try and salvage this season.

In other Western Conference notes:

  • The Seattle Kraken reportedly want to keep forward Yanni Gourde in Seattle long-term (as per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet).  The 32-year-old has had a slow start to the season with just two goals and five assists in his first 20 games, but that hasn’t deterred the Kraken, who love the player. Gourde is in the final season of a six-year $31MM contract he signed back in November of 2018 while he was a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning and would likely have a hard time matching that kind of deal in free agency. However, if the Kraken wants to keep the two-time Stanley Cup Champion in Seattle, he should still score a lucrative deal once again.
  • Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord is receiving interest from two different countries for two different upcoming tournaments despite not being born in either country. Daccord was born in the United States but is reportedly receiving interest from Team Canada (as per Ken Campbell of The Hockey News) for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off. Daccord’s father was born in Montreal, Canada, while his mother was born in Switzerland, and he is apparently receiving interest from the Swiss team for the upcoming Olympics (as per Friedman). Daccord came out of nowhere last season, dressing in 50 games for the Kraken in his age-27 season. He put up strong numbers last year and has been even better this season, starting out the year with a 9-3-1 record and a .923 save percentage.

Penguins Notes: Karlsson, Crosby, Lizotte

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Former Team Sweden head coach and general manager Johan Garpenlöv had some harsh criticism for Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson and his inclusion on Sweden’s entry to the 4 Nations Face-Off (as per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff). Garpenlöv said that Karlsson’s defensive issues could present a massive problem for the team in a short tournament and doesn’t believe that Karlsson should be a member of the team.

Garpenlöv’s sharp words are certainly inflammatory, and there is no doubt that Karlsson’s defense leaves a lot to be desired. Pittsburgh fans have endured the full Karlsson experience this year as the three-time Norris Trophy winner has looked disinterested and lost on many nights, however, in other games, he has managed to take over and drive the Penguins’ offense to victory.

In other Metropolitan Division notes:

  • Jesse Marshall of The Athletic wrote a very thoughtful and detailed article about the goal-scoring prowess of Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby. Marshall concedes in the article that Crosby won’t go down in history as one of the greatest goal-scorers but belongs in a category all by himself due to the creativity with which he scored most of his soon-to-be 600 career goals. Marshall highlights Crosby’s all-time great backhand shot, his ability to deflect pucks as well as his five-hole shooting, and while none of those skills are Crosby’s alone, he has put a unique twist on each of those skill sets.
  • Penguins forward Blake Lizotte left tonight’s game against the Detroit Red Wings after taking a puck to the face (Twitter link). The injury marks the second time this season that Lizotte has taken a puck to the face off the stick of a teammate as he was concussed by a Kris Letang shot during the preseason, an injury that forced him to miss the start of the regular season. Tonight’s injury came when Lizotte was hit in the face with a Drew O’Connor shot that appeared to hit the visor. Lizotte has been good for Pittsburgh this season, posting two goals in six games and putting up strong possession numbers in a bottom-six role.

Snapshots: Walman, Samsonov, 4 Nations Face-Off

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San Jose Sharks defenseman Jake Walman did not join the team for warmups on Sunday night, indicating that he’ll miss a third-straight game due to team suspension and an upper-body injury, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. Walman returned to top-pair line rushes at San Jose’s Sunday morning practice and was designated as a game-time decision, head coach Ryan Warsofsky shared with Max Miller of The Hockey News. Walman has nine points in 13 games – more than double the scoring of any other Sharks defender.

Despite that, the team opted for the restrained decision, and will instead return Jack Thompson to the lineup for his ninth game of the season. Thompson has four points on the year – second among Sharks defenders – and has generally looked much more the part of an everyday NHL defender. He’s served on San Jose’s second pair, while Henry Thrun is filling Walman’s top-pair spot next to Cody Ceci. Walman is traveling with the Sharks of a four-game road trip kicked off on Sunday night, and will look to instead return on Monday.

Other quick notes around the league:

  • Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Ilya Samsonov has returned to the team’s practices after missing the last three games with an undisclosed injury. There’s been no word on his availability for Monday night’s matchup against Carolina, but his return to practice is nonetheless exciting progress for a Golden Knights team that’s directed all of Samsonov’s minutes to starter Adin Hill. Hill has a 6-2-1 record and .881 save percentage through nine games this season, while temporary backup Akira Schmid has slotted into six AHL games and posted a .885 save percentage. Samsonov’s 3-1-1 record and .906 save percentage in five games should be enough to earn him routine starts when he’s healthy enough to return – a point that seems to be drawing close.
  • Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared on the latest Saturday Headlines segment that rosters for February’s 4 Nations Face-Off will be made public on December 4th, with Sweden and Finland’s coming early in the North American day while Canada and USA will announce theirs that evening. The event stands as the first in what will become a trend of in-season international events during non-Olympic years. It will take place from February 12th to February 20th and features the four of the five most-represented countries in the NHL, excluding Russia. Each country announced their first six players this summer – with Sidney Crosby, Auston Matthews, Erik Karlsson, and Aleksander Barkov among the list of representatives.

Central Notes: Holloway, Kapanen, Makar, Novak, Sissons, Marchment, Vlasic

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In an impressive feat, St. Louis Blues’ forward Dylan Holloway will return to the lineup tonight after leaving the team’s most recent game after taking a puck to the neck (X Link). He left the game on a stretcher and was taken to an emergency department following the incident.

He’s been a solid addition to the Blues this season, as he’s off to the best scoring pace of his career to start the season. Four goals and six points in 13 games don’t necessarily jump off the page but considering he’s only managed nine points in 2022-23 and 2023-24, it’s a good improvement.

Unfortunately for St. Louis, the team will still be without forward Kasperi Kapanen tonight. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reported the projected lineup for tonight’s game and it didn’t include Kapanan meaning he’s likely still recovering from his upper-body injury.

Other Central notes:

  • Marc Moser of the Colorado Avalanche originally reported earlier that defenseman Cale Makar would be a game-time decision for the team’s contest tonight. As it turns out, Makar is expected to play in tonight’s action. Makar left during the second period of the team’s recent game against the Seattle Kraken but returned for less than a minute in the third period. He’s been the team’s best and arguably the league’s best player this season with five goals and 23 points in 13 games.
  • The Nashville Predators are without a few middle-six forwards tonight as the team announced Thomas Novak is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury and Colton Sissons has a similar injury designation. The news will inevitably hurt the Predators in one of their least productive areas as their 2.38 GF/G currently ranks 27th in the NHL.
  • Brien Rea of Victory+ reports that Dallas Stars’ forward Mason Marchment is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. This means that Marchment won’t be in the lineup tonight but could make his return this weekend against the Winnipeg Jets. He’s gotten off to a decent start on the year with two goals and eight points in 11 games.
  • Chicago Blackhawks’ defenseman Alex Vlasic had an impressive defensive season last year with a 90.6% on-ice save percentage in all situations on a basement-dwelling Blackhawks roster. Now that he’s recorded seven assists in 14 games this year, Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus of The Athletic share that Vlasic is now getting outside consideration for Team USA’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off. He played internationally for the United States this past summer recording two assists in eight games in the 2024 IIHF World Championships.

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