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Team Canada

Sidney Crosby, Mikko Rantanen Healthy For 4 Nations Face-Off

February 10, 2025 at 6:11 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 2 Comments

Team Canada is celebrating after just one practice for the 4 Nations Face-Off, following news that international superstar Sidney Crosby will be good to go when Canada kicks off the tournament on Thursday, per Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic. This news comes after Crosby missed the Pittsburgh Penguins’ last two games with an upper-body injury. He practiced in full at Canada’s Monday skate, serving on the team’s second line and filling the net-front role on the top power-play unit. Crosby also serves as Canada’s captain, as he has at the country’s last three international events with NHL talent.

Team Canada will be at relatively full strength with news of Crosby’s health. The team has no shortage of superstar talent – boasting Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Cale Makar, arguably the three top players in the NHL. But the Canadian crest doesn’t shine the same without Crosby being part of the group. His international highlights are enough to satisfy an entire career. Crosby famously scored Canada’s “Golden Goal” at the 2010 Winter Olympics to pull the country ahead of Team USA in the Gold Medal game. He had seven points in seven games in that tournament and added three more in six games of the 2014 Olympics, where Canada repeated their Gold Medal win with a team led in scoring by Shea Weber and Drew Doughty. Crosby has only appeared in two international events since that second gold, netting 11 points in nine games of the 2014 World Championship and scoring 10 points in six games of the 2016 World Cup. His presence and international track record will make Canada the country to beat early in this year’s tournament.

The shorthanded Team Finland has received similarly bright news, with Finnish coach Antti Pennanen sharing that Mikko Rantanen will join the team for their first game against Team USA per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. That’s a key bit of news with defensemen Miro Heiskanen, Jani Hakanpää, and Rasmus Ristolainen ruled out for the event due to injuries, leaving them with names like Nikolas Matinpalo and Urho Vaakanainen on their blue line.

Rantanen has represented Finland at every step of his pro hockey career. He appeared in two World Juniors with Finland in 2015 and 2016, totaling nine points in 12 games and captaining the team in the latter tournament. Rantanen also represented Finland at the 2016 World Championship, marking the first of four appearances at the international tourney. He’s totaled 31 points in 31 World Championship games and stands as potentially Finland’s biggest scoring threat at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Rantanen’s role in the lineup isn’t yet clear, but he will likely support the team’s top line and top power-play unit next to Aleksander Barkov and one of Sebastian Aho, Mikael Granlund, or Artturi Lehkonen.

4 Nations Face-Off| Carolina Hurricanes| Injury| NHL| Pittsburgh Penguins| Players| Team Canada| Team Finland Mikko Rantanen| Sidney Crosby

2 comments

Drew Doughty Named To Team Canada For 4 Nations Face-Off

February 9, 2025 at 8:05 am CDT | by Josh Cybulski 2 Comments

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty has officially been named to Team Canada for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off (Twitter Link). The veteran defenseman will serve as the injury replacement for Vegas Golden Knights defender Alex Pietrangelo, who opted to withdraw from the tournament.

The 35-year-old has had a decorated international career, winning two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada in 2010 and 2014, and is also a two-time Stanley Cup Champion with the Kings having won titles in 2012 and 2014.

Doughty himself just returned from injury a few weeks ago after he suffered a broken left ankle in an exhibition game back in September. He missed 47 games due to the injury and was expected to miss most of the regular season. However, he returned to practice in mid-January ahead of schedule before returning to game action in late January. The injury likely kept Doughty’s name off the initial roster for Team Canada, but with Pietrangelo not playing Doughty will have an opportunity to add to his career accomplishments.

Since returning to the lineup, Doughty has suited up in six games for the Kings, posting a single assist, nine blocked shots and seven hits. While those numbers aren’t in line with his typical production, Doughty has slowly ramped up his play after struggling in his first two games back. Doughty was -4 in the two games after his return but has settled in the last three games, posting the nine blocked shots and a +3 plus/minus.

The Kings have leaned heavily on Doughty thus far as he has averaged 26:57 of ice time per game, including 31:09 in last night’s shootout loss to Anaheim.

4 Nations Face-Off| Los Angeles Kings| Team Canada Alex Pietrangelo| Drew Doughty| Team Canada

2 comments

Sidney Crosby Out Day-To-Day With Upper-Body Injury

February 7, 2025 at 11:45 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 4 Comments

Feb. 7: Crosby is day-to-day and won’t play against the Blueshirts, head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters, including the team’s Josh Getzoff. However, his availability for the 4 Nations Face-Off is still uncertain and would certainly be feasible given his short-term designation.

Feb. 6: Crosby skated before practice Thursday but was not a full participant, Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. It’s still unclear if he’ll play in tomorrow’s game against the Rangers.

Feb. 5: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is still being evaluated for the upper-body injury he sustained in yesterday’s shootout loss to the Devils, head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed to reporters Wednesday.

Crosby got shaken up midway through the third period of the contest when he was caught between New Jersey skaters Erik Haula and Luke Hughes shortly after disposing of the puck. He didn’t leave the game but wasn’t available to practice today, Sullivan said.

An absence of any length ends Pittsburgh’s increasingly slim playoff hopes, which dropped to 0.9% after the shootout loss. They’re 4-5-1 in their last 10 games and seven points back of a playoff spot but have played three more games than the eight-place Lightning. They’ve been buoyed by their offense amid below-average defense and bottom-five goaltending, and the 37-year-old Crosby leads the pack as their only point-per-game player with 58 in 55 appearances.

Crosby continues to serve as the team’s undoubted MVP, averaging north of 20 minutes per game and winning 56.1% of his draws. He may have a -15 actual rating, but his possession numbers rank among the team’s best at even strength with a 53.4 CF% and +2.6 expected rating. Cody Glass is the only Penguin to post better numbers in both stats.

He hasn’t missed a game due to injury since a concussion kept him out of Game 6 of their 2022 first-round series against the Rangers. The Pens are also without No. 2 mainstay Evgeni Malkin, leaving Glass and Kevin Hayes as their projected top-six centers against the Blueshirts on Friday if Crosby can’t go.

The three-time Stanley Cup winner was also recently named captain for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, which begins next week. He’d leave a huge hole on the Canadian squad, whose captaincy would presumably be filled by Connor McDavid if he can’t participate in the tournament.

4 Nations Face-Off| Injury| Newsstand| Pittsburgh Penguins| Team Canada Sidney Crosby

4 comments

Canada’s Alex Pietrangelo Withdraws From 4 Nations Face-Off

January 26, 2025 at 4:51 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 12 Comments

The Vegas Golden Knights have announced that top defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has chosen to withdraw from the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off to tend to what they describe as an “ailment” and prepare for the remaining season.

Pietrangelo has appeared in 46 of Vegas’ 49 games this season, having missed six days of action with an upper-body injury in November. He’s otherwise been as consistent as they come, averaging nearly 23 minutes of ice time and serving roles on both of Vegas’ special teams. He ranks second among the team’s blue-line in scoring with 25 points in 46 games, confidently behind Shea Theodore’s 44 points. Pietrangelo also ranks second on the team in blocked shots with 87. Even at the age of 35, Pietrangelo has continued to serve in a premier role for the Golden Knights.

Pietrangelo was named to Team Canada’s 4-Nations Face-Off roster on December 3rd, alongside Golden Knights teammate Theodore and former St. Louis Blues teammate Colton Parayko. The trio made up half of a blue-line that also featured Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Josh Morrissey, and Travis Sanheim. With Pietrangelo opting to withdraw, Canada will have to go back to the drawing board to find their final defender. Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard, New Jersey’s Dougie Hamilton, and San Jose’s Jake Walman lead all available options in NHL scoring.

The reasons for Pietrangelo’s withdrawal seem unclear. He has shown no signs of injury through the recent stretch and has even recorded an assist in four of Vegas’ last five games. Pietrangelo is also signed through the end of the 2026-27 season, giving him a reasonable chance at making Team Canada’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics with a strong showing at the 4-Nations tournament. But he’ll now back out to keep his sights on Vegas’ success.  The Golden Knights currently rank third in the Western Conference and fourth in the NHL with 64 points. They seem clearly in sight of a playoff berth, where they’ll get a chance to chase their second Stanley Cup in the last three years. Pietrangelo also won a Cup in St. Louis.

Injury| NHL| Newsstand| Team Canada| Vegas Golden Knights Alex Pietrangelo

12 comments

Matthew Schaefer Likely Out Two to Three Months With Broken Collarbone

December 28, 2024 at 11:05 am CDT | by Brennan McClain Leave a Comment

Last night’s World Junior matchup between Team Canada and Team Latvia had severe implications beyond a round-robin matchup. Hockey Canada announced top defenseman and prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft, Matthew Schaefer will miss the remainder of the World Junior Championships due to an injury suffered yesterday evening.

TSN draft analyst, Bob McKenzie added more context to the injury this morning sharing that Schaefer suffered a broken collarbone and will likely miss the next two to three months of action. Hockey Canada has replaced Shaefer with Vancouver Canucks’ prospect Sawyer Mynio and could still add Seattle Kraken prospect Carson Rehkopf to secure a full 25-man roster.

Schaefer was already a top-five prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft heading into the season but his play to start the year had some mock drafts moving him up to the first overall selection. He’s scored five goals and 22 points in 17 games for the OHL’s Erie Otters while managing a +21 rating. He’s a solid skating defenseman with size and has displayed an exceptional hockey IQ this season in Erie.

Given his maturity and responsibility on both sides of the puck, there’s no question why Schaefer was considered a top prospect for the upcoming draft. Unfortunately, given that he’ll miss time on the world stage with Team Canada and a few months in the OHL, this injury likely nixes any chance for Schaefer to be selected with the first overall pick.

The injury shouldn’t move him too far down the draft board as there’s recent precedent for teams selecting players after injury-riddled draft years. The St. Louis Blues selected defenseman Adam Jiříček with the 16th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft after missing most of the season due to a knee injury. Given that Schaefer has a much higher ceiling than Jiříček it’s safe to say he’ll still be a top-five selection.

2025 NHL Draft| Injury| Team Canada Hockey Canada| Matthew Schaefer| NHL Draft

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Big Hype Prospects: Hagens, McKenna, Reber, Hynninen

December 25, 2024 at 3:36 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 5 Comments

The top flight of the World Junior Championships kicks off on Thursday. This year brings a wealth of strong international teams to Ottawa, Canada to face off against a loaded Team Canada roster. The last two tournaments hosted in Canada have both ended in a Canadian gold medal. The red-and-white will look to repeat those results this year, adding to their record-setting 20 titles. Team USA will look to curb that by becoming the first country other than Canada to win back-to-back golds since Russia in 2002 and 2003. With so much on the line, we’ll borrow a page from MLB Trade Rumors’ Big Hype Prospect series to bring you four must-watch players this tournament.

Four Big Hype Prospects

James Hagens, C, Boston College (NCAA Hockey East, 2025 NHL Draft)
16 GP – 5 G – 15 A – 20 P – 4 PIM – +15 +/-

This year’s World Juniors will be headlined by 2025 NHL Draft talent. Nearly every team has a top prospect to showcase. Canada seems set to award Matthew Schaefer and Porter Martone – strong candidates for first-overall – with strong lineup roles. Sweden is bringing electric scorer Victor Eklund, younger brother of 2021 seventh-overall pick William Eklund. Even Slovakia is joining in, bringing Tomas Pobezal after a dazzling start to his second pro season. But of the many draft prospects looking to stake their claim, it seems Team USA star James Hagens has the most to prove.

Hagens has been electric for the BC Eagles this season. He’s seamlessly filled the hole between Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard that William Smith vacated in his move to the NHL. It took Hagens a small while to find his footing, but he’s fired on all cylinders as of late – with four goals and nine points in his last seven games. He’s been dynamic in all regards, but now faces the battle of proving his case for first-overall against a loaded Canadian offense. Hagens ended his last international stint – last season’s World U18 Championships – with a record-breaking 22 points in just seven games. But the wind seems against him, especially after the dazzling showing that Schaefer and Martone had at the CHL/NTDP matchup. Hagens may need to bring generational offense to this tournament as well if he wants to hang onto the top-of-the-draft hype he’s built over the last few seasons.

Gavin McKenna, F, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL, 2026 NHL Draft)
30 GP – 19 G – 41 A – 60 P – 8 PIM – +24 +/-

It’s not every year that looming draft talents make up so much of the World Juniors’ starring cast. This year, hockey fans get an even richer scene, with superstar 2026-prospect Gavin McKenna set to support the host city. Where Hagens set the U18-Championship scoring record last Spring, McKenna set the tournament record for players playing up a year – with 20 points in seven games. He’s another truly dynamic star, with an incredible ability to create space and beat goalies with speed and poise. McKenna, who turned 17 last week, has had to earn his way into Canada’s lineup during pre-tournament action. He started as the extra forward, then went without any scoring in back-to-back games when he received hardy minutes. But with a goal in Canada’s final pre-tourney matchup against Czechia, McKenna made it clear that he’s ready for a productive tournament. Canada features a lot of exciting offensive ability this year. Calum Ritchie brings near-pro-level playmaking, while Berkly Catton, Bradly Nadeau, and Easton Cowan have earned  plenty of NHL hype. But it will be McKenna that paves his road ahead with this tournament – as he looks to join the ranks of Canadian legends Connor Bedard, John Tavares, and Sidney Crosby with a dazzling World Junior showing in his age-17 season.

Jamiro Reber, C/LW, HV71 (SHL, 2025 NHL Draft Overager)
25 GP – 7 G – 7 A – 14 P – 2 PIM – -5 +/-

Representing central Europe in the upcoming NHL Draft will be a shared task, but 18-year-old Jamiro Reber should carry plenty of attention early on. He’s been a surprise showing in Sweden’s SHL, working his way into HV71’s middle-six after starting the year in the U20 league. He’s a stout, two-way forward who’s earned his keep with his ability to work with his linemates and finish plays in front. But now, he’ll join Team Switzerland in an uphill battle at this tournament. Reber has just one point in seven international friendlies with Switzerland’s U20 team this season – matching his scoring in five World Junior games last season. The pair of showings line up with Reber’s tendency to score less internationally – when he’s leaned on as a star play-driver. This tournament will be the chance to buck that trend on the heels of a red-hot start to his pro career – and how he takes to the role could be a big sway in Switzerland’s success.

Topian Hynninen, C/LW, Jukurit (Liiga, 2025 NHL Draft Overager)
32 GP – 7 G – 17 A – 24 P – 2 PIM – 0 +/-

While Reber represents central Europe, Topias Hynninen will look to bring the attention of NHL scouts back to Scandinavia. The flashy forward was also overlooked in last year’s draft after netting a measly nine points in 43 games as a Liiga rookie. That lack of scoring landed him off of the World Junior roster, despite three points in five World U-18 games in 2023. But Hynninen has taken to the year of learning well. He’s launched himself into Jukurit’s top-six and scored 24 points in 32 games along the way – tied for second-most on the team. He’s shown talent all over the ice, using fast and tireless skating, gritty hitting, and heads-up offense to gel with his linemates at even-strength and on the man-advantage. Hynninen has already scored six points in seven games with Team Finland this season, and could be set for a smash tournament after a year-long absence from any notable tournaments. He’s shown an ability to either drive play himself from the middle-lane, or support his linemates from the flanks – and could be called upon for both as Finland fights for their place in a crowded top-end. He’ll be heavy-utilized, and a strong tournament could land him a high selection at next year’s Draft.

2025 NHL Draft| Big Hype Prospects| CHL| Liiga| NCAA| Players| Prospects| SHL| Team Canada| Team Finland| Team Switzerland| Team USA| WHL Gavin McKenna| James Hagens| Jamiro Reber| Topias Hynninen

5 comments

Hockey Canada Announces 2025 WJC Roster

December 13, 2024 at 4:30 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 7 Comments

Dec. 13: Canada has confirmed its roster for the tournament. Among the cuts were Ratzlaff, Allen, Brunicke (injured), Barkey, Cristall, Heidt, and Wood. Players like Sennecke and the Flames’ Zayne Parekh, who were added mid-camp due to injuries, were left off the final roster.

Dec. 2: Team Canada will look to rebound in a major way at this year’s IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa. The Canadian U20 failed to medal for the first time since 2019 in last year’s event and they’ll now look to rediscover their magic back on home ice.

Hockey Canada announced their 32-man preliminary roster earlier today and will have to cut seven players before the tournament begins. The 2025 World Junior Championship will run from December 26, 2024, to January 5, 2025. Team Canada will play in Group A alongside Germany, Finland, Latvia, and the United States.

One notable name left off this year’s roster is the recent third-overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, Beckett Sennecke. It’s uncommon to see such a high draft pick left of his country’s roster, especially considering Sennecke hasn’t aged out and wouldn’t have to be loaned from his NHL club.

There are still numerous exciting names up for consideration. Team Canada’s preliminary roster is as follows:

F Denver Barkey (Flyers, 2023, 95th overall)
F Cole Beaudoin (Utah, 2024, 24th overall)
F Mathieu Cataford (Golden Knights, 2023, 77th overall)
F Berkly Catton (Kraken, 2024, 8th overall)
F Easton Cowan (Maple Leafs, 2023, 28th overall)
F Andrew Cristall (Capitals, 2023, 40th overall)
F Ethan Gauthier (Lightning, 2023, 37th overall)
F Riley Heidt (Wild, 2023, 64th overall)
F Tanner Howe (Penguins, 2024, 46th overall)
F Jett Luchanko (Flyers, 2024, 13th overall)
F Porter Martone (2025 draft-eligible)
F Gavin McKenna (2026 draft-eligible)
F Bradly Nadeau (Hurricanes, 2023, 30th overall)
F Luca Pinelli (Blue Jackets, 2023, 114th overall)
F Carson Rehkopf (Kraken, 2023, 50th overall)
F Calum Ritchie (Avalanche, 2023, 27th overall)
F Matthew Wood (Predators, 2023, 15th overall)
F Brayden Yager (Jets, 2023, 14th overall)*

D Cameron Allen (Capitals, 2023, 136th overall)
D Beau Akey (Oilers, 2023, 56th overall)
D Oliver Bonk (Flyers, 2023, 22nd overall)
D Harrison Brunicke (Penguins, 2024, 44th overall)
D Sam Dickinson (Sharks, 2024, 11th overall)
D Andrew Gibson (Predators, 2023, 42nd overall)**
D Tanner Molendyk (Predators, 2023, 24th overall)
D Sawyer Mynio (Canucks, 2023, 89th overall)
D Caden Price (Kraken, 2023, 84th overall)
D Matthew Schaefer (2025 draft-eligible)

G Carson Bjarnason (Flyers, 2023, 51st overall)
G Carter George (Kings, 2024, 57th overall)
G Jack Ivankovic (2025 draft-eligible)
G Scott Ratzlaff (Sabres, 2023, 141st overall)

* Yager was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2023
** Gibson was originally drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 2023

Team Canada World Juniors

7 comments

Morning Notes: Lemieux, Cowan, Fowler

December 9, 2024 at 9:33 am CDT | by Josh Cybulski Leave a Comment

Former Carolina Hurricanes forward Brendan Lemieux has signed a contract with HC Davos, matching a report earlier this week that the 27-year-old would move overseas to continue his career. The Hurricanes and Lemieux mutually split this past week, allowing him to move to Switzerland to play in the National League. Lemieux spent this season with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, making $775K on a one-way deal. It was the first time Lemieux was in the AHL since the 2017-18 season, and the former second-round pick was struggling offensively, with just two goals in 12 games.

As for why Lemieux chose to go overseas, it does appear that he was chasing a new opportunity. Derek O’Brien of The Hockey News writes that Lemieux has signed for the rest of this season as well as two additional years.

In other morning notes:

  • Hockey Canada tweeted that Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan will attend the team’s selection camp but won’t participate for precautionary reasons. The news caps off an eventful, albeit difficult couple of days for the 19-year-old. Cowan recorded a point for the 56th consecutive game on Friday, unofficially setting an OHL record, but was injured a short time later by an open-ice hit. In a corresponding move, Team Canada added Anaheim Ducks prospect Beckett Sennecke to their selection camp. The 2024 third-overall pick has 21 goals and 23 assists in 26 OHL games this season and has 14 points over his last four games.
  • It’s being reported that the Anaheim Ducks were hoping to include defenseman Cam Fowler in the trade to acquire Jacob Trouba (as per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet). Fowler has been looking for a trade for quite some time, but the Rangers wanted to keep flexibility for this year and next and wouldn’t have realized much savings if they were to add Fowler’s $6.5MM cap hit. Friedman notes that the Ducks and Fowler are looking for a solution to their situation that will help both the team and the long-time Ducks veteran. The 33-year-old Fowler has been a perennial 40-point player for most of his career but has struggled this season with just three assists in 14 games.

Anaheim Ducks| Carolina Hurricanes| OHL| Team Canada| Toronto Maple Leafs Brendan Lemieux| Cam Fowler| Easton Cowan| Hockey Canada

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Poll: Which Team Will Win The 4 Nations Face-Off?

December 7, 2024 at 9:53 am CDT | by Brennan McClain 5 Comments

We are nearly two months away from the start of the 4 Nations Face-Off. NHL players from Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States will compete in the best-on-best matchup for an in-season tournament from February 12 through 20th, 2025. Rosters were recently released on December 4th and each country has a reason to be optimistic about their chances.

Canada objectively has the most star power on their roster and it’s not close. Most teams have trouble dealing with Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid on any given night and he’ll now be joined by the likes of Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Mitch Marner, and Cale Makar, among others, in the lineup. The only question mark for Team Canada will be in the crease as the combination of Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, and Sam Montembeault have only combined for an approximated .900 SV% for their respective clubs this season.

One team’s weakness is another team’s strength. The United States will deploy the trio of Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, and Jeremy Swayman in the net giving them an automatic chance to win every game. Team USA should be able to spread the wealth on offense by separating the trio of Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, and Kyle Connor onto their lines and allowing the puck-movers on defense to lead from the blue line. There were some notable absences from Team USA’s eventual roster but it’s tough to count them out of any game with their impressive conglomeration of netminders.

Team Sweden won’t have nearly the same star power on offense as their North American counterparts but does arguably have the tournament’s best blue line. Erik Karlsson, Victor Hedman, Rasmus Andersson, and Rasmus Dahlin are more than capable puck-moving defensive while Mattias Ekholm, Gustav Forsling, and Jonas Brodin are some of the best shutdown defensemen in the league. Sweden’s success in this tournament will be directly correlated with their defensive core.

Rounding out the group is Team Finland who will be bringing one of the stingiest groups to Montreal and Boston. Finland’s success will be connected to how well they can keep games close between their respective counterparts. Sebastian Aho, Aleksander Barkov, and Mikko Rantanen will be relied upon for most of Finland’s offense. Opposing teams will run into annoyance with Finland, having to beat Juuse Saros after getting through a staunch defense.

The rosters can and likely will change based on the health and availability of players heading into the tournament but the final group will look similar to how they are constructed today. Now the crystal ball is being passed to you — who do you think will win the 4 Nations Face-Off in February? Vote below!

Mobile users, click here to vote!

4 Nations Face-Off| Polls| Team Canada| Team Finland| Team Sweden| Team USA

5 comments

Canada Announces Roster For 4 Nations Face-Off

December 4, 2024 at 5:46 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 18 Comments

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.

4 Nations Face-Off| Newsstand| Team Canada

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