Team USA’s Matthew Tkachuk Suffers Lower-Body Injury
Team USA finally broke their losing streak against Team Canada on Saturday, emerging from the sides’ first meeting in over nine years with a closely-fought 3-1 victory. But the win has come at a cost, as top-line winger Matthew Tkachuk has been announced as out with a lower-body injury, head coach Mike Sullivan told NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. Sullivan made no indication of if Tkachuk would be available for USA’s Monday matchup against Team Sweden. The game will be relatively low-stakes given USA has already clinched a championship spot, which could offer Tkachuk a timely break.
It wasn’t clear when Tkachuk suffered his injury. He played his final shift with 12 minutes remaining in the third period and stayed on the bench for the rest of the game. Tkachuk appeared to be nursing his right leg as he skated to the bench – and skated around during the final TV timeouts – though it’s not clear if that’s the site of his new injury. A few minutes after his last shift, Tkachuk appeared to tell Sullivan and assistant coach John Tortorella that he wouldn’t be able to play.
Tkachuk has been the energizer for Team USA through their first two games. He scored two goals and added an assist in the country’s 6-1 routing of Team Finland, and kicked off the matchup against Canada with a fight off the opening draw. He’s added four hits – and also leads the tournament in high-danger shots on goal per NHL Edge. Tkachuk has spent the first two games glued to America’s top line, rotating between pairings with Jake Guentzel and Auston Matthews; and Brady Tkachuk and Jack Eichel. His fluid role of high-scoring bruiser will be a tough one to fill knowing that USA’s extra forward is New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider – who has just six hits in 47 NHL games this season.
Tkachuk’s absence could kneecap Team USA headed into the 4-Nations championship, but his long-term health must be top priority. He ranks second on the Florida Panthers in scoring this year, with 22 goals and 57 points in 52 games placing him just five points behind Sam Reinhart. Tkachuk also ranks third on the team in penalty minutes, likely part of why he’s averaged just 18 minutes of ice time all year. Tkachuk scored 22 points in 24 games of Florida’s Stanley Cup run last season. His presence will be pivotal to the team’s chances at a repeat.
Quinn Hughes Won’t Play In 4 Nations Face-Off, Jake Sanderson Named To Team USA
A third and arguably best defenseman has bowed out of the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off. The Vancouver Canucks announced defenseman Quinn Hughes would miss the international tournament due to injury. Shortly after, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirmed that Jake Sanderson of the Ottawa Senators would replace Hughes on Team USA’s roster.
Hughes’ departure from Team USA’s roster follows on the heels of Dallas Stars’ defenseman Miro Heiskanen and Vegas Golden Knights’ defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. Both blue-liners are dealing with injuries (the former recovering from knee surgery) and have already been replaced on Team Finland and Team Canada.
With all due respect to Heiskanen and Pietrangelo, the Canucks captain is the highest-profile name to be removed from the competition. He’s missed the last four games for Vancouver due to a hand injury and the team is prioritizing their playoff hopes over Hughes’ participation in the tournament.
Although Heiskanen may ultimately be more valuable to his team, that’s only a testament to Team USA’s defensive depth. Hughes, who won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league’s best defenseman only one year ago, has scored 31 goals and 151 points in his last 129 regular-season games. The native of Orlando, Florida, last represented Team USA at the 2019 IIHF World Championships. If he does not play for the United States’ World Championship team this upcoming summer, he’ll have to wait until the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan to compete again.
Replacing Hughes on the roster is Ottawa’s Sanderson, who last played for Team USA in the 2024 IIHF World Championships. The Whitefish, MT native is only two and a half years removed from debuting in the NHL scoring 19 goals and 105 points in 211 career games. Given the rest of the talent on Team USA’s blue line, Sanderson should represent the team’s seventh defenseman although he’ll likely play in a handful of games.
Canucks Notes: Miller, Trade Chatter, Hughes
In today’s episode of ’32 Thoughts’ with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Vancouver Canucks and their recent trade activity were the center of attention. Friedman originally broke the news that the Canucks were trading forward J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers on Friday night, and Friedman provided even more context to the move.
Friedman reported that a players-only meeting happened during Vancouver’s early road trip to Florida in mid-October. This meeting addressed the rift between teammates Miller and Elias Pettersson. While the Sportsnet insider did not disclose which players led the discussion, the focus was on encouraging Miller and Pettersson to improve their relationship for the team’s betterment.
Ultimately, Miller’s relationship with Pettersson didn’t significantly improve, prompting him to take a month-long leave of absence. Friedman noted that when Miller returned in mid-November, the Vancouver organization had committed to trading him at some point this year.
The news from Friedman contradicts many of the reports surrounding Miller in December. In early December, Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic reported the Canucks had publicly asserted they wouldn’t be trading Miller, and that he wouldn’t be requesting a trade from Vancouver.
As things turned out, Miller was indeed on the chopping block, being sent to the Rangers for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a protected 2025 first-round pick. Vancouver quickly moved the first-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins later that evening to acquire Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor. Friedman believes that will be the only first-round pick the Canucks will trade this season.
After last night’s overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings, Vancouver is 23-18-11 through 52 games and is two points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Given their status as a bubble team at the moment, the Canucks’ first-round pick has a higher value than most prospective buyers as it could realistically become a lottery selection by the end of the year.
The Canucks are aware of this and have reportedly told interested teams they have no interest in moving their first-round pick unless they have a comfortable spot in the standings by the trade deadline. Vancouver traded their 2024 first-round pick to the Calgary Flames last season in the package for Elias Lindholm making it the first time since 2021 that they hadn’t made a first-round selection.
Vancouver’s position as a playoff contender may impact captain Quinn Hughes‘ participation in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off starting next week. Hughes suffered a hand injury in the team’s recent game against the Dallas Stars, keeping him out of the lineup of last night’s contest. Friedman noted in his podcast that although no decision has been made, Vancouver could ask to withdraw from the tournament with Team USA to focus solely on getting healthy for their playoff run.
As arguably the team’s top defenseman, it would be a major blow to the American’s odds of winning the tournament. Still, Team USA has an easy choice for his replacement should he bow out in Washington Capitals’ blue liner, John Carlson.
Big Hype Prospects: Hagens, McKenna, Reber, Hynninen
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.
USA Hockey Announces 2025 WJC Roster
Dec. 19: Emery, Fiddler, Pelosi and Spellacy didn’t make the cut. The rest of the names on the list below will comprise the Americans’ contingent at the tournament.
Dec. 2: The United States is on gold medal defense in the IIHF World Junior Championship for the first time since 2021. Excitement continues to build for this year’s rendition of the event and the team has announced its 28-man preliminary roster.
General manager John Vanbiesbrouck and head coach David Carle will have to trim three players from the preliminary roster before official rosters are due. The tournament will run from December 26, 2024, to January 5, 2025, in Ottawa, Canada. Team USA will play in Group A alongside Canada, Germany, Finland, and Latvia.
Will Smith of the San Jose Sharks is the biggest name left off the list of available age-eligible players from last year’s team. Smith was flat-out electric for the team last year scoring four goals and nine points in seven games but the Sharks organization has decided not to loan him back for this winter’s tournament.
Team USA will bring 10 members of last year’s gold-medal team present at this year’s camp. This year’s preliminary roster is as follows:
F Austin Burnevik (Ducks, 2024, 182nd overall)
F Trevor Connelly (Golden Knights, 2024, 19th overall)
F Cole Eiserman (Islanders, 2024, 20th overall)
F James Hagens (2025 draft-eligible)
F Ryan Leonard (Capitals, 2023, 8th overall)
F Oliver Moore (Blackhawks, 2023, 19th overall)
F Danny Nelson (Islanders, 2023, 49th overall)
F Chris Pelosi (Bruins, 2023, 92nd overall)
F Gabe Perreault (Rangers, 2023, 23rd overall)
F AJ Spellacy (Blackhawks, 2024, 72nd overall)
F Teddy Stiga (Predators, 2024, 55th overall)
F Brandon Svoboda (Sharks, 2023, 71st overall)
F Carey Terrance (Ducks, 2023, 59th overall)
F Joey Willis (Predators, 2023, 111th overall)
F Brodie Ziemer (Sabres, 2024, 71st overall)
D Zeev Buium (Wild, 2024, 12th overall)
D EJ Emery (Rangers, 2024, 30th overall)
D Blake Fiddler (2025 draft-eligible)
D Paul Fischer (Oilers, 2023, 138th overall)*
D Drew Fortescue (Rangers, 2023, 90th overall)
D Logan Hensler (2025 draft-eligible)
D Cole Hutson (Capitals, 2024, 43rd overall)
D Adam Kleber (Sabres, 2024, 42nd overall)
D Aram Minnetian (Stars, 2023, 125th overall)
D Colin Ralph (Blues, 2024, 48th overall)
G Trey Augustine (Red Wings, 2023, 41st overall)
G Sam Hillebrandt (went undrafted in 2023, 2024)
G Hampton Slukynsky (Kings, 2023, 118th overall)
* Fischer was originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 2023
Poll: Which Team Will Win The 4 Nations Face-Off?
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!
USA Announces Roster For 4 Nations Face-Off
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.
Evening Notes: Team USA, Annunen, Misa
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.
Sharks May Loan Will Smith To Team USA For World Junior Championships
The United States could be getting a major boost in its quest to repeat as gold medalists for the first time in the tournament’s history. Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News shared earlier that the San Jose Sharks may loan rookie forward Will Smith to Team USA for this year’s tournament.
Team USA didn’t have any player with NHL experience on their roster last year although several had already been drafted. The potential move would be similar to Matthew Poitras‘ situation from last season when the Boston Bruins loaned him to Team Canada after putting 27 NHL contests under his belt.
It wouldn’t be the worst idea for Smith’s long-term development, either. He’s gotten off to an unexpectedly slow start this season, with two goals and three points in 13 games while averaging 13:46 of ice time per game. Much of this concerns how head coach Ryan Warsofsky has deployed him to start the year.
Smith has primarily played on a line next to Barclay Goodrow and Luke Kunin, with the trio combining for a dismal 23.8% xGoals% according to Moneypuck. The only line that Smith has worked particularly well with has been with Goodrow and Ty Dellandrea who’ve combined for a team-best 70.0% xGoals%. Unfortunately, they have only managed a little over 16 minutes together.
Smith would quickly become an early favorite to lead the tournament in scoring should he join Team USA. He tied for ninth in scoring during last year’s tournament with four goals and nine points over seven games while finishing the NCAA season with Boston College scoring a whopping 25 goals and 71 points in 41 contests.
After struggling out of the gates to begin his NHL career, the former-fourth overall pick of the 2023 Draft could use a confidence boost. It’ll be difficult for the Sharks to manufacture anything better for Smith than having him help his home country pursue back-to-back gold medals in the highly regarded junior tournament.
Central Notes: Holloway, Kapanen, Makar, Novak, Sissons, Marchment, Vlasic
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.