USA and Canada Finalize Rosters for 4 Nations Face-Off
Team USA
Quinn Hughes, the Vancouver Canucks’ defenseman, will miss the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament due to a lower-body injury. Hughes, who has 59 points in 54 games this season, would have been one of Team USA’s top scorers. He will be replaced by Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson.
Hughes’ brother, New Jersey Devils forward Jack, will still participate in the tournament.
Team Canada
Sidney Crosby, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ captain, has been cleared to play in the tournament after missing the final two games of the Penguins’ regular season with an upper-body injury. Crosby, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Cup of Hockey champion, will center a line with fellow Nova Scotian Nathan MacKinnon and Mark Stone.
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty will replace Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo on Team Canada. Pietrangelo will remain home to rest an injury. Doughty, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, has one assist in six games this season.
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen will not participate in the tournament due to an injury. He will be replaced by Ottawa Senators defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo.
Tournament Details
The 4 Nations Face-Off will be held in Montreal from Wednesday, February 15th to Sunday, February 19th. The tournament will feature the United States, Canada, Finland, and Sweden.
Team USA’s first game is scheduled for Thursday, February 16th against Finland. Team Canada will open the tournament on Wednesday, February 15th against Sweden.
Key Players
Team USA
- Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils (forward)
- Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (forward)
- Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes (forward)
- Jake Sanderson, Ottawa Senators (defenseman)
- Adam Fox, New York Rangers (defenseman)
Team Canada
- Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins (forward)
- Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche (forward)
- Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights (forward)
- Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings (defenseman)
- Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens (defenseman)
Tournament History
The 4 Nations Face-Off was first held in 1997. The United States has won the tournament the most times, with six titles. Canada is second with four titles. Finland and Sweden have each won the tournament once.
The tournament is an important opportunity for the participating teams to prepare for the IIHF World Championship, which will be held in Riga, Latvia from May 12th to June 6th.
