“For friend and foe. For teammates turned rivals.” This year, in lieu of an All Star break, your favorite NHLers are taking over Montreal and Boston for the 4 Nations Face-Off. Advertised as an international best-on-best tournament, the next two weeks will serve as a preview to next year’s Olympic Games in Milan, Italy.
Notably, there are 12 players from local teams taking to the ice for the tournament. Between the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, and Philadelphia Flyers, 12 players will be representing their countries. The New York Rangers are sending six players, the most of these teams. The United States of America will be the most represented out of the four teams, hosting six players from the area.
The Face-Off will follow traditional NHL rules, with a few exceptions. Games will be played five-on-five during regulation in a Round Robin format. A team will earn three points for a regulation win, as opposed to two in the typical format, two points for an overtime win, one point for an overtime loss, and zero points for a regulation loss. (This is the format the PWHL follows.) The two teams with the best record at the end of the tournament will advance to a single game final. In the Round Robin, overtime will consist of a ten-minute three-on-three format, followed by a shootout, if necessary, In the Championship game, the rules of the playoffs take over: 20-minute five-on-five periods until a team scores.
New Jersey Devils
Jesper Bratt (Team Sweden)
Jesper Bratt has been on a heater this season and will likely be a force for Team Sweden. He has 17 goals and 47 assists on the season, with a +9 rating. With 24 power play points, it’s likely that Bratt will feature on the second power play unit for Sweden, as the team appears to be looking to even out their units as opposed to front-loading their top unit.
Erik Haula (Team Finland)
Erik Haula currently has five goals and six assists this season with the Devils. Haula will likely play in the bottom six for Team Finland. During the tournament, look for Haula in key defensive moments in five-on-five play and possibly during the penalty kill.
Jack Hughes (Team USA)
Jack Hughes, star center for the Devils, will play a pivotal role with Team USA in the Face-Off, but likely on the wing. This season, Hughes has 24 goals and 41 assists, with a +11 rating. This season has been a comeback for him after a questionable exist last season due to a shoulder injury. The middle Hughes brother will play on the first power play unit for the US. He has 26 power play points on the season thus far. He is definitely a player to watch, whether you’re rooting for or against him.
New York Islanders
Brock Nelson (Team USA)
Brock Nelson is the only player from the Islanders who will be representing his country, playing for Team USA. Nelson has netted 17 goals and tallied 18 assists this season. He is not the strongest on the power play, only having two points on the advantage this season, and will likely not be featured there. Nelson will likely feature as wing to Vincent Trocheck on the fourth line.
New York Rangers
Adam Fox (Team USA)
Adam Fox will be lending his defensive prowess to Team USA in the tournament. Fox is +6 this season and is one of the Rangers’ top defensive players, especially on the penalty kill. Fox has earned his spot on USA’s top power play unit and will also likely feature on the kill.
Chris Kreider (Team USA)
Chris Kreider has been struggling this season with the Rangers, but perhaps this international tournament is just what he needs to get his spark back. Kreider has 16 goals this season, but a measly four assists. He is also currently at a -6 rating, but has only had three seasons ending in the negative. While Kreider may not have the biggest impact on the tournament, Rangers fans are likely hoping this tournament will have a big impact on the rest of his season.
J.T. Miller (Team USA)
J.T. Miller, a recent acquisition for the Rangers, is likely to be slotted on the third line for Team USA. Miller has eleven goals and 28 assists, but sits at a -4 rating. Miller will be with three other Rangers on Team USA and will hopefully be able to build chemistry and return to the regular season on a high.
Vincent Trocheck (Team USA)
Vincent Trocheck will remain at center for the Face-Off, with a 60.6% face-off percentage this season. Trocheck has 37 points this season, which are pretty evenly split between goals and assists, with 17 and 20, respectively.
Urho Vaakanainen (Team Finland)
Another new addition to the Rangers and the 4 Nations roster, Urho Vaakanainen will help out Team Finland’s defense. Vaakanainen has a +2 rating currently. The new Blueshirt is projected to play on Finland’s second pairing with a teammate he is comfortable with, Jusso Valimaki.
Mika Zibanejad (Team Sweden)
Mika Zibanejad, like Kreider, has been struggling this season, but has already shown more passion with participation in the tournament. This season, Zibanejad has 11 goals and 26 assists, but has been a hindrance to the Rangers’ defensive play. This tournament will be a chance for Zibanejad to find his footing and joy for hockey again, which will hopefully help boost his regular season play.
Philadelphia Flyers
Samuel Ersson (Team Sweden)
The only goaltender on this list, Samuel Ersson will replace Devils’ goaltender Jacob Markstrom for Team Sweden. Ersson has a 2.81 goals against average and an .896 save percentage this season. Ersson is likely to be the third-string goalie for Team Sweden, but will hopefully have the opportunity to make an impact and continue to boost his confidence in net.
Travis Konecny (Team Canada)
Travis Konecny will join a very strong offensive team with Team Canada. Konecny has been having a great season for the Flyers thus far, scoring 22 goals and 39 assists. He will likely fall to the fourth line with Team Canada though, due to the overwhelming offensive presence Canada is showing up with. Konecny has 14 power play points, so it wouldn’t be a shock if he gets some time on the man-advantage.
Travis Sanheim (Team Canada)
Travis Sanheim currently has 27 points this season but only has a -6 rating. Once again, this Canada team is extremely strong, so Sanheim is currently not listed to play in the team’s first game on Wednesday, February 12. Sanheim has two power play points and two short handed points, so he should not be counted out.
The tournament is shaping up to be exciting and a good preview for the Olympics, with Team Canada and Team USA predicted to be front runners for the championship title.
The 4 Nations Face-Off begins on Wednesday, February 12, and will continue through Thursday, February 20.
