Six months.
That’s how close, to the day, hockey fans are to seeing best-on-best international action for the first time since 2016.
The inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off fires up Feb. 12, 2025 with the final game set for Feb. 20. With just half a year to go before Canada, Finland, Sweden and the U.S. do battle, we’re using this week to sketch out rosters for all four clubs.
Each squad has already named six players for the tournament and while a large number of other spots are unofficially spoken for, the first half of the 2024-25 NHL season will obviously play a huge role in determining a handful of final additions and cuts.
To get this exercise started, we’ll examine the roster possibilities for one of the event’s co-hosts, Team USA. (Games are being played in Montreal and Boston, by the way).
The best American men’s and women’s basketball players just won Olympic gold in Paris. Is a Stars and Stripes hockey triumph next?
(Players already named to the team are listed in bold).
Forwards
Matthew Tkachuk–Auston Matthews–Matt Boldy
J.T. Miller-Jack Hughes-Jason Robertson
Jack Guentzel-Jack Eichel-Brady Tkachuk
Kyle Connor-Dylan Larkin-Patrick Kane
Extra: Tage Thompson
In the mix: Brock Boeser, Clayton Keller, Alex DeBrincat, Vincent Trocheck, Cole Caufield
The Americans can basically have a 40-goal guy on every line. Boldy has really nosed his way into the conversation thanks to a strong second half this past season. From February on, the only Yanks with more points than Boldy’s 36 were Tkachuk (37) and Matthews (49). It also can’t hurt that he plays for the same Minnesota Wild club that Team USA GM Bill Guerin runs.
Kane’s solid showing — 31 points in 31 games after the All-Star Game — has to have him back in the discussion, especially given his previous big-game experience. Thompson needs a bounce-back season and Boeser needs to show his terrific rebound campaign in this past winter can be repeated. Trocheck had a really strong post-season with the Rangers and could fit as a guy you could plug in at centre or wing on any line.
Defence
Zach Werenski–Charlie McAvoy
Jaccob-Slavin-Brock Faber
Extra: Luke Hughes
In the mix: Jake Sanderson, Brady Skjei, Noah Hanifin, John Carlson
The U.S. has a perfect split of three left-hand and three right-hand shots. The top pair of Hughes and Fox has won two of the past four Norris Trophies (Hughes in June, Fox in 2021). Werenski has had his injury struggles, but his 0.81 points-per-game this past year in 70 contests was third among American D-men behind only Hughes (1.12) and Fox (1.01). Faber is an emerging stud who can push his way onto the squad with a strong start to his sophomore campaign.
Goalie
Extra: Jake Oettinger
In the mix: Thatcher Demko, Charlie Lindgren
Let’s be clear: any of the guys mentioned above — save Lindgren, realistically — could be Team USA’s starter for the tournament. Hellebuyck, by winning the 2024 Vezina Trophy, joins Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky as the only active two-time Vezina winners in the league. It’s certainly his job to lose right now, but we all know the volatile nature of goaltending — even when you’re talking about the best stoppers in the world. Swayman’s strong post-season showing pushes him up the list and surely the Team USA brass will be watching close to see how he fares in his first season carrying a true starter’s workload. Demko’s year came to an incredibly frustrating end with a knee injury that kept him out of all but one of Vancouver’s playoff contests. If healthy, he could absolutely work his way into the crease for this squad.