The NHL 4Nations Faceoff will feature four national teams competing on the ice. The teams representing Sweden, the United States, Canada, and Finland are set to participate in the tournament, which is set to take place from February 12th to 20th at TD Garden in Boston and Bell Centre in Montreal. Earlier today, the four teams revealed the initial selection of 6 players each who will represent their countries. The rest of the lineup, comprising 23 NHL players (20 skaters and three goalies), will be announced later this year.
Canada has decided the initial six players who will represent them in the tournament, as outlined below:
F Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
F Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche)
F Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
D Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche)
F Brad Marchand (Boston Bruins)
F Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
A three-time Stanley Cup champion, having won the title in 2009, 2016, and 2017, Crosby ranks 10th on the all-time points list with 1,596 points (592 goals, 1,004 assists) achieved in 1,272 games. He was chosen as the first overall pick by the Penguins in the 2005 NHL Draft. In 82 games this season, Crosby topped the Penguins roster with 94 points, consisting of 42 goals and 52 assists. Crosby has been highly decorated in his career, having won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player twice (2006-07, 2013-14), the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s scoring leader twice (2006-07, 2013-14), and the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs twice (2016, 2017). Crosby clinched the gold medal for Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics with a game-winning goal. He played a key role in securing consecutive victories at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. He earned the MVP title at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey for his outstanding performance, emerging as the top scorer in the competition.
Nathan McKinnon (Colorado Avalanche)
Like Crosby, MacKinnon was chosen as the No. 1 pick in his draft class and was selected by the Avalanche in the 2013 NHL Draft. Since then, he has amassed an impressive total of 899 points (335 goals and 564 assists) across 791 regular-season games. Additionally, he has recorded 114 points (48 goals and 66 assists) in 88 playoff games. His contributions included 24 points (13 goals and 11 assists) in 20 games during the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup victory in 2022. This season, MacKinnon finished second in the NHL and established a franchise record by accumulating 140 points. He topped the league in even-strength points with 92, multi-point games with 44, and shots on goal with 405. Additionally, he achieved at least one point in each of his first 35 home games. He was recently awarded the 2023-24 Ted Linsey Award and Hart Trophy at this year’s NHL awards ceremony.
Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
McDavid has been the leading point scorer in the NHL playoffs this season with a total of 42 points, consisting of eight goals and 34 assists, achieved over 25 games. His outstanding performance has been instrumental in the Oilers’ journey to the Stanley Cup Final, marking their first appearance in the final round since 2006. Notably, McDavid made history by becoming the sixth player to receive the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs MVP despite being part of the losing team. His remarkable 34 assists set a new record for the most assists by a player in a single playoff run, surpassing the previous milestone held by Mario Lemieux, who had 44 points (16 goals, 28 assists) in 23 games while playing for the Penguins in 1991.
Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche)
Selected by the Avalanche as the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, Makar has accumulated an impressive 336 points (86 goals and 250 assists) in 315 regular-season games. In the playoffs, he has contributed 80 points (21 goals and 59 assists) in 72 games. Makar was ranked second among NHL defensemen this season with 90 points (21 goals and 69 assists) in 77 games, and he also recorded 15 points (five goals and ten assists) in 11 playoff games.
Brad Marchand (Boston Bruins)
Marchand was drafted by Boston in the third round of the 2006 NHL Draft, as the 71st pick. Throughout his career, Marchand has accumulated a total of 929 points, with 401 goals and 528 assists in 1,029 regular-season games. In playoff games, he has earned 138 points from 56 goals and 82 assists in 157 games. Marchand contributed 19 points, including 11 goals and eight assists, in 25 games that led the Bruins to victory in the Stanley Cup in 2011.
Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Selected by the Lightning in the third round (No. 79) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Point has amassed 553 points (264 goals, 289 assists) in 580 regular-season games and 87 points (42 goals, 45 assists) in 87 playoff games. Notably, he contributed a total of 56 points (28 goals, 28 assists) across 46 games to help the Lightning secure back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2021. This season, Point ranked second on the Lightning with 90 points (46 goals, 44 assists) in 81 regular-season games and recorded five points (two goals, three assists) in five playoff games.
All seven matches in the 4 Nations Face-Off will adhere to NHL rules. Each team will compete in three tournament games utilizing a Round Robin format. Teams will earn 3 points for a regulation victory, 2 points for an OT/shootout win, and 1 point for an OT/shootout loss. The top two teams, based on their performance, will progress to the Final Championship Game.
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