Sweden and Finland finalized their teams for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off on Wednesday, incorporating several players who recently won the Stanley Cup. This strategy aims to achieve success in the first international tournament featuring top NHL players since 2016.
Finland’s roster features Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, and Niko Mikkola from the Florida Panthers, along with Colorado Avalanche’s Artturi Lehkonen, as they rounded out their final 17 selections. On the other hand, Sweden has chosen William Karlsson from the Vegas Golden Knights and boasts an impressive goaltending lineup, which includes Filip Gustavsson from Minnesota, Jacob Markstrom from New Jersey, and Linus Ullmark from Ottawa, who recently claimed the 2023 Vezina Trophy after being traded by Boston.
The Swedish Hockey Federation leaned towards experienced players for their defense, including Mattias Ekholm from Edmonton and Jonas Brodin from Minnesota, while also featuring young captain Rasmus Dahlin from Buffalo. The roster showcases a blend of youth and experience, with 19-year-old center Leo Carlsson from Anaheim and 22-year-old winger Lucas Raymond from Detroit also making the cut.
Finland’s selection strategy involved adding some key role players to support Nashville’s Juuse Saros in goal. Notable inclusions are Joel Armia from Montreal and Mikael Granlund from San Jose, who is enjoying a resurgence in his career with the Sharks. Granlund expressed his enthusiasm for playing on the national stage, noting that competing for Team Finland is a significant milestone in a player’s career.
The United States and Canada are set to announce their rosters later today. The tournament will take place from February 12-20 and involves a round-robin format, with the top two teams competing in the final. This tournament will have its initial portion hosted in Montreal followed by the second half in Boston.
Since the NHL did not take part in the 2018 Olympics in South Korea and also withdrew from the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing due to pandemic-related issues, this event marks the first country-versus-country men’s tournament featuring the best players since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Initially intended for last winter, the event was postponed to 2025 due to concerns over participants from Russia amidst its conflict with Ukraine, allowing only four nations to compete.
In late June, the first six players for each country were announced, with standout selections for the U.S. including Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, and others; Canada’s roster highlighted stars like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid; Sweden’s lineup included prominent names such as Mika Zibanejad and Viktor Hedman; while Finland’s team featured Aleksander Barkov and Mikko Rantanen.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman expressed enthusiasm about the players’ eagerness to compete on the international stage, highlighting the importance of representing their countries. With the NHL committed to participating in the 2026 Olympics in Milan and subsequent events in 2030, the league and Players’ Association aim to establish a schedule for international tournaments every even-numbered year, including World Cups planned for 2028 and beyond.
