Sweden has chosen Rickard Rakell from the Pittsburgh Penguins for its lineup at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, stepping in for the injured forward William Karlsson of the Vegas Golden Knights.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by Sam Hallam, the head coach of the Swedish national team. Additionally, Samuel Ersson from the Philadelphia Flyers has been added to the team to replace injured goaltender Jacob Markstrom of New Jersey.
Rakell, aged 31, is having an impressive season, leading his team with 23 goals and ranking second with 45 points over 53 games. Karlsson, meanwhile, is nursing a lower-body injury and is currently on a week-to-week recovery plan.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan praised Rakell’s performance this season, highlighting his strong two-way play and physical style. “He’s playing the game the right way… He’s committed to a lot of the subtleties that, in our mind, add to winning,” Sullivan mentioned to reporters in Pittsburgh, expressing happiness for Rakell’s well-deserved selection.
In response to injuries, Finland has also recently made two changes to its defense, with Miro Heiskanen from Dallas sidelined due to knee surgery and Jani Hakanpää from Toronto ruled out. Coaches confirmed that Heiskanen’s recovery is expected to take a month. Henri Jokiharju from Buffalo and Urho Vaakanainen from the New York Rangers will fill their positions on the Finnish squad.
The United States faces its own concerns as both Quinn Hughes of Vancouver and Zach Werenski of Columbus have sustained injuries, which have taken them out of recent games. Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason provided updates on Werenski’s situation, stating, “We’ll continue to evaluate same as we do with everybody that’s hurt or injured.” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet also addressed Hughes’s condition, indicating that while Hughes desired to play, it may not have been the wisest decision considering his injury.
Canada is still in the process of finding a replacement for Alex Pietrangelo, who has withdrawn to recover from an ailment and focus on the rest of the season with Vegas. Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings is among the favored candidates to take Pietrangelo’s position. Doughty, also a two-time Stanley Cup champion, has just returned to play a week ago after recovering from a broken left ankle.
The NHL-run tournament’s practices are set to begin on Monday, with matches scheduled for next Wednesday, February 12, Thursday, February 13, and Saturday, February 15, in Montreal, before moving to Boston for the concluding round-robin games and the championship. The 4 Nations Face-Off is a streamlined event replacing the All-Star Weekend, serving as a precursor to next year’s World Cup of Hockey, ahead of the 2026 Milan Olympics.
