NHL Announces Squads for February 2025 'Four Nations Showdown' Competition
Within around two months, the NHL will kick off its first international tournament in approximately nine years, dubbed the 4 Nations Showdown.
Going back to 2016, Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid found themselves on the popular 23-and-under team, Team Next Gen, during the World Cup of Hockey.
But times have certainly evolved.
Now as NHL team captains, Matthews will spearhead Team USA, while McDavid assumes command for Canada at the 2025 event, taking place from February 12th to 20th in Montreal and Boston.
Following the announcement of the initial six players for each national side in June, the complete 23-man squads for the USA, Canada, Sweden, and Finland were unveiled this Wednesday.
There might still be some alterations. Substitutions due to injuries will be permitted up until the commencement of the first match.
Let's delve into the specifics of each team.
United States
Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin heads up Team USA with Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan behind the bench, boasting what is arguably the richest talent pool in the nation's history.
In addition to Matthews, the NHL's three-time scoring leader who racked up 69 goals last year, the U.S. squad features two-time Vezina Trophy victor Connor Hellebuyck in goal and 2024 Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes on defense. Quinn's brother, Jack Hughes, and Vancouver Canucks teammate J.T. Miller also grace the forward ranks, as do Quinn's close friend Brady Tkachuk and his sibling, Matthew Tkachuk.
Guerin selected two players from his Minnesota squad - forward Matt Boldy and defense prodigy Brock Faber. Sullivan will reunite with former Penguin Jake Guentzel, who was shipped away from Pittsburgh at the 2024 trade deadline and will don the stars and stripes for the first time at any level.
Perhaps the most significant absence on the U.S. squad is Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson. The 34-year-old is not only a World Juniors legend and 2014 Olympian, but he's also having an exceptional season with the revived Washington Capitals, with 19 points in 25 games.
On paper, the Americans seem like the team to beat.
Canada
Immediately after the (corrected) Team Canada roster was leaked by TSN's Pierre LeBrun, Chris Johnston, and Darren Dreger, it allowed the hockey-obsessed nation to take in the fact that the list wasn't necessarily Canada's 23 best players overall, but a mix of elite skill, grit, and tenacity that could gain the advantage in the tight three-game round-robin.
This grit is evident, not only in the game of Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand, who was among the first six players named, but also from Stanley Cup champion Sam Bennett, big defensemen Travis Sanheim and Colton Parayko, and Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel, who join first-six forward Brayden Point on a team coached by Tampa Bay's long-time bench boss, Jon Cooper.
The face of Team Canada since his Golden Goal at the 2010 Winter Olympics, Sidney Crosby, is now a veteran, but still an elite forward at age 37.
Much ink has been spilled over the state of Canada's goaltending. GM Don Sweeney chose to go with two Stanley Cup champions in Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill, backed by 2023 world championship gold medalist Sam Montembeault.
Overall, Canada's roster is laden with Cup-winners. Eight of the 13 forwards and five of the seven defensemen have also accrued titles.
After leading the 2024 worlds team as captain, Toronto Maple Leafs stalwart John Tavares did not make the cut. Neither did the NHL's two youngest players this season - 18-year-old Macklin Celebrini or 19-year-old Connor Bedard.
Sweden
The Swedes have proven themselves on the international stage, and their final lineup boasts a harmonious blend of elite scoring abilities, solid defense, and strong goaltending, particularly with Filip Gustavsson performing near the top of every statistical category for goalies this season.
Sweden's youth movement is spearheaded by 2023's second-overall pick, Leo Carlsson, and 2020's fourth-overall pick, Lucas Raymond. In addition to veterans Victor Hedman, Erik Karlsson, and Mattias Ekholm, who returned from the 2016 World Cup roster, the blue-line corps gets a refreshing infusion with some fresh blood, including Stanley Cup champion Gustav Forsling and Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin.
Finland
With only 37 Finnish skaters having played in the NHL this season, Finland had the smallest talent reserve to draw from. However, their players traditionally excel beyond expectation at the international level, and they'll be led by Stanley Cup-winning captain Aleksander Barkov and his Florida Panthers teammates, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, and Nikko Mikkola.
The Finnish defense is anchored by the dominant Miro Heiskanen, and their goaltending depth is solid, with Juuse Saros steering the ship through another impressive season, despite the struggles of his Nashville Predators.
Tickets for all 4 Nations Face-Off matches are available through Ticketmaster.
- In the 2025 4 Nations Showdown, Connor McDavid will lead Team Canada as their captain.
- Bill Guerin is the GM for Team USA in the upcoming 4 Nations Showdown, with Mike Sullivan as their head coach.
- Aleksander Barkov, a captain for the Florida Panthers, will lead Finland in the 4 Nations Showdown.
- Jon Cooper, the long-time bench boss of the Tampa Bay Lightning, will coach Team USA at the 4 Nations Showdown.
These sentences reference the given words within the context provided by the text.
