Alright, folks. We've had our fun watching the Super Bowl (unless you're from Kansas City or a Taylor Swift fan). Now it's time to shift the ol' attention to the 4 Nations Face-Off, which is coming up. The festivities start on February 12, where four nations (I know, total shocker) will square off for bragging rights and country pride.
Who are these four nations, you ask? Well, there's obviously the United States and Canada. You can't have a hockey tournament with these two countries brawling it out. There's also Finland and Sweden, two other hockey powerhouses. Vegas Golden Knights fans will see Jack Eichel (19 goals, 50 assists) at the event as he was named one of the primary players.
But he's not alone in the festivities. Four other Golden Knights are joining him to represent their respective countries. Unfortunately, William Karlsson and Alex Pietrangelo aren't one of those players. Karlsson (lower-body injury) was recently put on LTIR while Pietrangelo is gearing up for another Stanley Cup run while healing an ailment.
So who are the four other representatives? Fans know about Eichel and what he's done this season, tying the franchise record for single-season assists. Of course, he's also the franchise's marquee player and represents everything the Golden Knights stand for. Therefore, it shouldn't shock anybody that the forward got the call. Still, let's meet the other representatives and see what they'll bring to the table for their respective countries.
Mark Stone, Canada
While the upcoming tournament will have Eichel representing the United States (cue Free Bird by Lynard Skynard), Mark Stone has a Canadian Goose as his free bird. Still, the Winnipeg native does have 14 goals and 35 assists this season, making him one of the more valuable Golden Knights forwards. He also carries a shooting percentage of 16%, a Corsi of 56%, and a Fenwick of 58%. It's easy to see why he was selected for the 4 Nations Face-Off, for he adds to the deep forward group for Canada.
Adin Hill, Canada
This one is a bit more surprising than Mark Stone considering how pedestrian Hill's stats are. He has a save percentage of .900 and a GAA of 2.64, adding another warm body to the Canadian goaltending unit. While Team Canada needs better goaltending (*cough* *cough* Logan Thompson *cough*), the Calgary native does have a goals saved above expected of 8.8. Therefore, he brings some value to the Canadians.
Shea Theodore, Canada
On the other hand, there's Shea Theodore scoring monster numbers with the Vegas Golden Knights. Team Canada's goaltending might not be as strong as the United States's unit. However, their blue line has plenty of strong names, including the British Columbia native. Theodore has 41 assists this season through 55 games, marking a career-high for the 29-year-old. Canada will get an excellent puck-moving defenseman who's also strong on special teams.
Noah Hanifin, United States
There isn't much that stands out with Noah Hanifin and being on the United States roster. The other Golden Knights representatives either filled a need or were extremely good. But this season hasn't been that for the Boston native. He has six goals and 17 assists in 2024-25, making him, well, just there. At least he's playing alongside his buddy, Jack Eichel, though.