NHL players will soon be participating in best-on-best international competition again. Expect several Golden Knights to be involved.
February’s 4 Nations Face-Off will be a kick-off event, featuring the United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden. It’ll serve as an appetizer to the main course: The 2026 Winter Olympics. The Games will be the first to feature NHL players since 2014.
The Knights already know they’ll be represented in the 4 Nations Face-off, which will take place Feb. 12-20 in Boston and Montreal.
Center Jack Eichel was among the first six players selected for Team USA, while coach Bruce Cassidy will be an assistant on Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper’s Team Canada staff.
It likely won’t stop there. Here are some other Knights players who could get the chance to represent their country:
Canada
Mark Stone
One of the only things stopping Stone from making Team Canada is his health. The Knights captain has played just 136 games the last three seasons thanks to two back surgeries and a lacerated spleen.
If he is healthy, Stone’s defensive value should help him stand out. The right wing is one of the best two-way players in the NHL and has been a finalist for the Selke Trophy for best defensive forward twice.
Still, Canada will have plenty of options. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point and Boston’s Brad Marchand are already on the 4 Nations Face-Off roster.
The team’s other forward options include Toronto’s Mitch Marner, Edmonton’s Zach Hyman, Florida’s Sam Reinhart, Nashville’s Steven Stamkos and Chicago’s Connor Bedard.
Alex Pietrangelo
Pietrangelo, 34, won a gold medal with Canada in 2014. He would love to get a second one.
“It’s great for the game. You’re always trying to grow the game,” Pietrangelo said Feb. 4. “The Olympics is a huge stage. We’ve all wanted to go over there.”
Whether he gets the chance remains to be seen. Pietrangelo turns 35 in January. He scored 33 points last year, his fewest in a full season in his career.
Canada’s blue line, like its forward group, is also stacked.
Colorado’s Cale Makar is on the team’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster. Other options for Canada include Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard, the New York Islanders’ Noah Dobson and Buffalo’s Owen Power. Pietrangelo’s experience and ability to match up against difficult opponents could give him an edge.
“Having played in the Olympics before, it’s a special thing to be a part of,” Pietrangelo said. “Getting to share that experience with the other athletes is something you can never get enough of.”
Shea Theodore
Theodore is another Knights defenseman that could challenge for a spot on Team Canada.
The 29-year-old is more of an offensive option. He scored 42 points last season despite missing 35 games because of a back injury that required surgery.
He’ll have to beat out other worthy contenders for a spot and prove he can stay healthy. Theodore is a pending unrestricted free agent, so he should already be plenty motivated to have a good year.
Adin Hill
The Knights’ No. 1 goaltender is another player with injury concerns. But like Theodore, Hill is entering a contract year and should enter the season determined.
The Knights’ Stanley Cup-winning starter appeared in a career-high 35 games last season, but was once again absent for long stretches because of lower-body injuries.
He’s the team’s unquestioned No. 1 after goaltender Logan Thompson was traded to the Washington Capitals, so Hill will have an opportunity to show Team Canada he deserves to crack the roster.
Each country will likely bring three goaltenders to the 4 Nations Face-Off. St. Louis’ Jordan Binnington and Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner are the two other obvious names for Team Canada.
United States
Noah Hanifin
It would be a fun story if Hanifin and Eichel, who both grew up around Boston, could represent their country together again.
The two played against each other growing up but joined forces on Team USA for the 2015 World Junior Championships and the 2016 World Championship.
Eichel is a lock for the 4 Nations Face-Off and Hanifin could make the team too if he plays like he did down the stretch for the Knights.
The 27-year-old, after being dealt by the Calgary Flames before the trade deadline, joined his new team’s top pair right away and scored 12 points in 19 games.
Hanifin does face stiff competition to make Team USA’s roster. Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes, the New York Rangers’ Adam Fox and Boston’s Charlie McAvoy already have three spots locked down.
Hanifin will compete for one of the available openings with players like Minnesota’s Brock Faber.
Sweden
William Karlsson
Karlsson is as close to a lock as Eichel, despite not being among Sweden’s first six players.
He’s posted back-to-back 50-point seasons while being one of the NHL’s top defensive forwards. That should make him an invaluable player for his country.
Other centers expected to be in the mix for Sweden include Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson, Boston’s Elias Lindholm and Minnesota’s Joel Eriksson Ek. One or multiple of those players could also move out to the wing.
Karlsson said he was disappointed the NHL didn’t send players to the past two Olympics. He’s hopeful he’ll finally get the chance to participate in the event in 2026.
“For sure (I’m excited),” Karlsson said. “It’s about time, but they should’ve done it a lot earlier.”
Contact Danny Webster at [email protected]. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
