Instead of having an All-Star Game this season in the NHL, the league and the NHLPA will be staging the Four Nations Faceoff, which will run from February 12th to February 20th. This is a round robin tournament featuring the national teams of Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States, with the rosters composed of NHL players from all four of those countries.
Each team will play three games, with the top two teams playing in a winner-take-all final. Teams will receive three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime or shootout win, one point for an overtime or shootout loss, and no points for a regulation loss.
The overtime period for the round robin games will be a 10-minute, 3-on-3 sudden death period. If the game is not decided in overtime, there will be a three-round shootout. In the championship game, overtime is held in the more traditional playoff format: Continuous 5-on-5 play in consecutive 20-minute periods until there is a winner.
The first four games of this tournament will be held at the Bell Centre in Montreal, while the final three games, including the championship, will be held at TD Garden in Boston.
Each day, I will break down each team and getting an in-depth look at the rosters, position cores (forwards, defensemen and goaltending), surprises and snubs. Updates to each article may occur to account for potential roster replacements in the case of injuries or withdrawals.
Table of Contents
Background on the United States
Bill Guerin was named the general manager of the United States for the Four Nations Faceoff and the 2026 Winter Olympics. Joining him in the front office are John Vanbiesbrouck as assistant executive director of hockey operations, Tom Fitzgerald, Chris Drury and Bill Zito as assistant general managers, and Chris Kelleher as director of player personnel.
Mike Sullivan was named the head coach of the USA for both competitions, with John Tortorella, John Hynes and David Quinn named the assistant coaches. Auston Matthews was named team captain of the USA, with Charlie McAvoy and Matthew Tkachuk named alternate captains.
Forwards for United States
| Player | Shoots | Birthplace | Team |
| Matt Boldy | Left | Millville, Massachusetts | Minnesota Wild |
| Kyle Connor | Left | Clinton Township, Michigan | Winnipeg Jets |
| Jack Eichel | Right | North Chelmsford, Massachusetts | Vegas Golden Knights |
| Jake Guentzel | Left | Omaha, Nebraska | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| Jack Hughes | Left | Orlando, Florida | New Jersey Devils |
| Chris Kreider | Left | Boxford, Massachusetts | New York Rangers |
| Dylan Larkin | Left | Waterford Township, Michigan | Detroit Red Wings |
| Auston Matthews | Left | San Ramon, California | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| JT Miller | Left | East Palestine, Ohio | New York Rangers |
| Brock Nelson | Left | Minneapolis, Minnesota | New York Islanders |
| Brady Tkachuk | Left | Scottsdale, Arizona | Ottawa Senators |
| Matthew Tkachuk | Left | Scottsdale, Arizona | Florida Panthers |
| Vincent Trocheck | Right | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | New York Rangers |
Not counting the World Juniors, the last championship that the United States Hockey won came in 1996, in that year’s World Cup of Hockey. That year had one of the most impressive hockey teams in America’s history, with the likes of Hall of Famers Chris Chelios, Brian Leetch, Brett Hull, Keith Tkachuk, John LeClair, Mike Modano, Pat Lafontaine, and future general manager Bill Guerin. The one-two punch of Modano and Lafontaine would be hard to recapture with that kind of potency for the Americans. Until now.
Auston Matthews is the clear face of this core, blossoming into one of the best goal-scorers in league history. Jack Eichel, once criticized for being a one-dimensional offensive player, emerged as a two-way superstar under Golden Knights head coach and United States assistant coach Bruce Cassidy, and led the way to their Stanley Cup win. Jack Hughes is a wizard with the puck, whose defense continues to improve, along with Matthews’ defense.
This could be one of the most talented group of scorers the Americans have assembled for an international tournament. The Tkachuk brothers have grit and skill, with Matthew being arguably the most dominant superstar in the league and Brady being similarly tough to play against.
Kyle Connor and Jake Guentzel are pure snipers when they have the puck. Matt Boldy and Dylan Larkin bring more than just added depth, as Larkin and Hughes add a lot of speed into the lineup. JT Miller is the Swiss Army knife that can dominate play at any time, defend, and be the most physical player on the ice.
While there are younger players that could have taken up the last three spots, Guerin decided to go with veteran players who can cash in in their roles and can score. Chris Kreider, even for his regular season struggles, is a valuable asset on the power play and the penalty kill.
Vincent Trocheck and Brock Nelson can be deployed in a variety of roles, playing on both sides of the ice and on both special teams. It’s certainly a choice to leave off some of the younger players from this roster, but at the same time, this is the first group of forwards since at least 1996 that can keep up with Canada talent-wise.
While Canada has some toughness on their roster, United States has even more, and can be deployed any which way. There’s not really much to complain about this core. Some can point out how reliable on defense some of them are, but Mattews and Larkin are better defensively than some give them credit for. They are capable of getting a strong defensive shift as they do an offensive shift.
Defensemen for the United States
| Player | Shoots | Birthplace | Team |
| Brock Faber | Right | Maple Grove, Minnesota | Minnesota Wild |
| Adam Fox | Right | Jericho, New York | New York Rangers |
| Noah Hanifin | Left | Boston, Massachusetts | Vegas Golden Knights |
| Quinn Hughes | Left | Orlando, Florida | Vancouver Canucks |
| Charlie McAvoy | Right | Long Beach, New York | Boston Bruins |
| Jaccob Slavin | Left | Erie, Colorado | Carolina Hurricanes |
| Zach Werenski | Left | Grosse Pointe, Michigan | Columbus Blue Jackets |
While the forwards are coming from different coaching styles and positions, the defensemen should have no problems slotting in with each other. Quinn Hughes is the consensus second-best defenseman in the NHL, being a phenomenal offensive dynamo and has consistently continued to improve defensively too. Adam Fox is also a top 5 defenseman in the league, with strong play on both ends of the ice.
The heavy assumption is that they’ll be paired with Charlie McAvoy and Jaccob Slavin, respectively, who both play very well-rounded defensive games. They’ve both had a rough go so far this season, yet they still are two of the best defensemen in the league. McAvoy can chip in offensively, which is an added bonus.
Slavin’s stats relative to his teammates aren’t eye-popping, but there’s so much dominant play at his own end to not get him on the roster as he has been consistently one of the best, if not the best, defensive defensemen in hockey. Both McAvoy and Slavin’s styles of being shutdown defenders are unique, too.
Zach Werenski is playing the best season of his career and is the biggest key to the success of the Blue Jackets this season. His career has been run down by injuries and bad Blue Jackets teams, but he is now a legitimate candidate for the Norris Trophy, and he has earned this roster spot.
Brock Faber was the runner-up for the Calder Trophy last season behind Connor Bedard, but he is a young defenseman who stepped onto the scene and played more minutes than the rest of his teammates and is a minute-muncher. He can use this experience to step onto the spotlight when it matters, and carrying this momentum to the 2026 Olympics is well worth the roster spot.
Noah Hanifin rounds out this group, and can chime in as a great two-way defender who can be trusted by his teammates. This defensive core is big, mobile, and gifted with each of the defensemen they have on the roster.
Goaltending for the United States
| Player | Catches | Birthplace | Team |
| Connor Hellebuyck | Left | Commerce Township, Michigan | Winnipeg Jets |
| Jake Oettinger | Left | Lakeville, Minnesota | Dallas Stars |
| Jeremy Swayman | Left | Anchorage, Alaska | Boston Bruins |
This is an unreal goaltending trio that can pave the way for victory. Connor Hellebuyck is, without a doubt, the best goaltender in the NHL right now, coming off a Vezina Trophy as only the second active goalie to win the award multiple times.
The scariest part is that he is on pace to set career highs in GAA, save percentage, and possibly wins this season. There are some nights in which opposing teams dominate play offensively, but meet the brick wall sporting the no. 37 polar night blue jersey for Winnipeg. He is on a legendary run that evokes Dominik Hasek flashbacks.
Had it not been for Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger would be the starter for the Americans. While he’s not having the best season of his career, he’s having a bounce back from last season, with a 2.32 GAA and a .912 save percentage right now, and is second in wins in the league, right behind none other than Hellebuyck. He’s in the Vezina conversation almost every season, and he should be in the years to come.
The lengthy injury recovery of Thatcher Demko has him left off the final roster, thus Jeremy Swayman gets the final spot. At the time of the final roster selections, Demko had yet to play, and even so, he’s having a miserable season, to a 3.26 GAA and a .873 save percentage, way off from last season’s stats.
Swayman is faring better, but that’s not saying much when he has a 3.03 GAA and a .895 save percentage as of now. It didn’t help that he missed training camp because of prolonged contract negotiations that went up until just before the season started. While he’s usually a strong netminder, this season hasn’t showed it, but being part of a group that has Hellebuyck and Oettinger could help him get his confidence back and possibly prepare for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Surprises for the United States
Brock Nelson: In the context of the grand scheme of things, Nelson makes a lot of sense. He can play up or down the lineup, at center or the wing, win faceoffs, and play on both special teams. He can post between 14 and 19 minutes per game, and the variety he has at time on ice was not for a lack of effort. He has all those attributes and can also put up at least 30 goals a season, which makes him a great veteran fit on this team.
Noah Hanifin: Hanifin is somewhat of a surprise. The top six defensemen on the United States team were essentially cemented, but the final spot had several candidates. John Carlson is having a resurgent season with the Capitals and was a 2014 Olympian. Jake Sanderson is a promising blueliner with high upside on both ends of the ice. Then you get to Hanifin, who is logging 21 minutes per game with Vegas. While he’s been on and off defensively this season, the front office saw he’s had a good enough reputation to land a spot.
Vincent Trocheck: What was the most likely case for Trocheck to land one of the final roster spots was not only about the Rangers’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals. In a lot of ways, he makes perfect sense. He impacts every element of the game and can play anywhere up or down the lineup. Last season, he was second to Artemi Panarin in total points scored (77 points; 25 goals & 52 assists) and was the Rangers’ leading scorer throughout the playoffs (20 points in 16 games). His performance under the brightest lights only boosted his case for his roster selection.
Chris Kreider: When thinking about name recognition, Kreider makes a lot of sense. He can battle for the loose puck at the front of the net and set himself up for rebounds and deflection goals, especially on the power play. However, he is on pace for his worst offensive season of his career, as his production all over the board is way down from last season, that to say that it’s a far cry from his 2024 season is an understatement.
He did represent the United States in the 2018 IIHF World Championships in which his country took bronze, though there are four factors that likely decided his roster selection: His reputation, his performances when the pressure is highest, the Rangers’ run to the Eastern Conference Final last season, and the fact that Rangers GM Chris Drury is an assistant GM on Team USA. Perhaps this is the stage in which he recaptures that form in which it made him a dangerous net-front presence.
Snubs for the United States
Jason Robertson: At the time of the final roster cuts, some wondered if Robertson played himself off USA’s roster. It’s very hard to imagine that Robertson would not make it to the final cuts on the United States team, and there were even chats and murmurs of him making it to the international team when he put up his second straight 40-goal season in 2023.
Even if his numbers declined to a point per game, which is still a great pace, it was widely assumed that he would make the final cut, but having 12 points in 24 games before the final cuts did not help his case. That said, Chris Kreider did have 10 points in 21 games before final roster cuts. Robertson has since bounced back to scoring 38 points in the 28 games since, bringing his point total up to 50, while Kreider has 18 points at this same point in time.
Cole Caufield: Caufield has cemented himself as one of the better young goal-scorers among US-born skaters in the league, as evidenced by his 25 goals this season, 16 of which came before final roster cuts. However, that masks the fact that he is a defensive liability, as at said final roster cut time, the Canadiens averaged 3.2 expected goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five when he is on the ice.
While he wasn’t going to make it to the top six forward group given the amount of talent, he also wasn’t going to be put in the bottom six, as the USA wanted to have an experienced, defensive-oriented player there. Caufield is not that.
Clayton Keller: Keller is at over a point per game pace and is also coming off back-to-back 30-goal seasons, gunning for his third consecutive such campaign. He has put in the work and time with USA Hockey, with the National Team Development Program, with the World Juniors squad, and competing at the IIHF World Championship.
While he is slightly below average defensively and doesn’t spend a lot of time on the penalty kill, Keller looked like he was the type of player to accept a new role on a team loaded with talent. However, the USA handed that role to someone who is already playing it.
Tage Thompson: Building the most ideal Team USA roster doesn’t necessarily mean that it has to be a roster filled with offensive machines. Don’t get it twisted; Thompson is two seasons removed from a 47-goal campaign and stands tall as a 6’ 6” center who can average a point per game.
While he’s better at five-on-five this season under Lindy Ruff, this is where coaching philosophy clashes with roster building: Defense is not one of his strengths. He is also bad at the faceoff dot and doesn’t kill penalties. While a tall center who can score is nice, the more ideal approach for roster building would be selecting someone who can play up or down the lineup and play a complete 200-foot game.
Overall
The Americans have been waiting for a hockey team like this. In years past, their national teams have had a few scattered star players on offense. This iteration of Team USA has superstars and scoring threats on every line. While the US used to have solid role-playing defensemen, this one has two Norris Trophy winners. Strong goaltending has also been the name of the game for the USA, from Mike Richter to Ryan Miller to Jonathan Quick. But this kind of depth in net has never been seen before.
Even with some veteran role players filling up the last roster spots, this will still get the young guys on the team to adjust their games and their time on ice, and they’ll have to get their chemistry with these vets and mature and keep calm when the lights shine brightest. If the chemistry aligns perfectly here, there’s a realistic chance that a version of this team next year can win their first Olympic gold medal since the famous “Miracle on Ice” team in 1980. The first thing to do, however, is to win the Four Nations Faceoff and show that there is now a tilt in the balance of power in the world of hockey.
Projected Lineups for the United States
Forward Lines
- JT Miller — Auston Matthews — Matthew Tkachuk
- Kyle Connor — Jack Eichel — Brady Tkachuk
- Dylan Larkin — Jack Hughes — Jake Guentzel
- Chris Kreider — Vincent Trocheck — Matt Boldy
- Extra: Brock Nelson
Defense Pairs
- Quinn Hughes — Charlie McAvoy
- Jaccob Slavin — Adam Fox
- Zach Werenski — Brock Faber
- Extra: Noah Hanifin
Goaltenders
- Starter: Connor Hellebuyck
- Backup: Jake Oettinger
- Third String: Jeremy Swayman
Power Play
| First Unit | Second Unit | |
| Quarterback | Quinn Hughes | Adam Fox |
| Left Circle | Jack Eichel | Kyle Connor |
| Right Circle | Jack Hughes | Dylan Larkin |
| Bumper | Auston Matthews | Matthew Tkachuk |
| Net-Front | JT Miller | Chris Kreider |
Penalty Kill
| First Unit | Second Unit | |
| Center | Vincent Trocheck | Auston Matthews |
| Forward | Dylan Larkin | Jack Eichel |
| Left Defense | Jaccob Slavin | Zach Werenski |
| Right Defense | Charlie McAvoy | Adam Fox |
Check out our other Four Nations Face-Off breakdowns:
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