Brady Tkachuk remembers skipping school to watch his dad play in the 2006 Olympics.
Now it's his turn 鈥� finally 鈥� to play international hockey against the best players in the world.
The Ottawa Senators captain has been named to the United States's roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. He's one of 20 players on Canadian NHL teams set to take part in February's battle between sa国际传媒, the U.S., Finland and Sweden.
鈥淵ou grow up and it鈥檚 Stanley Cup and winning a gold medal. Those are the two goals," Tkachuk said Thursday. "I think I鈥檝e dreamt of an event like this since I was a little kid. I know it鈥檚 still a long way away, but can鈥檛 help just be super excited about it.鈥�
The rosters unveiled Wednesday include the NHL's brightest lights, from Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid and Toronto Maple Leafs sniper Auston Matthews to Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck and Vancouver Canucks blueliner Quinn Hughes.
Many clubs are sending players to different international squads, including the Sens, who'll see Tkachuk play for the U.S. while goalie Linus Ullmark takes the crease for Sweden.
Ullmark was quick to answer when asked whether he planned to trash talk his NHL teammate.
鈥淏uddy, he鈥檒l sucker punch me out of the blue if I do that," he said with a grin. "No, no. I鈥檓 not going to do that. 鈥� But there might be a wink here and there for certain players if I have the opportunity to play.鈥�
The 4 Nations tournament 鈥� set to take place in Montreal and Boston 鈥� is the closest NHLers have come to playing best-on-best international hockey since the 2016 World Cup.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to be really exciting for the players, of course, but the fans," said Matthews. "It鈥檚 been a while since we鈥檝e seen kind of best-on-best like this. It鈥檚 a pretty good precursor for the Olympics the following year. I think everybody鈥檚 really excited. It鈥檒l be fun.鈥�
Now that the rosters have been announced, speculation has turned to details such as which players will skate together and what each country's power play will look like.
鈥淲e were joking around, like, if you鈥檙e a coach sitting in the dressing room, looking at the whiteboard, picking out lines and power plays and combinations and all that, there are so many great options," said Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey, who's on Team sa国际传媒.
鈥淭o get that opportunity, it's definitely something I don鈥檛 take lightly.鈥�
The tournament will replace the 2025 NHL all-star game, but Oilers defenceman Mattias Ekholm believes hockey fans will still get a chance to see the sport's very best.
鈥淚 think every team that鈥檚 in the tournament is pretty much an all-star roster," said Ekholm, who's been named to Sweden's team. "You can look at all the rosters and think whatever you think. But, in my opinion, it鈥檚 going to come down to whoever can get it together the quickest and to the highest level in that short period of time. I mean, you lose the first game and you鈥檙e pretty much out of it, almost.鈥�
Ekholm will be joined on Sweden's squad by regional rival Rasmus Andersson. The Calgary Flames defenceman will partake in international hockey for the first time since the U-18 World Championships in 2014.
From playoffs to parenthood, a variety of factors have barred Andersson from playing in a tre kronor jersey over the past decade.
鈥淚鈥檝e never been able to play (at the senior level) and I鈥檝e always loved playing for my country. It鈥檚 something I never take for granted," he said. "It鈥檚 the first time in 鈥� what 鈥� eight years that it鈥檚 best-on-best. 鈥� I鈥檓 super excited about it.鈥�
Winger Patrik Laine just returned to the Canadiens' lineup on Tuesday, but said he had a feeling he was in the running to make Finland's team.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always really cool to put on that jersey. It鈥檚 always a privilege to be representing our country," he said. "And obviously with these best-on-best events, the World Cup for us didn鈥檛 go too well last time. So we鈥檒l try to get a little redemption this time. I feel like we鈥檝e got a really good team.鈥�
Finland tends to be underrated heading into international hockey play, said Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just a small country from the north there. It's pretty unique that we've produced so many good players," he said. "And just being part of (4 Nations), I think we want to go there with the winning mindset and prove that we're the top country in the world.鈥�
Being tapped for the tournament had some NHLers reminiscing about their favourite memories of watching their country play Thursday.
Canucks centre Elias Pettersson can still vividly recall the gold-medal game where Sweden bested Finland at the 2006 Olympics in Turin.
"I was so fired up watching (Henrik) Lundqvist, I was goalie the next practise," he said. "It brings back good memories and now to be part of this, it's very cool.鈥�
-- With files from Donna Spencer in Calgary.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
