Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill both boast Stanley Cup rings.
Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman don’t have one between them.
Binnington and Hill aren’t world-beaters but they have been winners — and there is something to be said for that. Yes, they had good teams in front of them with Vegas in 2023 and St. Louis in 2019, respectively — and they will again with Team Canada at the Four Nations Face-Off in February. That will be the best team either of them have played behind.
Neither inspire the confidence of Carey Price or the golden era of Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy, whose rings were blocking out the noise from Jeremy Roenick during their hilarious rivalry that ranged from Canada-USA international clashes to Colorado-Chicago playoff battles.
We needed a good laugh before getting serious about the Four Nations, which could come down to goaltending. And, on paper, wouldn’t favour Canada at that position.
Rings aside, Hellebuyck is the reigning Vezina winner as the NHL’s top goaltender. He has two of those trophies on his resume from 2020 and 2024.
Oettinger and Swayman would both be starters for Canada if their passports had the Maple Leaf. A healthy Thatcher Demko would also be a shoo-in for Canada’s crease. That is four American goaltenders better than the best Canadian, arguably.
If this short-but-sweet tournament is decided by the masked men, smart money might be on the States. Canada will still be the betting favourite but the Americans are hardly underdogs, with Sweden and Finland facing longer odds as perceived also-rans.
Everyone has February 15th circled on their calendar — that is Valentine’s Day for the boys this year. Canada versus the United States on a Saturday night from the Bell Centre in Montreal. It doesn’t get any better than that. Well, not until the championship rematch on Thursday, Feb. 20 at TD Garden in Boston.
With respect to Sweden and Finland, everyone will want to see Canada-USA face off twice in this showcase. It might not be Olympic gold at stake — not until the following February in Italy — but there will be plenty of pride and bragging rights when that rivalry is renewed.
With only four teams and without Russia represented, it doesn’t feel like a true best-on-best tournament, but it promises to be must-see TV when the puck drops between the Canadians and Americans, with so many stars in their prime on both sides.
Again, it could come down to goaltending. Can Hellebuyck, or whoever, stop Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby?
MacKinnon and the Avs shelled and steamrolled Hellebuyck in last year’s playoffs. McDavid has lit him up a time or two over the years as well.
Crosby scored the last meaningful golden goal way back in 2010 and just netted his 600th in the NHL. Those three are in the midst of Hall of Fame careers. Hellebuyck likely needs a ring and/or the right medal to make his case.
This tournament could be telling, whether Hellebuyck or another American goaltender can deliver a statement performance towards their legacy.
Or will it be another chapter in Canadian supremacy?
The winning goal from this tournament won’t have the same magnitude but will set the stage for the 2026 Olympics when NHLers make their long-awaited return. A decision on Russia’s participation is expected this February or March.
For now, the focus is on the Four Nations Face-Off. And mostly on how the Canadians match up against the Americans.
The rosters were announced this week but there will be injuries between now and February 12th, so those lineups are subject to change.
Of course, the immediate reaction was outrage over the snubs — largely limited to those NHL fan bases anticipating their star players on these star-studded rosters — but it’s difficult to debate the decisions with the amount of talent available to both North American powerhouses.
John Tavares, Dougie Hamilton and Stuart Skinner couldn’t even crack the all-snub team for Canada. If healthy, Matt Barzal would have been in the mix. Bo Horvat couldn’t have been that far off but apparently they are on an island. Or those Islanders were voted off the island.
Reality is, the talent pool is as deep as ever for both countries — outside of Canada’s goaltending, but that horse has taken enough of a beating here.
Looking at the depth charts and potential lineup combinations, you wouldn’t want to be a goaltender for either country. This could be a high-scoring, highly entertaining tournament!
So how will Jon Cooper and Mike Sullivan line them up? Let’s play armchair coach, starting with Canada.
FORWARDS
Bennett-McDavid-Reinhart
Crosby-MacKinnon-Marner
Marchand-Point-Konecny
Hagel-Cirelli-Stone/Jarvis
DEFENCEMEN
Toews-Makar
Theodore-Pietrangelo
Morrissey-Parayko/Sanheim
GOALTENDERS
Binnington
Hill
Montembeault
You can mix and match those forward lines however you see fit, but Bennett grew up as McDavid’s minor hockey linemate and Reinhart is a high-IQ finisher, much like Zach Hyman in Edmonton. Bennett and Reinhart aren’t linemates in Florida but they play the same system there and could get on the same page with McDavid relatively fast.
Crosby and MacKinnon are offseason besties who would love to be paired for this tournament, with Marner’s skill-set seemingly a nice complement. Marner is quicker than Marchand and the better playmaker to set up those shooters. Marchand might have more chemistry there, forming an all-Maritimers line.
Point and Konecny could click as a pairing, flanked by Marchand or Stone for a veteran presence.
You could sell me on Marner with McDavid and Reinhart, Marchand with Crosby and MacKinnon, and Bennett with Point and Konecny. Those lines would be potent too.
Hagel and Cirelli are linemates for Cooper in Tampa, so expect them to stick together as a checking line that brings energy. Jarvis would be fun with them, but that would result in Marchand or Stone as the extra forward.
No complaints with that lineup but cases can be made for Mark Scheifele, Steven Stamkos and Nick Suzuki or a healthy Robert Thomas to replace Jarvis, Hagel and Cirelli. With a different coach, Suzuki or Thomas likely make it over Cirelli, but Cooper obviously trusts him and got his guy on the team. Scheifele and Stamkos are vets who have repped Canada at every level, so their omissions are glaring, along with the aforementioned Tavares, but Cooper clearly wants to play fast and feisty with these roster decisions.
For the record, Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini aren’t ready for this level of competition. They are both still eligible to represent Canada at the World Juniors, so their time will come. Don’t rule them out for the Olympic roster if they become dominant drivers by this time next year.
On defence, it’s all about familiarity for the Top 4 with proven pairings from Colorado and Vegas. Morrissey is a two-way stud, Parayko has shutdown ability, and Sanheim is quietly having a stellar season. Sanheim’s emergence earned him a spot over a bigger name like Aaron Ekblad, while Noah Dobson and Evan Bouchard were beat out by Parayko as more of a specialist with size and some bite. Parayko has a Cup ring too, along with the Top 4, and a history of winning under pressure is important.
How about those Americans, how could they stack up?
FORWARDS
Connor-Matthews-J. Hughes
B. Tkachuk-Eichel-M. Tkachuk
Boldy-Larkin-Guentzel
Kreider-Miller-Nelson/Trocheck
DEFENCEMEN
Q. Hughes-McAvoy
Slavin-Werenski
Faber-Fox
Hanifin
GOALTENDERS
Hellebuyck
Oettinger
Swayman
That might not be Sullivan’s plan but Auston Matthews centering Jack Hughes and Kyle Connor would be a lethal combination. Same with Jack Eichel between the Tkachuk brothers, Matthew and Brady. That top six could certainly engage in a fire fight with their Canadian counterparts. The Americans would more than hold their own in that run-and-gun scenario.
The bottom six is comparable too, especially if J.T. Miller returns to form ahead of this tournament. Larkin and Boldy could be productive with Guentzel. Miller would anchor a hard-driving line with Kreider and Nelson that wouldn’t be fun to play against. Trocheck is their Swiss Army Knife, capable of slotting in anywhere as the extra forward.
In saying that, many would have taken Tage Thompson, Clayton Keller and Jason Robertson over Trocheck, Kreider and Nelson. The Americans sacrificed some offence for experience in those decisions. If they fall a goal short in the end, again, that debate will be reignited but their top nine should light the lamp enough to alleviate those concerns. The Americans could really fill the net as a force to be reckoned with from top to bottom.
Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy would be a dynamic duo on defence. Slavin and Werenski would be quite the pairing too. As would Faber and Fox. Hanifin looks like the odd man out on that back end and Jake Sanderson maybe should have been along for the ride here as he trends up for their Olympic team.
Compare and contrast until the cows come home, but we are in for a treat with this tournament and that Canada-USA matchup.
At risk of committing treason, the Americans might truly be the team to beat here. Agree or disagree?
Fishbowl Sports 
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