Knights sending 7 players to 4 Nations Face-Off

From the moment the concept of the 4 Nations Face-Off was introduced, it seemed a given that the Golden Knights would be heavily featured.

That is, indeed, the case.

The Knights will send seven players to this year’s best-on-best tournament — taking place instead of the NHL’s All-Star Game — to represent the United States, Canada and Sweden. The teams were announced Wednesday.

Center Jack Eichel and defenseman Noah Hanifin will represent the U.S. Canada will send four Knights — goaltender Adin Hill, captain Mark Stone and defensemen Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo — while center William Karlsson will represent his homeland of Sweden.

Finland is the other team in the tournament.

“Whenever you have an opportunity to represent your country, I take a ton of pride in that,” Eichel said Monday. “I think we all feel the same way when it comes to wearing the red, white and blue. It’s going to be super competitive and just a great event for our league in general.”

The 4 Nations Face-Off will be a round-robin tournament from Feb. 12 to 20 in Boston and Montreal, serving as a precursor to the NHL returning to the Winter Olympics in 2026 in Italy. It will be the first time the NHL has representation in the Olympics since 2014 in Sochi.

The Knights’ seven players are the second-most of any team represented in the tournament, trailing only the Florida Panthers (eight).

Eichel was one of the first six players selected for the U.S. when preliminary rosters were announced on June 28. Eichel and Hanifin, both Massachusetts natives, will now share the international stage together for the first time since the 2019 IIHF World Championships.

The Knights will send four players to Team Canada, the most of any team in the league.

Hill was selected as one of the three goalies, joining St. Louis’ Jordan Binnington and Montreal’s Sam Montembeault. It’s Hill’s first international appearance since playing in the world championships in 2021.

The 28-year-old goaltender made a strong charge late to make his case for the roster. After starting slow, he’s gone 5-1-1 in his past seven starts with a .935 save percentage and 1.70 goals-against average.

“You grow up as a child hoping you can put that sweater on one day,” Hill said after posting a 28-save shutout against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.

Stone, who has 21 points in 13 games and hasn’t played since Nov. 6 with a lower-body injury, will make his first appearance for Canada since the 2019 world championships. He and Theodore were on that team that won a silver medal.

Pietrangelo is the only member of this group with Olympic gold experience. He was part of the 2014 Canadian team that won gold in Sochi.

They will join coach Bruce Cassidy, who was named part of Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper’s staff on July 31.

“That’s the best-on-best. To be a part of that staff is a big honor,” Cassidy said Sept. 3. “You’re around great hockey minds. You’re talking hockey with GMs, assistant GMs, coaches, you’re going to be with the best players. For me, I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

Karlsson is representing Sweden for the first time since the world championships in 2016-17.

A native of Marsta, Sweden, Karlsson has turned into an elite two-way center since the Knights took him from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2017 expansion draft. In eight seasons with the Knights, Karlsson has totaled 378 points in 519 games and helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 2023. He played his 700th NHL game Friday against the Winnipeg Jets.

“It would be a great honor, obviously, to be part of Team Sweden with all the best players,” Karlsson said Tuesday. “It would be a huge honor to see my name there.”

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.