Three Canadiens players going to 4 Nations but two were snubbed

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With part of the NHL’s first 4 Nations Face-Off being played in Montreal, Canadiens fans will get the chance to cheer on a few familiar faces when the tournament gets underway this February.

However, it appears that some of the Canadiens’ top talents will have the week off.

Full team rosters for Sweden and Finland were announced on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Canada and USA’s lineups have already been leaked by insiders like Pierre LeBrun and Frank Seravalli.

With that in mind, here are the Habs players who got their country’s call and others who probably deserved to.

Canadiens players who made the cut

Sam Montembeault (Canada)

Goaltending is shaping up to be Canada’s biggest question mark heading into the tournament, and Sam Montembeault just barely secured his spot behind Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill.

With no definitive starter named, the Habs’ starter could see an opportunity to shine as Canada looks for stability in the crease.

Joel Armia (Finland)

After a rocky start to the season, Armia has been limited to a bottom-six role with Montreal, but his versatility and defensive reliability earned him a spot on Team Finland’s roster nonetheless.

While his scoring touch has cooled, Finland’s management clearly values the 31-year-old’s experience.

Patrik Laine (Finland)

Shortly after Armia’s selection, Canadiens forward Patrik Laine was also named to Finland’s roster.

Though he has played just one game this year due to a preseason injury, Laine’s impressive career résumé — including over 200 NHL goals — made him an easy choice for the Finns.

The tournament could also serve as a chance for the sniper to shake off any additional rust that came with being sidelined for so long.

Habs players who were snubbed

Nick Suzuki (Canada)

Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki was one of the biggest surprises left off Canada’s roster.

Known for his reliable two-way play, leadership, and consistent offensive production, many expected the 25-year-old to at least be a healthy scratch for the team.

While numbers aren’t everything, Suzuki has had 26 points in 25 games this season, outscoring several forwards who did make the cut, including:

  • Sam Bennett 24 points, 25 GP
  • Anthony Cirelli – 23 points, 23 GP
  • Mark Stone – 21 points, 13 GP
  • Brayden Point – 21 points – 19 GP
  • Brad Marchand – 18 points, 27 GP
  • Seth Jarvis – 16 points, 18 GP

But with Canada’s stacked forward group, Suzuki was seemingly the odd man out in a roster full of firepower and experience.

Cole Caufield (USA)

Currently third in the NHL scoring race, Canadiens winger Cole Caufield has been on fire this season, with 16 goals in 25 games.

That kind of production was probably hard for Team USA GM Bill Guerin to overlook when assembling his star-studded lineup. but he ultimately did.

We can only assume that since Caufield may not have seen top-six minutes behind the likes of Auston Matthews and the Tkachuk brothers, he was ultimately left off of the stacked American squad.

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