Hurricanes back to work, but keeping an eye on 4 Nations Face-Off championship game
The Carolina Hurricanes are back on the ice for practice, with four excused absences.
Sebastian Aho and Mikko Rantanen have finished up play with Team Finland in the 4 Nations Face-Off event and are getting a little time off. As for Seth Jarvis and Jaccob Slavin, they still have some 4 Nations work to do: compete in the championship game Thursday night at Boston’s TD Garden.
Slavin has been one of the steadiest, most complete players for Team USA and the defenseman should get a lot more minutes Thursday in prime time. Jarvis was made a healthy scratch for Team Canada for Monday’s game, a victory over Finland, but the winger could be back in the lineup Thursday.
The rest of the Canes were at Invisalign Arena on Tuesday and Wednesday, skating, sweating, preparing to jump start their season with a road game Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Much of the locker-room talk after practice centered on the 4 Nations tournament and the Canes’ foursome. The event has been anything but like a glorified NHL All-Star game, filled with intensity and players risking injuries – and a few sidelined by them – for the sake of their countries.
“It has been great hockey and fun to watch,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “It should be an exciting final game.”
And the winner?
“No idea,” Brind’Amour said, grinning. “Someone from North America. You play that game a hundred times and it’s probably 50-50. We’ll see.”
Brind’Amour said he has not been that nervous about an injury to his four guys.
“Maybe nervous when you watch your guys play half the game,” he said. “That gets you a little antsy.”
Slavin has been used a lot by Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Slavin and Charlie McAvoy of the Boston Bruins teamed up and were at their defensive best in the 3-1 win over Canada on Saturday, although McAvoy now has been ruled out of the championship game with an upper-body injury.
Slavin has been showcased a bit during the tournament, drawing raves from the TV announcers and others in the media covering the 4 Nations over the smart, efficient way he handles his position. He also has shown his physical willingness, banging a few bodies and at one point Saturday doing a stick battle with Sidney Crosby of Canada in front of the net.
Slavin averaged 21:31 in ice time in the first three games, the most for Team USA. Slavin and defenseman Brock Faber of Minnesota lead the Americans with plus-3 plus/minus ratings that are tied for third in the event.
“He’s been lights-out,” Brind’Amour said. “Nothing we didn’t know already.”
Canes defenseman Jalen Chatfield, a native Michigander, said he has watched a lot of the 4 Nations hockey during his break, in-between some R&R.
“I did miss the first two minutes of that U.S.-Canada game,” he said.
Told nothing really happened other than, say, three fights in the first nine seconds of the game, Chatfield smiled.
“Oh, I went back and watched the start,” he said. “You can call it extreme or call it caring. They wanted to set the tone. Both teams are willing to do it. Representing your country, you can tell a lot of guys want it.”
Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere competed in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey as a member of Team North America. Held in Toronto in September, before the start of the 2016-17 NHL season, the tournament was hard-fought and won by Canada.
“We knew this (4 Nations) would be the same and be serious,” he said. “You can see in the games how much pride the guys have in their country. They’re having a lot of fun, and it’s fun to watch, too, and great for the game of hockey.
“They’re putting their hearts and souls into it. It’s pretty awesome to see.”
Soon, it will be back to the stretch run for the Canes, 33-19-4 through 56 games and second in the Metropolitan Division. Carolina trails the Washington Capitals by 10 points in the Metro and has a two-point lead over the third-place New Jersey Devils.
“It was good to get the rust off today,” Gostisbehere said. “It was a nice re-set and now it’s back to business.”
Chatfield said he was ready to resume playing about three days into the break. He’s eager to get on the ice again for game action as the Canes make a run at another Stanley Cup playoff berth.
“Every team is trying to take it to the playoffs, so we have to come prepared and finish strong,” he said.
This story was originally published February 19, 2025 at 11:12 AM.
