Report: Team USA Snubs Key Players from 4 Nations Roster

The United States is leaving big names off their roster for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

Nov 23, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens right wing Cole Caufield (13) looks on during warm-up before the game against the Las Vegas Golden Knights at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

NHL players are returning to international play with the creation of the one-of-a-kind 4 Nations Face-Off, a short tournament between Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States. Roster will soon be unveiled, but early reports are indicating that a couple of key forwards are being left off of Team USA.

According to Chris Johnston on TSN’s Insider Trading, Team USA is going with experience over young talent, and leaving off Montreal Canadiens’ Cole Caufield and Buffalo Sabres’ Tage Thompson.

“Well Team Canada is not alone in difficult decisions,” Johnston said. “It sounds like Cole Caufield of the Montreal Canadiens, despite a roaring hot start… is going to be left off this roster. Tage Thompson, as well.”

Caufield started the 2024-25 season as one of the best goal scorers in the NHL, flirting with the league lead for a number of weeks. In 25 games played, he has 16 goals which leads the Canadiens and is fourth in the NHL.

No other American-born player has scored more than Caufield yet this season.

Thompson is also off to a great start and is 11th in the NHL in goals with 13. The Canadiens and Sabres may not be the best teams in the league, but those are certainly better options than who Johnston believes is making the team over Caufield and Thompson.

“It’s an experience over young skill type of thing,” Johnston said. “Vincent Trocheck, Chris Kreider, Brock Nelson are all players we expect to make Team USA.”

Kreider is coming off of an injury on the spiraling New York Rangers and is yet to record an assist this season. In 21 games played, he has 10 goals and no assists.

Trochek is Kreider’s Ragners teammate and also doesn’t have the numbers to match that of Caufield or Thompson. In 24 games he has scored six goals and six assists for 12 total points.

Across the bridge to Long Island, Nelson has played in 26 games with the New York Islanders and has put up 10 goals and seven assists for 17 total points.

Sure, your lineup needs players who can play defense and not have a total focus on scoring, but Kreider and Trocheck are two names that are straight up struggling this season. Nelson is a fine option, but it feels forced considering who Team USA has decided to look away from.

This is the deepest pool of talent the United States has ever had to dig through for a hockey tournament. There are obvious names that will be on the roster, but some of the surprises might be head scratchers.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway OnSI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more! 

• Patrik Laine Scores Huge Goal in Canadiens Debut
• Golden Knights Center Entering Hart Trophy Race
• NHL Power Rankings: Wild Dethrone Jets for Top Spot
• Canucks Defenseman Out Long-Term After Procedure
• United States HC Confident as 4 Nations Face-Off Nears