The 4 Nations Face-Off was a huge success on and off the ice. While the United States fell short in the championship game against Canada, the final game averaged 9.3 million viewers in the United States, the largest audience ever for an NHL broadcast. On the Canadian side, Sportsnet averaged 5.7 million viewers.
While many who follow hockey know of Auston Matthews and the Tkachuk brothers, there are other talented players on the United States roster that some do not know much about. However, after the tournament was over, three players raised their stock with their on-ice performance and, in doing so, made an impression on every hockey fan who watched some or all of this event.
Jake Sanderson
Jake Sanderson was not on the original roster but replaced Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks on Team USA when an injury forced Hughes to withdraw. Sanderson is currently in his third season as a member of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators, where he has played in 211 career games with 105 points, including 19 goals and 86 assists. He represented the U.S. on the international stage on three previous occasions, including in the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. He also played for Team USA in the 2024 IIHF Men’s World Championship and was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. National Junior Team at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship.
It was hoped that Sanderson could “hold his own” in the tournament, but the Whitefish, Montana native responded in a big way, especially in the championship game. His three blocked shots in the first period kept the Canadians from capitalizing on more opportunities, and his goal in the second period gave the Americans the lead. Sanderson didn’t look at all out of place skating with the league’s best players. The good news for the Senators is that he is already on a 50-point pace, which would establish a new career-best mark. He will get a serious look for being included on the 2026 Olympics roster.
Jaccob Slavin
It might be hard to think that one of the better defensemen in the league could see his stock rise, but in this case, being in such a spotlight should put Jaccob Slavin on the radar of more fans across the NHL. His play was so good in the tournament that many were making a case that Slavin could have been Team USA’s Most Valuable Player. Slavin averaged 23:16 across four games for the USA and was only on the ice for two goals against all tournament, with those goals coming against Sweden in a meaningless game where the United States was resting players.
He put EVERYONE on notice 😤
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 21, 2025
How good was Jaccob Slavin last night? pic.twitter.com/o1KoxJvX5w
In the championship game, three key moments reminded everyone just how good Slavin is as a top defenseman: The clutch clearance on the second-period penalty kill. The sweeping of his stick to keep Crosby from cashing in during net-front chaos. The full-body sliding block to break up a Canadian rush in the third. His play in the championship, and throughout his NHL career, is that reminder of why the NHL needs to add an award for a defensive defenseman.
Zach Werenski
In a tournament featuring Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Auston Matthews, it was surprising to see Zach Werenski as the tournament leader for points scored. In doing so, he became the first defenseman in NHL international tournament history to lead all players outright in the points department. Werenski racked up at least one point in each of the United States’ four games. He also became just the fifth defenseman to register at least a point in each of his first four games at an NHL international tournament.
Many casual NHL fans may not know much about the 27-year-old. Werenski currently ranks second among NHL defensemen in points (59) behind only Colorado Avalanche standout Cale Makar (63). In this tournament, he was able to showcase his spectacular vision on the offensive end of the ice while being a shutdown defender on the other end. This became especially important in the last two games of the tournament when Team USA lost defenseman Charlie McAvoy to an injury.
Related: 3 Takeaways From USA’s Loss to Canada in 4 Nations Face-Off Final
Fortunately, fans will not have to wait nine years to see best-on-best hockey again. In early February, the NHL announced that it would send players to the 2026 Olympics in Milan, and the plan is to alternate the World Cup of Hockey and the Olympics every two years afterward. Sanderson, Slavin, and Werenski are all names to follow in the coming year, as all three should be included in Team USA’s roster for that event.
