As fans eagerly await the highly anticipated puck drop at the Bell Centre between Canada and the USA at 7 CT, some Canadian players appear to be handling the excitement better than expected.
“Quite a bit,” said Sam Reinhart when asked if he got a good night’s sleep.
Winnipeg’s own Seth Jarvis admitted the weight of the moment was starting to sink in. “Good, I think it started to hit me today, a little bit. Super excited,” he said.
For Elkhorn, Manitoba’s Travis Sanheim, however, the nerves may be a little more pronounced. With Shea Theodore sidelined due to injury, Sanheim will step onto the ice for his 4 Nations Face-Off debut, anchoring Canada’s blue line in one of the tournament’s most highly anticipated matchups. After watching from the press box during Canada’s opener against Sweden, he’s now getting his chance to shine under the bright lights.
“You never know if injuries will happen or how things will unfold,” said Sanheim. “But the excitement of representing your country in any role is what matters most.”
The 28-year-old defenseman can’t wait to experience the electric atmosphere firsthand.
“I dressed for warmups (on Wednesday), and it felt like the building was already packed when we came out,” he said with a grin. “I expect much of the same, if not better, tonight. It’s going to be an incredible experience, something we’re all looking forward to.”
As Canada hit the ice this morning in Brossard, all eyes were on Cale Makar, who missed the previous practice due to illness. Makar completed the full skate and appears ready to play, though he remains a game-time decision. If he’s unable to go, Thomas Harley will take his place in the lineup.
Meanwhile, Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey continues to pair with Colton Parayko and will quarterback Canada’s second power-play unit alongside Mark Stone, Brayden Point, Mitch Marner, and Jarvis though Makar’s status could still shake things up.
Another tweak to Canada’s lineup sees Sam Bennett replacing Travis Konecny. Bennett will center a line with Jarvis and Brad Marchand, a pairing the Winnipeg forward is eager to experience from the same side rather than as an opponent.
“Those are two guys who play a real hard-nosed game and love to get in people’s faces they’ve definitely gotten in mine a few times,” Jarvis laughed. “It’s nice to finally be on their team for once.”
Between the pipes, Jordan Binnington will make his second start for Canada, with head coach Jon Cooper showing confidence in his netminder after a solid performance in the win over Sweden.
On the other side, Team USA will have Connor Hellebuyck in goal after his strong 20-save effort in a dominant 6-1 victory over Finland. Up front, Kyle Connor will start on the right wing alongside Vincent Trocheck and Brock Nelson, a duo he previously played with at the 2016 World Hockey Championship. Nelson is looking forward to rekindling their chemistry.
“For him to be on our line, buzzing up and down, he creates so much space for himself and others,” Nelson said. “I saw it firsthand last week in Winnipeg he’s just a dynamic player. It’ll be fun to play with him.”
Connor will also see time on the USA’s second power-play unit alongside Adam Fox, Jack Hughes, Brady Tkachuk, and Matt Boldy. Boldy, who has faced Connor and the Jets multiple times this season, knows exactly what kind of firepower the Winnipeg winger brings.
“We’ve seen their power play do some special things all year,” said Boldy. “When you play against him, you realize just how good he is. You definitely want the puck in his hands to let him make plays.”
With both teams stacked with elite talent and the stakes higher than ever, tonight’s Canada-USA showdown promises to be nothing short of thrilling.
