The NHL's return to best-on-best international hockey is just around the corner, with the inaugural Four Nations Faceoff set to begin on February 12th.
Today, the leadership groups for each country were announced:
Canada
Captain: Sidney Crosby
Assistants: Cale Makar, Connor McDavid
United States
Captain: Auston Matthews
Assistants: Charlie McAvoy, Matthew Tkachuk
Sweden
Captain: Victor Hedman
Assistants: Mattias Ekholm, Erik Karlsson, William Nylander
Finland
Captain: Aleksander Barkov
Assistants: Sebastian Aho, Mikael Granlund, Mikko Rantanen
While there weren’t any major surprises at the time of the announcement, it's fair to say the most notable omission is Canucks captain and reigning Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Quinn Hughes not receiving at least an "A" on his jersey for team USA. Given his elite talent, and leadership qualities, I wouldn't have been surprised or upset if he was the "C" on this roster, him not even getting named an assistant captain feels nothing short of disrespectful to arguably the best defenseman in the world.
Not to mention, as the Canucks' captain, Hughes has been leading a team under intense scrutiny all season. The reported rift between J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson hasn’t just dominated headlines in Vancouver—it’s been one of the biggest stories in the entire NHL.
Without strong leadership, Vancouver’s season could have completely unraveled. Instead, Hughes has this team firmly in the playoff race. Given the injuries and off-ice drama the Canucks have dealt with all year, it would have been easy for them to fold. But Hughes has not only stepped up—he’s having the best season of his career. If he can lead Vancouver to the playoffs, I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing him as one of the three finalists for the Hart Trophy as league MVP.
This season, Hughes hasn’t just elevated his play—he’s grown into his role as the team’s undisputed leader and the face of the franchise. He’s already proven he has the leadership skills to wear a letter on the international stage, yet Team USA chose to overlook him. It’s a baffling decision that simply doesn’t make sense.
Just a truly head-scratching decision, in my opinion, and while he won't say it, if I were Hughes, I’d be furious. Overlooking one of the league’s best defensemen and a proven leader is a clear mistake on Team USA’s part.
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