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Lightning’s Cirelli, Hagel and Guentzel were added to the 4 Nations rosters

Lightning’s Cirelli, Hagel and Guentzel were added to the 4 Nations rosters

BRANDON – Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel aren’t the first names that come to mind when building a Canadian dream team, but putting together the best squad for February’s four-nation face-off is more about Assembling players who can help win games rather than making selections based on star power.

While the addition of the two Lightning forwards to the roster of Team Canada, coached by Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper, might surprise some, it shouldn’t surprise those who watch the pair play every day.

Cirelli and Hagel do everything. They are quality 5-on-5 players who contribute to the power play and are exemplary on the penalty kill. They are the players that winning teams need, and they have served as the Lightning’s powerhouse for years.

Adding forwards Jake Guentzel (USA) and Brayden Point (Canada) and defenseman Victor Hedman, Lightning fans will be in for a treat during the tournament February 12-15 at the Bell Center in Montreal and February 17-20 at TD have a lot to celebrate garden in Boston.

The full rosters for the four teams – USA, Canada, Sweden and Finland – were announced Wednesday, with Güntzel, Cirelli and Hagel added. Hedman and Point were among their team’s first roster selections in October.

The Lightning’s five players in this event are tied for third-most points. The Panthers lead with eight, Vegas is second with seven. The Rangers, Avalanche and Wild also have five players taking part.

For the 30-year-old Guentzel, in his ninth NHL season, this is the Minnesota native’s first chance to represent his country. He was expected to compete in the 2022 Olympics before the NHL had to withdraw from the Beijing Games to make up regular-season games that had been postponed due to COVID.

Güntzel was scheduled to participate in the World Cup twice, but injuries prevented him from playing, most recently in 2023 when he underwent offseason ankle surgery. He never competed in the world junior tournament, although he did attend Team USA’s summer camp.

“It never worked out, so it would be really fun if something came along,” Guentzel said Wednesday before the roster was announced. “Yes, of course it would be a special occasion to play for your country. … Just the opportunity to maybe be in the picture would be pretty cool.”

With Team USA, Guentzel will play for his former head coach in Pittsburgh, Mike Sullivan.

Cirelli and Hagel made Team Canada with their versatile two-way games and penalty killing ability. They are two of seven Canadian-born forwards who have at least 23 points and are plus-9 or better.

CIrelli represented Canada at the 2017 World Junior Championships and the 2019 World Championships, winning a silver medal in each. Hagel, along with Lightning teammate Nick Paul, played on two Canadian World Championship teams, a gold medal-winning squad in 2021 and last summer’s squad.

“It would be an honor,” Hagel said Wednesday afternoon. “I don’t want to say too much until I know I’m on the team. Being able to play for your country is next level and an honor. And I will play for that flag any day of the week.”

The NHL this season replaced its midseason All-Star Game with the 4 Nations Face-Off, an exhibition tournament that will serve as an international hockey preview for league players headed to the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics return. There will be three round-robin games, and then the top two teams play a winner-take-all final.

“As hockey players, we can do something we love, but when you put on a U.S. jersey, it means a lot when you represent your country,” said Lightning assistant coach Jeff Halpern, who played for Team USA in three World Cups. “And besides, in hockey, when you grow up you know who the players are in the United States, and when you get the chance to play with these guys at your age and older, it’s something special.”

“So I’m excited, especially the guys on our team, that they’re going to get the chance and it should be a good tournament.”

Notes: Star right winger Nikita Kucherov returned to the ice on Wednesday, but left before the conclusion of practice because he missed power play drills. He sat out Saturday’s game against Toronto and didn’t practice at all on Tuesday. Forward Gage Goncalves filled Kucherov’s spot at the top during rush drills. … Forward Mitchell Chaffee practiced in a red no-contact jersey, an indication that he could miss his fourth straight game on Thursday when the Lightning host the Sharks. … Guentzel, who abruptly left practice on Tuesday, was a full participant on Wednesday and said after practice that he was physically “fine.” … Paul continued practicing Wednesday and is expected to play Thursday after missing the last six games.

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