The anticipation of the 4 Nations Face-Off squad is causing excitement among the current participants

The players whose spots have already been secured can’t wait to meet the rest of their teammates.

“You start to imagine who I would play with and what the lines would look like,” said Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes, who will play for Finland.

The tournament will be the first best-on-best competition since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto, an experience the players hold dear and look forward to repeating.

“It’s going to be a great event,” said Jack Eichel, who played for Team North America at the World Cup and will represent the United States in February. “I think we all think alike when it comes to wearing the colors red, white and blue. It’s going to be a great competition and just a great event for our league in general, and hopefully the hockey fans around the hockey world enjoy the event.”

Although most players have been consumed by their day jobs and the specifics of the regular season, excitement is building.

And you keep your fingers crossed for certain teammates to join the list.

For Matthews, that’s New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes. He also knows that the decisions are difficult, the overall talent level is high and that some worthy names will have to bide their time and try again for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.

“There is so much talent to choose from,” said Matthews, captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. “It’s just really exciting that we have the chance to represent the country again,”

That applies to all teams in the tournament, including Canada, which won the 2016 World Cup on a shorthanded goal from Brad Marchand. The Boston Bruins captain was among the first six named to the Canadian team, along with fellow Nova Scotians Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon.

“It’s always a lot more fun to play with them than against them,” Marchand quipped. “These are very entertaining tournaments that you are really proud to be a part of. When you do it with guys from my hometown and guys we know and skate with, it becomes a little more exciting and a little more meaningful.”

The others have been waiting since June to find out about their future. While these 24 players learned their fate early on, the rest of the 4 Nations eligible players went into the 2024-25 season to prove themselves and ensure their names made the list.

Mikael Granlund is one. The San Jose Sharks striker is not yet officially in the Finnish squad, but seems to be a likely candidate with 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists).

“It’s great,” he said. “I have always loved competing in national tournaments. I have always loved playing for Team Finland. As a young player in Finland, playing for your country is one of the greatest things you can have in a hockey career, and I have always loved these moments and achieved great success in the national team.

“It’s really cool and with the 4 nations it’s a competition of the best against the best, that’s definitely something special.”

Sharks forward William Eklund is in the same position, waiting and hoping. The 22-year-old has 22 points (four goals, 18 assists) and appears to be on the bubble for Sweden.

“It’s always important to play for Sweden,” said Eklund. “That’s probably the greatest thing you can do as a player, other than maybe win the Stanley Cup. The two are at the top. Playing for your team, your country, that’s huge, and if I ever get the chance, I will be more than happy.”

There isn’t much time left for Eklund to find out before they all find out.

Are they in or out? Which friends made it onto the list? Who might be in their lineage or pairing?

Is this a team that could win?

“Tomorrow will be a great opportunity to find out who is on the team,” McAvoy said. “I know I have a lot of friends through USA Hockey, a lot of people that I’m very close with. I’m looking forward to the chance to play with many of them again.”

“Playing for USA Hockey is always an incredible honor. They tend to be some of the best experiences I’ve had in hockey and some of the best moments and memories. I can’t wait for the next opportunity to do this. Truly and truly, it is one of the most extraordinary things you can do and I am incredibly proud of it.”

Luckily, February is almost here and the players aren’t the only ones looking forward to the four-nation duel.

“Ticket sales are going well,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said as he celebrated the Bruins’ Centennial Game in Boston on Sunday. “If there are only a limited number of tickets left, they will be sold out quickly. They make good gifts for the Christmas market.”

“But the enthusiasm is palpable, not just among the fans, but also among the players. And that’s one of the reasons we brought back the international best-on-best team. We know how important it is for our players to represent their country and that’s what we’re doing.” “I’m really looking forward to it.”

NHL.com senior writer Tom Gulitti and independent correspondents Paul Delos Santos, Kurt Dusterberg, Corey Long and Dave McCarthy contributed to this report