In two days time, we will find out the rosters for certain. So, that gives us at Last Word on Hockey one final chance to produce our best, final mock version of a Team Canada roster. Team Canada comes into any best-on-best hockey tournament with the expectations to win, and the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off tournament will be no different. So, let’s take a look at the surprise selections and omissions, as we see fit.
One Last 2025 4 Nations Face-off Team Canada Mock Roster
We are going to kick this one off looking at all positions. We do so by studying the locks at each of the forward, defence, and goaltender positions. There’s no room for margin of error here, as these players should be on everyone’s list. To start, a reminder of the six players already selected to the club.
This group of six includes the best-of-the-best. Crosby, McDavid, MacKinnon, and Makar are in the top ten of NHLers in the planet. Moreover, Point is definitely very close to that conversation. If you have watching him lately, he has been scoring some absolute beautiful goals. Finally, Marchand’s inclusion might be seen as a legacy nod, but he has been one of the most productive wingers over the course of his most productive seasons.
There’s not a lot more considered locks up front, but here are a couple. Marner is one of (if not) the best playmaker(s) in the NHL, so give him the respect he deserves. We even think he plays on McDavid’s line. Reinhart has 75 goals since the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign, which leads the entire NHL. (Yes, one ahead of Auston Matthews‘ 74). Mark Stone is currently injured and hasn’t played since early November. However, in games he’s played, he has only been held pointless once in 2024-25. He’s on another level with 21 points through 13 games, and one of the best two-way forwards in the NHL. In addition, Scheifele makes it as the top centre on a very stingy Winnipeg Jets teams, giving props, where props are due.
| LW | C | RW |
| Sam Reinhart | Mark Scheifele | Mitch Marner |
| Mark Stone |
Next up are the locks on defence. This group is a very select one. To this writer, it really makes no sense not to have Toews on the team. The pairing of Makar and Toews has been among the league’s best for a couple of years now. Oh yeah, they also have a Stanley Cup championship together. It really seems like a no brainer. Next up is Ekblad, you know, the guy that was tasked with shutting down McDavid in the 2024 cup final. Let’s have him locking down the right side. Finally, Josh Morrissey has emerged as an elite defender about a year or two ago, and hasn’t looked back. Put him on the squad.
| LD | RD |
| Devon Toews | Aaron Ekblad |
| Josh Morrissey |
One final note on guarantees, and for that we go with Logan Thompson. Yes, only one certainty in net. He has the experience of being on a cup winning team, as he was the main guy during the Vegas Golden Knights 2022-23 regular season. Injuries prevented him from playing that playoffs, but being around a club like that brings invaluable experience. His 2.56 goals-against average, .911 save percentage, and impressive 10-1-1 record in 2024-25 has him on the team.
So, to help round out our roster, we will give our selection among the controversial picks. We need to have a full roster of 23 players, which includes 13 forwards, seven defencemen, and three goalies. Thus far we have nine forwards, four defence, and one tender. Let’s start with our selections upfront.
Our Surprises at Forward
First up on forward, is a guy who produces and plays all situations, Travis Konecny. He plays over 21 minutes a game, and is up to 30 points this campaign. He kills penalties, and pesky on the puck. Next, is someone meant to neutralize the other pre-tournament favourite, Team USA. We think we need some size and physicality on the roster. Tom Wilson brings size and can play against any opponents’ top players on a given night. Also, he does have a cup championship to his name.
Mathew Barzal has the top-end skill to help spread out the scoring over three lines. Therefore, he makes our team. Finally, put Connor Bedard on the team. His skill is elite and as a 13th forward, he can slot in on any line. We all know what he did for the Team Canada junior team, so he can step it up in this big international tournaments.
Rounding Out the Blueline
Next up is our three remaining defencemen. Morgan Rielly has been a very good defenceman for a number of years. He plays at a high level and contributes consistently offensively and deserves to represent the blue Maple Leaf on the red one. Furthermore, we feel like we need to take the best available players at each position, so we land on Noah Dobson. The New York Islanders are a very strong defensive team, and the smooth skating Dobson is a big reason for that. He eats mintues and does so effortlessly, while contributing offensively. He ticks all the boxes and has the elite talent, so his inclusion makes sense.
Finally, we think Evan Bouchard needs to be on the team. His abilities as a top power play threat and not to mention the Bouch-Bomb from the blueline. He makes a great seventh defender, and plays the right side, with a little of that power play speciality. His chemistry with best player in the world will not go unnoticed.
Who Gets the Crease for Our Team Canada Mock Roster
It seems like Jordan Binnington is a frontrunner. He has a Stanley Cup and has matured over his time in the NHL. He’s no stranger to adversity and has the size and skill to stop the world’s best shooters. Finally, we like Adin Hill back there. Yes, his 2024-25 numbers aren’t great, but he is a proven winner. He also has chemistry from their time in Vegas with Thompson. He seems like like a good complement to Thompson skillsets. The cup experience is another reason. If we needed to go with the hot-hand, we already have Thompson, so mixing in some stability seems a smart decision.
Finally, we will end with a couple honourable mentions. Mostly some veterans like Matt Duchene, John Tavares, and Steven Stamkos are all close but didn’t quite leap the guys we selected. Next, we have the 2020 first-overall draft pick, Alexis Lafreniere. Lafreniere doesn’t score a lot with 17 points in 23 games, but he only plays 17:40 a game. He also doesn’t kill penalties and plays on the New York Rangers second power play unit. His productivity, given his opportunity and his ability to win the nightly matchup game is the reason he doesn’t make our team such a tough decision. Furthermore, Zach Hyman could have made the team, but his slow start to 2024-25 cost him his spot.
Main Photo: : Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
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