The NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off will take place from February 12-20 in Montreal and Boston. This will be the first best-on-best hockey tournament since the World Cup of Hockey in 2026. Fans have been starved from seeing the best players of this generation compete for their countries. Although this tournament isn’t perfect, with just four participating countries, it will fill a massive void and get fans excited looking ahead to the 2026 Olympics.
For Calgary Flames fans, the main excitement around this tournament will be cheering for their home country of Canada. The current Flames roster isn’t filled with many superstars that will be showcased at this event. However, there are still some players who could find themselves representing their home country when rosters are announced on December 4th.
Calgary Flames Who Could Play In The 4 Nations Face-Off
Rasmus Andersson – D – Team Sweden
The Calgary Flames’ current leading scorer, Rasmus Andersson is off to a blazing start to the season. Andersson has 5 goals and 8 assists through the first 22 games of the season. Andersson has been a big factor in Calgary’s early season success. In addition to leading the Flames in points, Andersson leads the Flames skaters in average time on ice, playing 25 minutes a night. He’s a smooth skater, that brings a bit of physicality and edge to his game. He can play in every situation including penalty kill and the power play. His versatility and playing style mean he can be effective whether he’s on a top pairing role, or playing a bottom pairing role with reduced ice.
Team Sweden announced three defencemen as part of their initial roster announcement. This means they only have four dspots remaining for defencemen. Sweden announced veteran, Norris Trophy-winning defencemen Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman along with Stanley Cup winner, Gustav Forsling. If you add in Rasmus Dahlin, Andersson is really fighting for one of just three open spots. He’s currently competing against the likes of Jonas Brodin, Mattias Ekholm, and Philip Broberg. Out of these four defenceman, Andersson is probably playing the best right now. This play should help him earn a spot on this roster. At this point, it would be surprising to see Andersson left at home. Flames fans should expect to be able to cheer on their star defenceman.
MacKenzie Weegar – D – Team Canada
Similar to Rasmus Andersson, Weegar is a massive part of Calgary’s team success. He currently sits second on the team in average ice time and points, behind Andersson. He’s coming off a career-best 52-point, 20-goal season last year and has taken on a big leadership role in Calgary. Weegar is used in all situations for Calgary, from powerplay to penalty kill. One of Weegar’s biggest advantages, and what could ultimately land him a roster spot for Canada is the fact he can play on sides of the ice. This ability, along with his versatility make him an ideal 7th defenceman who could slot in just about anywhere if Canada suffers an injury to the backend.
Team Canada has only named one defenceman to their roster to date, Cale Makar. After Makar the decisions get a little tougher. They have lots of great defencemen to choose from, but few that are undeniable. It’s likely Devon Toews will join his playing partner Maker for consistency and familiarity. Canada may also bring another familiar pair, Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore. This would leave just three spots open. Evan Bouchard and Noah Dobson were two of the best defencemen in the NHL last season, but both have gotten off to slow starts this year. Dougie Hamilton missed the majority of last season with injury and could be a risk to take. Josh Morrissey should make this team on talent but could miss if Canada prioritizes fit or versatility. It feels like Weegar has done enough to make this team, but it wouldn’t be shocking if he’s left off.
Mikael Backlund – F – Team Sweden
The longest shot of the Flames players to make a 4 Nations Face-Off roster is their captain. Backlund has been the ultimate rock for the Calgary Flames in his 1012 games for the franchise. He’s been one of the best two-way centres in the NHL through his prime, consistently earning Selke votes. He’s often been tasked with matching up against the best players in the NHL and asked to shut down opponents. In this role, he still manages to contribute to the Flames in a secondary scoring role. Backlund also brings a ton of leadership. The Flames’ current captain has made a habit of taking rookies on his line and helping them learn the NHL game. He brings a ton of positives to any team and should be considered for this tournament.
The biggest hurdle for Backlund is the competition. His 200-foot game doesn’t stand out as much when you look at the rest of the potential players for Sweden. Many of the centres have made a living playing strong two-way hockey, while also adding more offensive punch and younger legs. Backlund isn’t likely to beat out William Karlsson or Joel Eriksson Ek for a third or fourth-line role. His best chance to make this roster is if Sweden decides to prioritize a veteran presence in their 13th forward spot. However, there’s a very good chance Sweden could elect to give that spot to a young star like Leo Carlsson. It’s a long shot for Backlund at this point, but as a Flames fan, it would be a wonderful nod to Backlund who certainly deserves it for what he’s meant to Calgary.
Flames Impact At The 4 Nations Face-Off
The Flames roster won’t be prominently featured at the first ever 4 Nations Face-Off. Even if all three players make their respective rosters, they’ll be playing in reduced roles and may not even see game action. This speaks to where the Flames are in their window to win. They don’t have much top-end talent and although the team is off to a good start. They need to continue to draft and develop future stars who can play this type of international event in the future.
Main Photo: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
