A trio of New York hockey stars, Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders along with Chris Kreider and Vincent Trochec of the New York Rangers, have been added to the Team USA roster for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off.
The tournament will take place between Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston between the United States, Canada, Finland, and Sweden — the top four hockey nations on the planet. It is the first best-on-best international hockey tournament since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Nelson gets the nod amidst a continuing career renaissance that began during his age-30 season. The Warroad, MN native has eclipsed the 30-goal mark in each of his last three. seasons, including a career-high 37 in 2021-22.
"It's super exciting. Anytime you can represent your country in any tournament, I've said it before, I think it means a lot. In something like this, it's a little bit different — the first time this form of tournament, it'll be exciting. I think the setup looks pretty awesome, the cities that it'll be in, and the rosters look awesome. Just kind of soaking it in right now and happy to be part of it."
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Nov 3, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Chris Kreider (20) skates against the New York Islanders during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images[/caption]
Kreider and Trocheck join fellow Rangers teammate, defenseman, and Long Island native Adam Fox on the Team USA roster.
"It's a huge honor to be able to put the United States crest on your shirt," Trocheck, who recorded a career-high 77 points last season, said. "Representing your country is something that everybody dreams of doing."
Kreider's nod comes amidst trade rumors and a concerning start to the season for the Rangers. Yet the veteran winger continues to pour in goals with 10 this season.
Like Nelson, Kreider has reached new goal-scoring heights since his 30th birthday. He scored 52 in 2021-22 and followed it up with campaigns of 36 and 39.
United States 4 Nations Face-Off roster
Forwards: Matt Body (Minnesota Wild), Kyle Connor (Winnipeg Jets), Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights), Jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay Lightning), Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils), Chris Kreider (New York Rangers), Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings), Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs), JT Miller (Vancouver Canucks), Brock Nelson (New York Islanders), Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators), Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers), Vincent Trocheck (New York Rangers)
Defensemen: Brock Faber (Minnesota Wild), Adam Fox (New York Rangers), Noah Hanafin (Vegas Golden Knights), Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks), Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins), Jaccob Slavin (Carolina Hurricanes), Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Goalies: Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets), Jake Oettinger (Dallas Stars), Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins)
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