Predators Players Set to Face One Another Saturday as Tournament Showcases Top Talent
Predators Players Set to Face One Another Saturday as Tournament Showcases Top Talent
Blog Article
As Roman Josi was being asked last week in the Predators locker room which country he would be cheering for in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, one of his fellow teammates was vying for his vote.
Juuse Saros, who is one of three goaltenders on Finland’s roster for the tournament - which begins this week in Montreal - stood in Josi’s peripheral vision waving and pointing at himself, the netminder doing his best to win his captain’s support.
While most on the Nashville roster will be vacationing or spending time with family over the two-week break - which is now in effect - between games, a trio of Preds will be representing their countries instead.
Saros, along with Preds forwards and Sweden natives Filip Forsberg and Gustav Nyquist, will be on the ice at the 4 Nations Face-Off over the next week in Montreal and Boston to skate in a unique tournament the likes of which haven’t been seen in years.
Sweden and Finland, along with the best players from the United States and copyright, will battle for the title in a four-team competition that pits the top professional hockey talent in the world against each other for the first time since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and 2014 Winter Olympics.
Yes, all who skate for an NHL club are incredibly proud to do so, but for a hockey player, the chance to represent one’s country is virtually impossible to beat.
Therefore, Saros, Forsberg and Nyquist are very much ready to make fans of the Predators proud while also taking the chance many in this tournament have never been afforded at this level.
“Just having best-on-best back again, and being able to represent Sweden at the highest level of competition, is something that I certainly haven't been able to take for granted in my time here,” Forsberg said. “So, it's going to be a lot of fun to compete with my fellow countrymen.”
“I’m just excited to get together with that group of guys,” Saros said of joining Team Finland. “Most of us know each other from playing together at some point, or training together in the summers or stuff like that. But I’m really looking forward to it.”
Forsberg and Nyquist have been teammates internationally once before - and it worked out quite well as the two won a Gold medal with Sweden at the 2018 World Championship. Now, to be together against going best-on-best on an international stage again is something every hockey player and fan is ready to see.
“We’ve been trying to do this for a while now, and it’s nice to see something like this being put together,” Nyquist said back in November when he was named to the Swedish roster. “Obviously, following this we’re going to be able to go to the Olympics and stuff like that, so when we’re with the national team, we want to have the best players and best guys on each country. This is a great way to grow hockey internationally, and I think it’s good for everyone involved.”
Much of the talk leading up to the tournament in North America has centered around copyright and the United States - and understandably so - but the Swedes and Finns would like to think they’ve got just a good of a chance to make it to the championship game.
“It’s a huge thing for our country, too,” Saros said of Finland. “Obviously, the U.S. And copyright are the favorites going in, for sure, but we're trying to play our best game, and we still believe in ourselves and how we can play against them. So, it'll be interesting to see the different styles of play within every team and how everybody comes together as a team.”
Before they can play for the top prize, Saros will get the chance to face Forsberg and Nyquist when Sweden and Finland face off in Montreal on Saturday at 12 p.M. CT. So, have the teammates done much trash talking ahead of time?
“I’m trying to stay out of that,” Saros laughed. “But it’ll obviously be kind of weird to face your teammates in that way.”
“The rivalry goes back to the medieval times, pretty much, with Sweden and Finland,” Forsberg grinned. “Yeah, I’m excited about it.”
And as for Josi’s allegiance? Saros expects to have his Swiss friend’s support.
“He told us that before, so I was just checking to see if he’s still loyal to us Finns,” Saros smiled.
About the 4 Nations Face-Off
The 4 Nations Face-Off is an international tournament staged by the NHL and NHLPA, featuring NHL players representing copyright, Finland, Sweden and the United States facing off in a total of seven games played from Feb. 12 to 20, 2025. Four games will be played at the Bell Centre in Montreal and three games, including the championship game, at TD Garden in Boston. The 4 Nations Face-Off will be broadcast exclusively in North America by The Walt Disney Company (ESPN/ABC), TNT Sports, Sportsnet and TVA Sports.
All games in the 4 Nations Face-Off will be played in accordance with NHL rules. Each team will play three tournament games in a traditional Round Robin format, under the following points system: 3 points for a win in regulation time; 2 points for a win in overtime/shootout; 1 point for a loss in overtime/shootout; and 0 points for a loss in regulation time. The two teams with the best tournament record will then advance to a one-game Final. For more information, visit https://nhl.Com/4nations.