Quinn Hughes won't join U.S. for 4 Nations championship game - ESPN

Defenseman Quinn Hughes will not travel to Boston to join the United States team as an injury replacement option for its 4 Nations Face-Off championship game against Canada, his agent confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

Sources told ESPN that the Americans will have Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson and New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce as injury insurance for Thursday night's 4 Nations final.

Hughes, 25, was expected to join the Americans for the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game after defenseman Charlie McAvoy was lost for the tournament. McAvoy was hospitalized Monday with an infection in his right shoulder and a significant injury to his AC joint.

Hughes initially made Team USA's roster but had to back out because of an oblique injury. He still hasn't been officially cleared by the Vancouver Canucks to return to play, having been out of action since Jan. 31. He wore a red noncontact jersey in Canucks practice Tuesday before being cleared for contact for Wednesday's practice.

Sources told ESPN that Hughes recently flew across the country back to Vancouver from the East Coast. To fly to Boston, and then to Las Vegas for the Canucks' next game Saturday, would have been a taxing travel week for him.

Tournament rules state that if a team loses two players at forward or on defense to injury or illness, it can bring on a non-roster player as an emergency injury replacement. Team Canada, for example, called up Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley after it lost Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore to injury and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar was unable to play against the U.S.

«The rules are the rules. I can't play unless anyone else gets injured, and I obviously don't want to see anyone get