Who will make Canada's 4 Nations Face-Off team?

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On Wednesday night, Canada will announce its full roster for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, the new "best on best" hockey tournament that will serve as an appetizer for the NHL's return to the Olympics a year later.

For those who need a refresher, the 4 Nations Face-Off was created earlier this year by the NHL and the NHL Players' Association. It's scheduled for Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston, replacing this season's All-Star Game. Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland will play each other once, and the teams with the two best records after the round robin will square off in a one-game final.

Ideally, the 4 Nations Face-Off would probably be a 6 Nations Face-Off including Russia and the Czech Republic — the only other countries with enough NHLers to form a team. (Unlike the Olympics, players from other leagues aren't allowed in this event because the NHL and NHLPA are running it without the cooperation of the IIHF, hockey's world governing body.)

But Russia remains suspended from international play because of its war with Ukraine, and the NHL and NHLPA had no interest in undermining the IIHF-issued ban — even though, technically, they can do whatever they want with their own event. The Czechs became collateral damage because a five-team tournament doesn't make sense.

The rosters

Canada, the U.S., Sweden and Finland each named the first six players on their team back in June.

Canada chose forwards Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Brad Marchand and Brayden Point and defenceman Cale Makar; the Americans picked forwards Jack Eichel, Auston