The Minnesota Wild have five players attending the 4 Nations Face-Off, two with the United States and the other three with Sweden, who faced off against Canada last night, Wednesday, Feb. 12, and the United States is set to take on Finland later this evening. Brock Faber and Matt Boldy represent the U.S., while Joel Eriksson Ek, Jonas Brodin, and Filip Gustavsson represent Sweden. Due to injuries, Eriksson Ek and Brodin were questionable, especially Eriksson Ek, but they were healthy enough to join the rosters.
So far, the tournament has been met with mixed reviews; some think the timing isn’t right and are worried about the player’s health, while others are excited to see the stars of the NHL shine for their respective countries. The Wild have every right to be worried when three of their five players have had significant injury issues this season. It just so happens they all play for the same team, Sweden, but overall, the Wild seem excited, and we’ll explore why fans should be excited and not worried, starting with the honor bestowed upon these athletes.
Wild Player’s Honored With Country Colors
While every NHL player dreams of winning the Stanley Cup, they also dream of wearing their home country’s colors. Up until recently, that was only possible in the Olympics. Now, with the 4 Nations Faceoff, players can wear their country colors, and it’s pretty impressive that the Wild have sent five players, including a goaltender. It’s not the most from a single team, but it’s an honor.
Some have said the tournament is a joke, but none of these players wearing those jerseys are playing like it’s a joke. They’re giving it their all to represent their countries, and the Wild were excited for their players to have that chance as they knew how important it was for these players to represent their homes. They love representing Minnesota, but playing for your country is a different kind of honor that not every player gets to experience.
Wild Players Gain Valuable Experience
While playing for their respective countries is an incredible honor, the team is also excited about the experience they’ll be able to come back with. This type of competition can elevate a player’s game, and as long as they stay healthy, it’s something that can only make them better in the long run. They play alongside professionals every day, but in this competition, it’s the best of the best of those professionals, and they’re seeing different skills they don’t see every single day.
“I really don’t have any concerns because it’s one you can’t control; everybody in the league has the same. I look at it from the perspective that the players that are going to the 4 Nations, for us to be a team that we want to be, and as an organization and a winning team. To be able to ultimately be where we want to get to, I think, when you have players that play in these high stakes environments and they’re around Stanley Cup champions, World champions, Olympic champions, playing in high stakes environments, getting exposed to those different things, testing themselves in those situations. I think it’s only beneficial for them and for our team,” said head coach John Hynes following the final game before the break in as to how he feels about the break.
It’s been addressed why it’s suitable for the players going to the tournament, but why is it good for the players not going? An 82-game season is quite the grind, and it can become almost redundant: practice, game, practice, game, etc. Having a two-week break may seem a bit long, but for those players who were just getting through, it will be good for them to rest and recover from any injuries they may have been dealing with. It’s also good for them to get a mental reset and some will get to see family they haven’t seen since the season began.
“And then I think for the guys, this season is such a grind that I think the guys that don’t have the opportunity to participate in that, a little bit of rest and getting away from the game isn’t a bad thing. We’ve worked really hard to this point. Now there’s a little bit of a breather, but there’s also guys that are going to a high-level competition, which I think they can gain so much quality experience from, and then we come back, we get right back to work, and we have the best part of the season coming up,” Hynes said following their final game before the break about the guys not going to the tournament being able to rest.
Wild’s Hynes & Guerin Represent
As if having five players on rosters wasn’t enough, the Wild also sent Hynes to be an assistant coach and Bill Guerin is the general manager for the United States. Team physician Dr. Joel Boyd, Chris Kelleher, who’s the director of player personnel, and both team trainers John Worley and Travis Green, also joined the United States. The Wild have a strong staff, and both the team and fans should be honored that the Wild have this many representing their team.
There were many others who could’ve been chosen for these roles, but the Wild’s staff were the best. Fans should be excited about this because it’ll give both Hynes and Guerin the chance to be around other world-class staff and come back with some new ideas to implement with their team. Just like their players, they can gain valuable experience and bring it back with them.
Wild Need Health
Fans have a right to be a little worried when injuries are concerned, as the team has been put through a lot this season. However, they take the same risks when playing in daily NHL games and practices, so why should this be any different? Yes, the players are playing on different teams, and they’re playing just as hard, but again, it’s still an NHL-level game with no more risk involved.
Even during a normal NHL season, there would still be the All-Star game and the break that comes with it, but I think the 4 Nations should replace the All-Star game. The players seem to care more and want to participate. While there were willing participants for past All-Star games, it wasn’t as hyped up as it used to be. The 4 Nations seems like a perfect solution, with the only issue being the timing, which can be adjusted in the future. Hopefully, other fans will like it as much as I do, and all the players will return to their teams healthy and ready to start up again when the tournament is finished.
