An Olympic audition: 5 things to know about Canada's 4 Nations Face-Off roster

Alex Pietrangelo remembers what it felt like to watch Sidney Crosby up close at practice.

It's one thing to battle against top players like Crosby or Connor McDavid in the NHL. It's another thing entirely to pull on the same jersey, talk to them at the rink, and see how they work on the ice, day in and day out.

Pietrangelo teamed up with Crosby to win an Olympic gold medal in 2014, and a World Cup of Hockey title in 2016. But he's never found himself sharing the ice with both Crosby and McDavid, "generational talents" who make the game better.

The Vegas Golden Knights defenceman will get to do that for the first time this February as a part of Team Canada's entry at the 4 Nations Face-Off. The new NHL-hosted tournament acts as a key measuring stick ahead of NHL players' return to the 2026 Olympics in Italy, after missing the last two Games.

"The goal for all of us is to grow the game and have the game being seen worldwide," Pietrangelo told reporters on Thursday, a day after the 23-player rosters for all four countries were unveiled.

"You get two of the best players, if not the two best players playing with each other in certain situations … that's a pretty fun thing to watch."

Crosby and Pietrangelo are the connection to Team Canada's past. They represent Olympic gold in Sochi, and the defensive machine of a team that shut out Sweden in the gold-medal game. 

Joining them will be a host of players who have been Canada's present for a while, but who've never had the opportunity to pull on a Canadian sweater at the Olympics, including McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon.

The tournament, which also includes Sweden and Finland, begins Feb. 12 in Montreal. That city will split hosting duties with Boston, culminating in a championship game in the latter city on Feb. 20.

Here are five things to know about Canada's team ahead of that tournament: 

Tough competition

Like McDavid and MacKinnon, other countries' stars are getting their first taste of international best-on-best play, too.

Finland boasts perhaps the best two-way forward in the world in Aleksander Barkov, who knows a thing or two about leading a championship team, after captaining the Florida Panthers to the Stanley Cup this past spring.

No one remains from the American team that crashed out of the World Cup of Hockey in 2016. That squad finished last in their group, thanks in part to losing several talented young players to the 23-and-under Team North America.

But this American team looks like the team to beat this time around. It starts with the strongest trio in net, led by reigning Vezina Trophy winner and Winnipeg Jets starter, Connor Hellebuyck.

The team also boasts two of the last four Norris Trophy winners for best defenceman in the league in Adam Fox and Vancouver's Quinn Hughes.

Up front, the Americans will be able to send out one of the best shooters in the world in Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, along with skilled forwards like Jack Hughes, Jack Eichel and Winnipeg's Kyle Connor.

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk and his Stanley Cup-champion brother, Matthew, will be there, too, making the Americans harder and certainly more annoying to play against.

An edge may also go to the Americans when it comes to familiarity. Several players competed together on the U.S. National Team Development Program in the past. Having two sets of brothers likely doesn't hurt, either. 

Olympic tune-up

The Olympics might not be front of mind for the 23 Canadian players on the ice come February.

But even if players aren't saying it, there's no doubt the tournament is a chance for all four countries to see what works, who plays well together, and who management groups want on their rosters in 2026.

For fans, it's also a taste of what to expect at the Olympics, having not had the chance to watch a best-on-best tournament with NHL players in nearly a decade.

Canadian GM Don Sweeney said the management group picked the best 23 players who they think can win a tournament now. 

But knowing NHL players will be part of the Olympic programme in 2026 and 2030, the group also spent time working to identify players who might not be ready to push someone else out of a roster spot now, but who could play a role on Team Canada down the road.

"We wanted to find that balance of identifying that next core of great players," Sweeney said.

Bedard's omission

Speaking of the next generation of great players, one name missing from the Canadian roster is Connor Bedard.

The 19-year-old hasn't had an eye-popping season, registering 19 points in 26 games on basement-dwelling Chicago. But having Bedard on the 4 Nations roster could have given him a taste of what a best-on-best tournament feels like, even if he played a minimal role. 

"He's working through that situation where he gets all the attention possible from the best players that he's playing against each and every night," Sweeney said. 

"I think he's living and breathing it right now and it's only going to help him and continue to build his resume, and we're excited about that. There are several other players that fall in the same category that very well could be part of [2026 GM Doug Armstrong's] team in the Olympics."

With the 4 Nations tournament still two months away, Bedard could be at the top of the list for a call-up should someone get injured.

Questions in net

For years, Canada had an embarrassment of riches in net, from Martin Brodeur, to Roberto Luongo, and most recently, Carey Price.

This time around, there's no surefire bet. There are two Stanley Cup winners in Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill, plus the Montreal Canadiens' Sam Montembeault.

Compare that with the American roster. If Hellebuyck falters, the staff can turn to Jake Oettinger or Jeremy Swayman.

Sweeney downplayed the concerns about Canada's goaltending, praising the three netminders for their competitiveness and experience playing in high-stakes games.

"We were a lot more calm in picking the goaltenders than maybe what the outside world was viewing," the GM said. "I think we had a tremendous amount of choices and some guys that have played really well."

Experience in the locker room

While Canada is the underdog in net, they may have an advantage in the locker room.

Beyond Crosby and Pietrangelo's experience winning Olympic gold, there are also a combined 20 Stanley Cup rings on the Canadian team. Five players on the roster have worn the captain's C for Canada at an international tournament. 

"You can never underestimate how much that matters: When the game's on the line, when there's 20,000 people at the edge of their seat, who's under control in those situations?" he said. 

"When maybe a game is sliding, the ebbs and flows and ups and downs of a hockey game, who are the players that you know have proven to be able to excel in those situations and calm the waters?"

Hockey Canada hasn't announced the team's leadership group yet. But it would be shocking the captain isn't Crosby, who authored one of the most memorable moments in Canadian hockey history by scoring the game winner for the men's team at the 2010 Olympics.