10 NHL Players Using the World Championship to Audition for the 4 Nations Face-Off

Connor Bedard and Seth Jones Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

The IIHF men’s World Championship is slated to go down in Prague and Ostrava, Czechia, and each player named to their national team has something to prove.

NHL players on Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States not only have something to prove to themselves but also to their odds of being on the roster when the 4 Nations Face-Off is staged next year.

Here are a few players at the World Championship who can use this upcoming tournament as an audition for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Canada

1. Connor Bedard, C

With veteran stars likely to take up most of the room on Canada’s projected roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off, the team needs to add younger pieces so it’s acclimated for future best-on-best tournaments.

Bedard is the easiest addition, coming off a Calder Trophy-caliber season for the Chicago Blackhawks. At this point in his career, Bedard will probably take on a smaller role, but a strong showing at the World Championship will only underscore how important he is to Team Canada. The future is now with Bedard, and Canada will benefit from his presence at the World Championship and beyond.

2. Pierre-Luc Dubois, C

Although he had a rough NHL regular season in 2023-24 with the Los Angeles Kings, Dubois has a long history of representing his country. He has one gold medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, a bronze medal at the World Men’s U-18 Championship and silver medals at the world juniors and two World Championships.

The 25-year-old will have plenty of competition to lock up a roster spot at the 4 Nations Face-Off, but he seems to step it up on the international hockey stage. This is a significant opportunity for him to make the cut and get a gigantic platform to show he’s worth the investment.

3. Jordan Binnington, G

Canada’s netminding is arguably as up-in-the-air as any position heading into the 4 Nations Face-Off. St. Louis Blues goaltender Binnington will make the case for himself as the starter with a high-impact performance at the World Championship.

Binnington is now 30 years old, and he’ll face serious competition to lock up a 4 Nations Face-Off roster spot. But he had one of the best seasons among Canadian goalies with a .913 save percentage and 28 wins on a retooling St. Louis Blues team. If he impresses at the World Championship, he’ll have the inside track on the starter’s job in 2025.

Another option at the World Championship that is a long shot for the 4 Nations Face-Off is 23-year-old Nico Daws, who won a gold medal with Canada at the 2019-20 world juniors.

United States

1. Seth Jones, D

Defense might just be America’s biggest strength in the 4 Nations Face-Off, with Quinn Hughes, Adam Fox, Zach Werenski, Charlie McAvoy, Jaccob Slavin and Jacob Trouba all likely to be on the team.

Chicago Blackhawks D-man Jones has represented his country multiple times, but he really needs a good showing at this year’s World Championship to be in the mix for a depth role on ‘D.’

2. Alex Nedjelkovic, G

He’s a long shot at best to make the American team’s roster for 2025, with Thatcher Demko, Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger being the likely trio and Jeremy Swayman as another option.

Nedjelkovic can give himself at least an outside shot of being an injury replacement at the 4 Nations Face-Off by putting in an extraordinary effort at the World Championship. The 28-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins goalie put in a great effort in 2023-24, with an 18-7-7 record and taking over starting duties from Tristan Jarry late in the season.

3. Joel Farabee, C

Farabee isn’t an automatic choice for the 4 Nations Face-off, but the 24-year-old Philadelphia Flyers center could earn a depth position up front for Team USA by having a strong World Championship. He already recorded a career-high 50 points this season. On a team with Johnny Gaudreau, Dylan Larkin, Brady Tkachuk, and Alex DeBrincat, who are also auditioning, Farabee can make a big impression if he stands out from the pack.

If anyone ahead of Farabee is injured before or when the 4 Nations Face-Off begins, that could be all the opportunity Farabee needs to step in and make an impact for his homeland.

Sweden

1. Lucas Raymond, RW

The Swedes look to have a deep and talented group of forwards, so deep that Raymond might not even be a lock for the 4 Nations Face-Off. But after recording 31 goals and 72 points this season for the Detroit Red Wings, Raymond just has to keep the momentum going at the World Championship to remove any doubt of him making the 2025 team.

2. Fabian Zetterlund, RW

Zetterlund had a strong first full season with the San Jose Sharks this season, generating 24 goals and 44 points in 82 games. He’s going to take a back seat to talent such as William Nylander, Filip Forsberg and Jesper Bratt, but Zetterlund is a long-term piece of the puzzle for Sweden.

Finland

1. Mikael Granlund, C

Granlund’s stock has fallen in recent years, but his 60-point season for the Sharks is a nice bounce back. For Team Finland, he can still be in the mix for a job in 2025 as a veteran role player.

The 32-year-old center is no longer in his prime, but on a Finnish team that will be an overwhelming underdog, Granlund can be a leader in the dressing room and a decent option on the ice.

2. Jesse Puljiujarvi, LW

Puljujarvi is more of a long shot to make Team Finland in 2025. The 26-year-old winger is not the difference-maker the Edmonton Oilers thought he was when they drafted him fourth overall in 2016, but he can be a solid enough fourth-line replacement at the 4 Nations Face-Off if all the stars line up for him.

Eight players for Finland at the World Championship are connected to an NHL franchise, so Puljujarvi would benefit from being a leading scorer for the team and producing in important moments.