Theodore injury raises questions about Canada’s roster flexibility at 4 Nations

By Canadian Press on February 13, 2025.

MONTREAL — Canada head coach Jon Cooper says he doesn’t believe the NHL will force his team to play short-handed at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Canada is facing some roster uncertainty after defenceman Shea Theodore exited Wednesday’s tournament-opening win against Sweden.

Theodore — who quarterbacked Canada’s second power-play unit — will miss the remainder of the tournament and is considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury, the Vegas Golden Knights announced Thursday. Seventh defenceman Travis Sanheim will take his place in the lineup.

Tournament rules prevent Canada from calling up another defenceman as long as the team has 18 healthy skaters. That means Canada, which currently has 19, would have to dress 13 forwards and five defencemen in the event another blueliner goes down.

Cooper, however, suggested there’s some grey area in what would happen next if Canada sustained another injury.

Canada next plays the United States on Saturday at Montreal’s Bell Centre.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2025.

The Canadian Press

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