The 4 Nations Face-Off is finally here. After years without the best of the best wearing their country’s crest on their jersey, we finally get to see Connor McDavid in a Canada sweater and Auston Matthews in a USA jersey. We haven’t seen Sidney Crosby wear the maple leaf since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. It may also be the last time we see Crosby represent Team Canada, but we’re sure he hopes the NHL returns to the Olympics in 2026.
But there are reasons for everyone to watch. The Devils fans have three players representing the Devils, but there’s even more reason than that.
1. Jack Hughes paired with Auston Matthews
Jack Hughes is probably the one star most fans are looking forward to watching more than any. Obviously, he’s the Devils’ top star, but it’s even more than that. The Devils have been using Hughes to elevate the players around him. He’s been paired with Ondrej Palat for 543 5v5 minutes this season. So, getting him on a line with Auston Matthews and Jake Guentzel is huge.
Hughes is essentially the first line winger, giving him an opportunity to thrive in a role we’ve seen him dominate. Matthews will take on a lot of the responsibility that comes with playing center. This opens the door for Hughes to just play Instagram Hockey. We see him being an incredible cog on that unit.
He’s also on an absolutely insane power play with Matthews, Jack Eichel, Adam Fox, and Matthew Tkachuk. Hughes gets to play with players that could teach him a thing or two about winning. He will likely come out of this tournament with his confidence at an all-time high.