Quinn Hughes is no longer joining his brother for 4 Nations Face-Off Championship

UPDATE: Quinn Hughes has been ruled out by the Vancouver Canucks and he won't join his brother at the 4 Nations Face-Off. We kept the rest of the article as is for archival purposes.

One of the bigger disappointments about the 4 Nations Face-Off was when we learned that Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes was going to miss the tournament. The current best American defenseman in hockey and the frontrunner for the Norris Trophy would not get to play alongside his brother Jack Hughes, taking away a major storyline from the tournament.

We saw how much publicity that Brady and Matthew Tkachuk have received for their play. Getting the Hughes brothers together would have been a constant talking point, seeing their insane skill on display for the round-robin games.

The injuries are starting to pile up for the Americans. The Boston Bruins announced on Tuesday that defenseman Charlie McAvoy was going to miss the game after he was taken to the hospital on Monday.

Add that to the injuries to the Tkachuk brothers, Auston Matthews, and a few others are dealing with ailments, but none are expected to miss time. Still, with McAvoy set to miss the game, the United States needed a replacement. That's when the shocking news came.

Quinn Hughes is joining Team USA for the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game.

Simple and to the point: Quinn Hughes is coming. He will join Team USA in Boston, giving the Americans their top blueliner. This comes at the same time as Cale Makar returning to Canada's lineup. The two biggest names on defense, and the two men fighting for the Norris Trophy, will return to their respective country's lineup for the championship game on Thursday night.

This is especially good for Jack Hughes. He often thrives in moments where he can play next to his brother. There will be extra motivation for the New Jersey Devils superstar. He has a chance to put himself on the map even further than he already has. This one game could make Jack Hughes one of the most popular players in the NHL. Adding his big brother to the lineup helps his cause.

This is great news for Jack Hughes and the U.S. squad as a whole. McAvoy is a big loss and he played a huge role in the team's win over Canada, but replacing him with Quinn Hughes is almost an upgrade. This completely changes the dynamic of the championship game. It continues to build our excitement for the most pivital hockey game in a long time.