NHL

Injuries Mount as Team USA Preps for Championship Clash with Canada

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By
Colin Lynch
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Colin Lynch Sports Editor

Colin Lynch covers the NFL, MLB and WNBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the New England Patriots. His sports coverage has been featured on The Sports Daily and Basketball Insiders, as well as FanSided's Chowder & Champions. A New Hampshire native and former D1 baseball player at St. John's University, Colin was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2008 and enjoyed a four-year professional baseball career.

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Published18 Feb 2025

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Injuries Mount as Team USA Preps for Championship Clash with Canada

Team USA may enter the 4Nations Championship rematch against Canada without a few key pieces. 

What was supposed to be a tune-up became a costly night for Team USA.

A meaningless 2-1 loss to Sweden on Monday left the Americans with more than just a dent in their record—it left them with a growing list of injuries ahead of Thursday’s championship showdown with Canada. Chief among them is Brady Tkachuk, the team’s best player through two games, who crashed into the goalpost midway through the first period. He briefly returned for a 14-second shift before exiting for good.

USA head coach Mike Sullivan downplayed concerns, calling Tkachuk’s absence precautionary and expressing optimism he’ll play in the final. But with his older brother, Matthew, already nursing a lower-body injury that kept him out of Monday’s game, the Americans could be heading into their biggest test at less than full strength.

Auston Matthews’ status is also uncertain after he sat out against Sweden with an upper-body injury. And then came the most troubling news of all—Charlie McAvoy has been ruled out for the final after being hospitalized with an upper-body injury that led to an infection, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The Boston Bruins defenseman had been one of the USA’s most physical and reliable presences on the blue line, delivering punishing hits in their earlier win over Canada. His absence is a significant blow.

Sweden’s Victory, USA’s Wake-Up Call

Even before Tkachuk’s injury, it was not Team USA’s sharpest night. Sweden, winless entering the game, capitalized on their opportunities with goals from Gustav Nyquist and Jesper Bratt. Goaltender Samuel Ersson, who was thrust into the starting role with Linus Ullmark and Filip Gustavsson, sidelined by illness, delivered a standout performance with 31 saves.

Despite outshooting Sweden and generating quality chances, the Americans couldn’t find the finishing touch. Jack Hughes, who has 24 goals and 65 points in the NHL this season, has yet to make his mark on this tournament, going another game without a goal.

“We had our looks, but we just didn’t put them in,” Hughes admitted. “We can definitely build on that, but we just have to look forward to Thursday.”

One bright spot was Chris Kreider, who made his tournament debut, scoring just 35 seconds into the game. The Rangers forward played 17:01 and showed he could be a key factor in the final.

“I thought Kreids played really well,” said Sullivan. “He’s got speed, size, he’s good on the power play, and he gets to the net. His game suits a USA-Canada matchup.”

The Rivalry Renewed

While the USA deals with health concerns, Canada enters the final in better shape. Cale Makar, sidelined by illness in the previous matchup, returned for Canada’s 5-3 win over Finland on Monday and is expected to be at full strength.

“We get another crack at them now,” Makar said. “You dream of that as a kid—playing Canada vs. the U.S.”

For Team USA, the challenge is clear. They won Round 1 with physicality, discipline, and relentless defensive pressure. Dylan Larkin believes they’ll need more of the same.

“The buy-in and compete level were unbelievable,” he said. “We clogged the middle of the ice, we took away their speed. We’re going to need that again.”

But with McAvoy out and the Tkachuk brothers and Matthews in question, the question isn’t just whether Team USA can replicate its game plan—it’s whether they’ll have the bodies to do it.