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M H J O N L I N E . C O M | J A N / F E B 2 0 2 5 30 Russo's Rants Photo / Getty Images P R E S E N T E D B Y GUENTZEL'S FIRST For Guentzel, shockingly, this will be the first time he's slipped on a USA jersey. A couple injuries cost him other tour- naments and the World Championships were often out of the question because of how far the Penguins went during his time in Pittsburgh. He can't wait to play on a roster that includes Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy and Jack and Quinn Hughes. "I called my parents when I got the news," said Guentzel, who signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning last summer. "It was a pretty exciting day for my family. This is a family thing." Guentzel is excited to be reunited with Mike Sullivan, his old Penguins coach who will coach the Americans. "He's been a coach in this league for a long time. A lot of success," Guentzel said. "Just his demeanor, how he goes about his business, each day he wants to get better. We have a lot of familiarity, so it'll be fun for me to see him again." SPRING BREAK For all these players, it'll be fun to take part in such a tournament when most NHLers are on vacation in Cabo or the Bahamas. "Warm weather is great, but I'm a hockey player," Faber said. "Hockey is my favorite thing to do, so I will definitely take this over going on a trip for break." Oettinger says it's a true honor and hockey fans will love what they see. "As a hockey fan in general, it's going to be must-watch TV," Oettinger said. "This is what the game needs and deserves and what the fans deserve. It's going to be a heckuva show and the best players in the world representing their countries. Doesn't get better than that." Michael Russo writes for The Athletic. This is his 20th season covering the Wild and 30th covering the National Hockey League after previously covering the Florida Panthers. He co-hosts the Worst Seats in the House podcast on talknorth.com and anywhere you get your podcasts. Russo can be heard weekly on KFAN (100.3-FM) and seen throughout the hockey season on NHL Network. Follow Russo on X and Instagram at @RussoHockey and Facebook at /michael- russohockey. To subscribe to The Athletic, go to nytimes.com/athletic/author/ michael-russo and click any article for a discount. Jake Guentzel is off to a hot start after signing a 7-year, $63 million contract with the Lightning this summer. The 2025 4 Nations Face-Off will be held from Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston, with teams of NHL players from Finland, Sweden, Canada and the United States competing in a round-robin tournament. This will be the first best- on-best tournament since the World Cup of Hockey 2016 in Toronto.