Forwards to be joined by defensemen Fox, Q. Hughes, McAvoy; tournament to be held Feb. 12-20

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LAS VEGAS — The first six players named to the United States team for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off on Friday were picked for a purpose that goes deeper than their skill and talent.

Forwards Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs), Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights) and Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers), and defensemen Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins), Adam Fox (New York Rangers) and Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks), were selected because they represent the type of team the United States wants to have at the tournament, coach Mike Sullivan said.

“You’re dealing with the best players of your nation. These are the elite of the elite of the elite, and the guys that we chose, the first handful of guys, not only are they great players, but they’re good leaders,” Sullivan said. “They have a certain pride in playing for their nation. These are guys that I think can be an extension of both [general manager] Billy [Guerin] and myself and what we’re trying to accomplish as a team. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to name these guys, but there are a number of guys that could have been selected. They’re not easy decisions because there are so many talented players.”

The U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland will play in the tournament, scheduled for Feb. 12 until Feb. 20 at TD Garden in Boston and Bell Centre in Montreal.

The rest of the rosters will be announced at a later date.

“It’s a huge honor,” Matthews said after being one of the first six players named to the team. “You have so much pride in playing for your country and all that goes into it, so to be one of the first six, it means a lot to have that clarity and to know that I’m going to be competing and playing for my country again. It’s definitely exciting, especially heading into the rest of the summer.”

Take an All-Access Look at United States Four Nations Face-Off preparations

Guerin said he felt they could have named 12 players Friday, but they were limited to just the first six.

“Our player pool right now is what I feel second to none,” Guerin said. “I think over the last 20 years, USA Hockey has done a terrific job. The [USA Hockey National Team Development Program] has been a huge part of that.”

All six players named played for the NTDP at some point. Eichel is the oldest of the six at 27 years old. Tkachuk, Matthews, Fox and McAvoy are all 26. Hughes is 24.

“It’s an incredible honor,” Hughes said. “There’s so many great American players now. The League is rich with talent, so for me to be named, I feel honored. It’s kind of like I want to get back in the gym now and make sure I have a great season and I’m ready to go.”

In Matthews, the United States has the NHL’s leading goal scorer this season. He scored 69 goals, the most scored by a player since Mario Lemieux scored 69 in 1995-96.

In addition to winning the Rocket Richard Trophy for the third time, Matthews was a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award as the League’s top player as voted on by members of the NHL Players’ Association. He was third in the voting for the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward.

“It’s always special to put [the U.S. hockey sweater] on and it’s obviously a huge honor,” Matthews said. “I’ve been fortunate to wear it before, but nothing like the stage of a 4 Nations [Face-Off] or the Olympics. Obviously, that’s a different level and a very big honor.”

Tkachuk just helped the Panthers win the Stanley Cup. He had 88 points (26 goals, 62 assists) in 80 regular season games and 22 (eight goals, 14 assists) in 24 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Eichel had 68 points (31 goals, 37 assists) in 63 games with the Golden Knights this season. He won the Stanley Cup with Vegas the previous season, leading them with 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) in the playoffs.

Fox was sixth among NHL defensemen with 73 points (17 goals, 56 assists) in 72 games this season, his third straight season with at least 70 points. He won the Norris Trophy in 2021.

Hughes won the Norris Trophy this season after leading the League at the position with 92 points (17 goals, 75 assists), and finishing fourth among all players with a plus-38 rating in 82 games. The 24-year-old also had 10 assists in 13 playoff games.

McAvoy led Bruins defensemen with 47 points (12 goals, 35 assists) in 74 games, and had six points (one goal, five assists) in 13 playoff games.

“I have a lot of confidence in the group that we’re going to have, in the people, our coaching staff, the management,” Hughes said. “We’re going to be tough to beat.”