GDT: Four Nations Face-Off

If I was picking Team Canada for this tournament Tavares absolutely would have been taken over Marchand. Easily can play LW wing and having a better year than #63 and is 2 years younger. Schiefele is another player that will get more consideration in '26. Just a more impactful player than Marchand.
Leadership is huge in these short tournament’s. Tavares is a centre not a left wing. You dont start moving guys around in a short tournament
 
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If I was picking Team Canada for this tournament Tavares absolutely would have been taken over Marchand. Easily can play LW wing and having a better year than #63 and is 2 years younger. Schiefele is another player that will get more consideration in '26. Just a more impactful player than Marchand.
No way. The embarrassment of riches that Canada has is that they can make strategic picks beyond just who is considered "better" in a vacuum. A team of all stars often doesn't do the job. It's like England when they always tried to shoehorn Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard into the same center midfield. Never worked. Ever.

Marchand is a winner and a rabid competitor. Tavares is not. Today, I pick a Brad Marchand for my national team over John Tavares a 100 times out of 100. Not even close. And 1000 out of 1000 five years ago.
 

No way. The embarrassment of riches that Canada has is that they can make strategic picks beyond just who is considered "better" in a vacuum. A team of all stars often doesn't do the job. It's like England when they always tried to shoehorn Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard into the same center midfield. Never worked. Ever.

Marchand is a winner and a rabid competitor. Tavares is not. Today, I pick a Brad Marchand for my national team over John Tavares a 100 times out of 100. Not even close. And 1000 out of 1000 five years ago.
He is absolutely having a better year than Marchand. He is 2.5 years younger than Marchand and the likelihood of Marchand regressing next year going on 38 is
absolutely greater than Tavares.

Honest question how many games have you watched Tavares this year?
I have seen Tavares play at least 30 of his games this year.

Leadership is huge in these short tournament’s. Tavares is a centre not a left wing. You dont start moving guys around in a short tournament
Pretty certain Tavares has played wing for Team Canada. He also was selected
for 2014 Canadian Olympic Team.
 
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If I was picking Team Canada for this tournament Tavares absolutely would have been taken over Marchand. Easily can play LW wing and having a better year than #63 and is 2 years younger. Schiefele is another player that will get more consideration in '26. Just a more impactful player than Marchand.

Nobody and I mean nobody would take Taveras over Marchand in this tournament, Tavares is slow, not good enough to make the top 2 PP units and dosen't kill penalties, furthermore what has he ever done in the playoffs. Marchand is a good skater, very good on the PK and overall defensively, he also is a proven big game performer with leadership qualities, Taveras got stripped of his captaincy this summer.
 
If I was picking Team Canada for this tournament Tavares absolutely would have been taken over Marchand. Easily can play LW wing and having a better year than #63 and is 2 years younger. Schiefele is another player that will get more consideration in '26. Just a more impactful player than Marchand.
Marchand has always been a clutch performer both in the NHL & international play. Tavares while a very talented player has never been known to show up in big moments. I recall a playoff game vs the B’s recently where he coasted through neutral ice as the bruins came back the other way to score a game winning goal. The Toronto media was all over him for it. In a short tournament Marchand over Tavares is a no brainer.
 
He is absolutely having a better year than Marchand. He is 2.5 years younger than Marchand and the likelihood of Marchand regressing next year going on 38 is
absolutely greater than Tavares.

Honest question how many games have you watched Tavares this year?
I have seen Tavares play at least 30 of his games this year.


Pretty certain Tavares has played wing for Team Canada. He also was selected
for 2014 Canadian Olympic Team.
If Marchand isn't on the Olympic team in 2026, and unless the Bruins sign a Marner or someone else in the off season, will this be a first time when NHLers have been selected to represent their country that no Bruin has been on team Canada?
 
Nobody and I mean nobody would take Taveras over Marchand in this tournament, Tavares is slow, not good enough to make the top 2 PP units and dosen't kill penalties, furthermore what has he ever done in the playoffs. Marchand is a good skater, very good on the PK and overall defensively, he also is a proven big game performer with leadership qualities, Taveras got stripped of his captaincy this summer.
Marchand from 3 years ago? Yeah, that opinion makes sense. 2024-25 Marchand
has absolutely regressed from 2022 Marchand. I have watched at least 30 games of Tavares and he has been better than Marchand this year full stop.
 
Marchand has always been a clutch performer both in the NHL & international play. Tavares while a very talented player has never been known to show up in big moments. I recall a playoff game vs the B’s recently where he coasted through neutral ice as the bruins came back the other way to score a game winning goal. The Toronto media was all over him for it. In a short tournament Marchand over Tavares is a no brainer.
Tavares was on the 2014 Canadian Olympic Team, picked over Marchand what are you talking about?
 
Nobody and I mean nobody would take Taveras over Marchand in this tournament, Tavares is slow, not good enough to make the top 2 PP units and dosen't kill penalties, furthermore what has he ever done in the playoffs. Marchand is a good skater, very good on the PK and overall defensively, he also is a proven big game performer with leadership qualities, Taveras got stripped of his captaincy this summer.
We will see come next year. If Marchand starts having his TOI cut like he did last night you won't be saying this next year.
 
Drives me nuts how they have to have these games on sooooo many different channels. It's so annoying having to figure out which channel a game is on, never even found last nights game before getting frustrated and just watching The Jackal instead LOL
 
He is absolutely having a better year than Marchand. He is 2.5 years younger than Marchand and the likelihood of Marchand regressing next year going on 38 is
absolutely greater than Tavares.

Honest question how many games have you watched Tavares this year?
I have seen Tavares play at least 30 of his games this year.


Pretty certain Tavares has played wing for Team Canada. He also was selected
for 2014 Canadian Olympic Team.
Not saying Tavares is not having a better year. He is. But these tournaments are short and you don’t overthink playing players out of position. Marchand is a bulldog on the puck and in this tournament he is on 4th line. He accepts his role.
 
He is absolutely having a better year than Marchand. He is 2.5 years younger than Marchand and the likelihood of Marchand regressing next year going on 38 is
absolutely greater than Tavares.

Honest question how many games have you watched Tavares this year?
I have seen Tavares play at least 30 of his games this year.


Pretty certain Tavares has played wing for Team Canada. He also was selected
for 2014 Canadian Olympic Team.
duuuuuuuuuude what a gross concept
 
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Montreal is one of many hockey markets across the NHL where Brad Marchand is largely considered persona non grata.

Beyond Marchand’s knack for shredding defenses and breaking opposing fans’ hearts via an overtime goal, his track record as a pugnacious pest has drawn the ire of many across the hockey world.

Marchand has been a menace during his matchups against Montreal over the years, scoring 17 goals and 31 assists in 56 career games against the Canadiens. Marchand’s 81 penalty minutes accrued in bouts with the Habs also stands as his highest total against any opponent.
Given his history with Montreal, Marchand wasn’t expecting to get a warm reception at Bell Centre on Wednesday night.

But with a red Maple Leaf etched on his sweater instead of a spoked-B, the Bruins’ captain was tabbed as a friend — not a foe — while skating for Team Canada in their opening matchup of the 4 Nations Face-Off against Sweden.

“I don’t think they’ll be cheering for me,” Marchand said of Canadiens’ fans during Wednesday’s pregame presser in Montreal. “I think they’re cheering for the team. Playing for Team Canada, you see how united the entire country gets.

“Everyone’s cheering and hoping to accomplish the same goal. I’ve always looked at it like it’s more of a sign of respect. I don’t get too caught up in that. I’d probably boo me if I was a fan as well.”

It didn’t take long for any icy sentiment toward Marchand to thaw among a raucous sea of red sweaters at Bell Centre — with the 36-year-old winger helping Canada escape with a 4-3 overtime win over Sweden on Wednesday.

The Halifax, Nova Scotia native was one of four different skaters to light the lamp for Canada in the win — with Marchand making it a 2-0 game at 13:15 in the first period after capping off a 2-on-1 break alongside Brayden Point with a quick shot into twine.

As Marchand embraced his fellow countrymen out on the ice, cheers rained down on Marchand — an unusual sight in an opposing barn, especially north of the border.

“No, I didn’t,” Marchand said postgame when asked on NHL Network if he expected that reception in Montreal. “But I don’t mind it.”

“It’s obviously been a while,” Marchand said of playing for Canada. “You can tell the fans are excited. It’s so incredible to be part of something like this and to put this jersey on. It’s an honor every time that you can’t explain. So it’s a pleasure.”
 
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Good game last night, especially the third period and OT, but I think they should go 5 on 5 for OT as others have said.

I like the Canadian jerseys, but wish they would have gone with the ones worn by Team Canada in 1972. Those were the best. Same for the US. It’s 45 years since Lake Placid so why not roll out what the Americans wore that year? Just my two cents.

I also still wish this tourney was before the season started vs mid season. Teams with players in this that have a legit shot at the Cup will squirm if they see one of their guys go down.
 
If I was picking Team Canada for this tournament Tavares absolutely would have been taken over Marchand. Easily can play LW wing and having a better year than #63 and is 2 years younger. Schiefele is another player that will get more consideration in '26. Just a more impactful player than Marchand.

Schiefele is a right-handed shot and doesn't play the same position. I do expect him to make the team a year from now.

You make it sound like Tavares won't age between now and then. He'll be 35 in September he's about 2 years and 4 months younger than Marchand. His numbers while slightly better it's not like they are light years apart in production. Tavares has 21+24 in 48 games, Marchand has 20+24 in 57. Marchand also doesn't have the the supporting cast around him up front that Tavares does. Then factor in Marchand while older is the superior skater and the tournament is over in Italy so I'm assuming larger ice. Then factor in Marchand can kill penalties, and doesn't need to switch positions (zero chance Tavares is chosen to play C).

Maybe Marchand doesn't make it, We'll see. Tavares on the Olympic team? Zero chance.
 
Once they got their barrings, they were pretty stout against a very explosive team/players.
They out played Canada for long stretches , Canada is not that much better than the rest of the teams in the all-star tourney.

Having the best player on the planet sure gives you an advantage. He was electric.
 
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