Pietrangelo withdrawing from the 2025 4Nations Face-Off

[ToDavid]

I'd certainly rather Larkin rests than participate and potentially get injured in a meaningless tournament.

That’s the thing about sports, it’s all meaningless.

A player could slip on some ice tomorrow and break their leg. I’m not going to spend my time worrying about a potential injury because they’ve got to play a few extra games. Sounds boring.

If Pietro is so concerned about injury, why is he playing in so many meaningless regular season games? The Knights are going to sleepwalk into the playoffs. Why not go full load management.

 

[Czechboy]

It isn't best on best hockey when a lot of elite talent is prohibited from participating.

Necas, Josi, pasta, Nino, Kopitar, drai, stutzl, seider... I hear ya!

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

That’s the thing about sports, it’s all meaningless.

A player could slip on some ice tomorrow and break their leg. I’m not going to spend my time worrying about a potential injury because they’ve got to play a few extra games. Sounds boring.

If Pietro is so concerned about injury, why is he playing in so many meaningless regular season games? The Knights are going to sleepwalk into the playoffs. Why not go full load management.

To be clear I'm not going to be spending my time worrying about any of this. I'm saying I would rather watch a player play in regular season games that mean something and head towards the playoffs.

There's no stakes in 4 Nations because it's something Bettman made up to make more money. It's 4 arbitrary teams. I couldn't care less if US beat Canada or Sweden or whomever. So naturally I don't want to see a player for my team get injured participating in something that is meaningless to me.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

I'm guessing Doughty (if healthy) or Weegar are next up.

Should depend on how Doughty looks once he's back playing.

 

[johnnyonthspot]

Can the league suspend players for opting out though?

I guess they could but as per Greg Wyshynski @wyshynski


NEWS: As players pull out of 4 Nations Face-Off, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly tells me the league will NOT apply the same policy it has for players that skip All-Star Game.Players who pull out of ASG must miss one game immediately before or after the break. Not so for 4NFO

Seriously Its so weird that people are rooting for this to fail. I hope everyone plays and plays hard. It would be awesome to watch.

I do not want it to fail. My greatest hockey memories are of the Canada and World Cups. I am just concerned others will follow Pieterangelo's precedent.

 

[syz]

Not the Golden Knight I expected to skip.

 

[moropanov]

Hmm but this still should be more interesting and better level hockey than NHL play offs. Still eventough Olympics are better have to wait year for that.

 

[Fatass]

Hmm but this still should be more interesting and better level hockey than NHL play offs. Still eventough Olympics are better have to wait year for that.

NHL playoffs are the best hockey. AP would definitely suit up for playoffs. Heck, he played 24 minutes last night!

 

[sxvnert]

Will we see other players do the same? Who will replace him? Does Pietrangelo return for Game 1 of the playoffs?

Pietrangelo sees this for the sad money grabbing tourney it really is. Its not the Olympics or best on best.

 

[Crosby2010]

Personally I have changed my tune on the tournament an am a little excited about it. It seems to have the makings of maybe being more competitive than I predicted. But like any fan this tournament's excitement hinges on the players excitement for it. If this is another All-Star game where Kucherov shows up drunk (okay, it was a little funny I guess) then it shows the players aren't into it, but rather are for the Olympics. However, a bubble player ought to be really into this tournament because that can hinge on them making the Olympic team. I am thinking since Pietrangelo is pulling out that Bouchard fills in. He's a right shot, he isn't as good defensively and certainly isn't quite at the two-way level of Pietrangelo, but he certainly has the offense from the back end and he can fill in nicely.

 

[WarriorofTime]

As an older player on a contending team, it makes sense he wouldn’t want to risk extra games.

 

[Realm]

Hope McDavid pulls put. Useless woke ass 4 team tournament.

Woke?

 

[Vegan Knight]

Boo hoo for him is he gets overlooked for the Canadian Olympic team.

He's got a gold medal, and a world cup win and a World Juniors gold. Best defenseman at a World Juniors and the World Championships. Was going to go to the Olympics if they had participated in 22. I'm pretty sure he's fine if he is done with international hockey.

 

[PanniniClaus]

He's got a gold medal, and a world cup win and a World Juniors gold. Best defenseman at a World Juniors and the World Championships. Was going to go to the Olympics if they had participated in 22. I'm pretty sure he's fine if he is done with international hockey.

I actually would have been very fine with that. Soccer players do it all the time. Announce you are retired from international play, and we will all move on.

 

[AtlantaHockeyFanatic]

It isn't best on best hockey when a lot of elite talent is prohibited from participating.

Dude who cares. Just enjoy the teams that will be there holy f**k.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Hope McDavid pulls put. Useless woke ass 4 team tournament.

It would be cool if Canadians could come up with their own slang words instead of coopting phrases from AAVE that they couldn’t use correctly if their lives depended on it

 

[lawrence]

Vegas Knights doin their LTIR thing again.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Vegas Knights doin their LTIR thing again.

See if Stone and Hill follow it. Hill and Theo have much more at stake.

Stone can get hurt taking a piss.

 

[Wats]

Hopefully lots of players withdraw.

Why?

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

If Pietro is so concerned about injury, why is he playing in so many meaningless regular season games? The Knights are going to sleepwalk into the playoffs. Why not go full load management.

Its going to be like that in the NHL sooner rather than later. Wouldn't surprise me if we see games played average go down to 65-70 ish in the next few years.

Respecting the sport is a thing of the past.