Connor Hellebuyck to start for United States in 4 Nations Face-Off against Finland
Connor Hellebuyck is set to start in net for the United States in its opening game of the 4 Nations Face-Off against Finland on Thursday night.
USA Hockey said Wednesday that the Winnipeg Jets goaltender would get the nod a few minutes after coach Mike Sullivan foreshadowed an announcement. The decision is not surprising given that Hellebuyck has been the best player at the position in the NHL this season and is on track to win the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goalie for the third time.
"He's very focused, he's very driven and obviously the results speak for themselves," U.S. forward Chris Kreider said. "He's just so fundamentally sound in net. There's not a lot to shoot at. When you think you have something, it gets taken away really quickly. All three of our goalies are incredible."
Top center Jack Eichel in the leadup to the tournament called the U.S. talent in net with Hellebuyck, Dallas' Jake Oettinger and Boston's Jeremy Swayman making the decision tough on coaches "a good problem to have." It really didn't seem like a difficult choice given how dominant Hellebuyck has been for the past few months.
Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk faced Hellebuyck and the Jets a lot when the pandemic spurred the creation of an all-Canadian division for the shortened 2021 season. He's happier to be playing with him for the U.S. than against him.
"They were never fun games when we had to play them," Tkachuk said. "He's just a rock star back there. He's an unbelievable player, and you can just tell how comfortable and confident he is."
Finland coach Antti Pennanen said Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators is his starter, citing the 29-year-old's experience and grit.
"He's a really good goalie, and of course we have three good goalies and it wasn't an easy call," Pennanen said. "But tomorrow we go with Juuse."
