The fear that everyone had coming in happened, and Vegas are the first who will be forced to live with the fallout.
In the very first game of the 4 Nations Faceoff, Shea Theodore suffered an injury to his hand and/or wrist that quickly ruled him out for the rest of the game and subsequently the remainder of the tournament. The Golden Knights have since announced that he’s out week-to-week. Without question, this exact scenario is what had Golden Knights fans hesitant to truly throw their support, attention, or desire towards the first best-on-best tournament since the franchise’s inception.
There’s no way around it, what happened to Shea sucks. As the head coach of Team Canada said, “it’s a big blow,” “it’s heartbreaking for the kid,” and “a tough one to swallow.”
But this outcome should not condemn the tournament. The play in which Theodore was injured was as normal of a hockey play as you’ll find in any game during the preseason, regular season, playoffs, or even the Stanley Cup Final. It could have happened last week in VGK’s last game before the break or it could have happened the first game when the team comes back. The fact that it happened while Theodore was not wearing a Golden Knights jersey cannot be the sole reason to make a sweeping and selfish generalization on the event as a whole.
And the reason for this is because of what was on display in that game. The level of hockey, the emotion, the pride, and the spectacle of it all was incredible. It wasn’t an exhibition game. It wasn’t meaningless. It was a highly skilled battle between two sets of elite players competing because it’s what is best for the sport. Games like these will hook people to hockey. New fans and more importantly new players will rise the tides of all hockey ships.
And it’s not even like Golden Knights fans were robbed of what came with that game. Sidney Crosby, the league’s best player for nearly a decade, made an incredible pass to Vegas’ captain, and he fired one home to give his country a two goal lead.
In sports that are played by people around the globe, international events are vital to the success and future of a sport. National pride is seductive because there’s no choosing of teams. No matter who you are, you know which group you support. It brings people together in ways league sports cannot. The sense of pride is unmatched, and it was on right there on the television to be seen in last night’s game.
This tournament does not have history. The trophy is not a relic. But, it has to start somewhere. For nine years hockey went without an event that pitted the best players in the world competing against each other for national dominance. Now, we have something. It’s not perfect for so many different reasons, but it’s the beginning of what can and probably will become a massive part of the landscape of the sport.
This time, the Golden Knights are on the wrong end of the necessary side-effects that come with such an event. What we got to watch last night was bigger and better than any game that has been played this season. This tournament and what it will pave the way for in the future is great for hockey, and thus, in turn, will be great for the Vegas Golden Knights. Be sad, be mad, be disappointed, but don’t be selfish enough to let it overshadow the bigger picture. The game itself is why we are all such fanatics about it, and the game deserves the best. International hockey is a part of that and just because it hasn’t been during the time Vegas has existed as part of it, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t.
Jeffrey M Sutton
Perfect! Salary Cap circumnavigation time. Load up the roster for the playoffs.
Vic
I condemn the tournament. As many here feared…..risk of injury not worth it. Shutting the league down for 2 weeks, with select players going all out, throws the league out of balance. A tournament missing some of the league’s best is a head scratcher. Like having an All Star game without Jordan, Bird, Mays, Ruth, etc. Winning this tournament means nothing except for some national pride for the guys playing (Olympics does this). Bad idea from start to finish.
ThG
RIGHT ON VIC- IT’S BULL SHIT
Emmanuel
Olympics or Cup, nothing else matters.
Josh
Ridiculous take. NO sport should have meaningless games mid-season. It is a marketing stunt and can only hurt players. It is not like you see players get healthy playing games. They need R&R and if it was possible for an owner to ban players from these stupid scrimmages they would provide a huge advantage for their team. What a joke.
ThG
right on JOSH
JB
Funny, that all the players and fans wanted this tourney, yet some of you throwing out complaints and crying about it. I’m looking forward to Jack and the boys playing for the USA tonight. GoUSA!
ThG
“Funny, that all the players and fans wanted this” wrong again numbnuts, you don’t know how to read.
NAM
I don’t agree at all. If they would have had this tournament in the off season great, but mid-season is stupid. Theo is out for weeks now, at the very least. Stone is always questionable to make the full season so no rest period is a bad thing. For all of them, not getting a reset in the middle of the season is nuts. I don’t expect the well rested Holtz to finally figure out the NHL game, this team needs its vets. Anyway, I am against this whole tournament during the season. I would must rather my team make the playoffs first and foremost and then actually be cup contenders. I think this doesn’t help either one of those.
ThG
RIGHT ON NAM
HOW SELFISH IS THEO FEELING NOW ? AND FO. BAD IDEA
Leonard Wise
Terrible take, these are the best players on each team and it’s just before the playoffs.
Imagine losing Eichel and Stone also I’m a season ticket holder and I would want a refund. This tournament needs to happen after the cup. Your primary obligation is to the team and fans that foot the bill.
ThG
RIGHT ON LW
ThG
Shea Theodore is expected to be out week-to-week due to the upper-body injury he sustained at the 4Nations Face-Off. Translation, last week of March or first week of April
JB
There ya go, we needed that LTIR for the trade deadline. Plus maybe we put in one of our other two guys that actually play defense. It’s funny, the players and the real hockey fans aren’t crying about this. Go USA!
NAM
Dude you’re such a real hockey fan!
Emmanuel
The realest! For real!
ThG
yes a real nut job
hdbiker7851
Ken – I am not sure what you’re drinking but it is clouding your senses, The tournament is a hair brain idea and it’s hard to believe you are buying in to the high risk no reward that NHL is peddling. What a bunch of BS about how wonderful it is- that’s a joke in the first order. No one is a bigger hockey fan than I but I am also a realist when it comes to business – as owners I am surprised, they even agree to this foolishness. They like the players have nothing to gain and potentially, proven out last night, everything to lose
Philip Anderson
The NHL had no choice as the PLAYERS demanded international best on best play in their collective bargaining agreement. Simply put the players put playing for their country over the NHL.
larry
I too was mystified, perplexed and in wonderment about this article. I recognize and respect it his perspective, opinion and take on this matter, but I simply cant see how it could possibly be justified.
It may be a matter of pride and love and fighting for the country name emblazoned on the jerseys, but what takes precedence over everything is the pride and love for the organization that signs your checks, to the Front Office, to yourself and most importantly to every guy in that locker room that is your teammate, to the only ultimate goal every one of them strives for at the beginning of Training Camp, and that is to lift the Cup towards the end of June….NOTHING ELSE MATTERS!!
The hockey God
Foley must be having a shit fit losing his multi million dollar player !
Philip Anderson
Sorry fellow Hockey Fans … we don’t get a voice in this. Past, Present, Future Players get the ONLY vote that counts. To the point that they demanded best on best international play in their NHL collective bargaining agreement with the ‘it’s a business” owners. The “Owners” who really don’t give a shit about the future of the game just the value of their asset. The PLAYERS are THE GAME which everything else revolves. They can play for many NHL teams in their careers but only ONE country. Next year’s Olympic Games will be the epic showdown for international hockey after such a long hiatus. So no, this 4 teamer is not meaningless nor will the Olympics be, as the Players have spoken.
JB
Ya know, the players make no extra money for playing in the playoffs, going for the cup. Do you think any of them would set that out? NO! These tourneys ARE important to the players, getting to play with and against other top players. So, quit the bitching and crying. Go Jack and USA!
Hdbiker7851
You are as confused as Ken. The Olympics is one thing this feasco is a another story.
JB
No it’s not. You are confused. What part of: The players wanted this, don’t you understand? This is a prep for the Olympics. I’ll go with the players (and fans) wishes over yours!
Hdbiker7851
Do you believe all the BS the players and the association really wanted this – The NHL wanted this and sold it as prep for Olympics, with the bottom line the $$$$$$ it will bring in. What makes you think those participating will even be around for the Olympics? In all due respect take your head out of the sand.
ThG
bj is a numb nuts poster, he wanted to blow off head of political leaders. The poster is a whack job.
ThG
spot on HD, the poster’s head is up their smelly butt
JB
Also, the players union is what pushed for this tourney in preparation for the Olympics next year that the players want to play in. I suppose some of you will whine about that too!
JB
USA explodes in the third to beat the Fins. Jack a couple asst. the KaFuck brothers two goals each. A spirited physical game. Fins vs Sweden and USA vs Canada on Saturday. Should be two good games! Go USA!
ThG
A couple of FIn players took a run at Eichel , numbnuts.
JB
How do you know? Thought you weren’t watching this? What a fraud you are!
ThG
Don’t put words on my post that aren’t there, numb nuts.
ThG
https://x.com/iAnonPatriot/status/1890196961837617628
ICE is the bo$$
ThG
https://www.foxnews.com/media/independent-voters-show-significant-disapproval-democratic-antics-against-president-trump
Donald J Trump
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Sheas Father
Shea Theodore is awful defensively. He is great on the odd man rush and contributing to the offense, but defensively he could be replaced with a orange cone for the all the good he does.
He can single handedly sink the team giving the puck away on all the teams that forecheck, but seldomly will he win for the team by his own merit. He is without a doubt the most overrated blue liner in the league.