Major Development in Team Canada's Emergency Standby Defenseman Following Cale Makar's Illness
Team Canada came away winners in game one of the Four Nations, and now, their lineup may be about to receive a huge change with illness to Cale Makar.
The Four Nations Face Off is set for the biggest game of the tournament on Saturday night as Team Canada are set to take on the United States, with the team already making one change, as Sam Bennett is set to take his spot in the lineup for the big game.
Now, they've got some clarity on their defensive depth, as the NHL have officially ruled on their replacement for Shea Theodore, but it's not all good news for Canada's squad.
While Thomas Harley was originally not able to join the team, that has now changed according to Elliotte Friedman, as he has been permitted to join the team as Cale Makar deals with illness, which could potentially force another huge change to the lineup for this critical matchup.
The 23-year old Dallas Stars defenseman has been fantastic over the past two years, and after all of the controversy about the teams selection on the blue line, he may now potentially slot in with Makar's availability now in question.
This will be a massive shift for Canada who will take on the mighty US team, who come into this one on the back of six goals against Finland, but with a much deeper defensive core, they'll have optimism that they can have much more success in this matchup.
Ultimately, the way the league went about this entire situation was utterly confusing, as the rule was a player couldn't come into camp until they were absolutely necessary, so while Makar may or may not miss the game, if he does, the team now have a very intriguing option in Harley to replace him.
![Feb 12, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the return of the World Cup in 2028 before a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/528410.webp "Feb 12, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the return of the World Cup in 2028 before a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images")
![Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates with defenseman Zach Werenski (8) his goal against Team Finland in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/528399.webp "Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates with defenseman Zach Werenski (8) his goal against Team Finland in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images")
![Feb 12, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada forward Brad Marchand (63) waits for a face-off against Team Sweden in the first period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/528290.webp "Feb 12, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada forward Brad Marchand (63) waits for a face-off against Team Sweden in the first period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images")
![Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates with Team USA forward Auston Matthews (34) his goal against Team Finland in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/528113.webp "Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates with Team USA forward Auston Matthews (34) his goal against Team Finland in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images")
