Drew Doughty makes his feelings known over possibly replacing $61,600,000 star for Team Canada at 4 Nations Face-Off

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Jan 27, 2025 18:38 GMT

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Drew Doughty is still hoping to play in the 4 Nations Face-Off after Alex Pietrangelo's withdrawal. Pietrangelo withdrew from the tournament due to an undisclosed injury. He plays for the Vegas Golden Knights and is preparing for the rest of the NHL season.

Pietrangelo signed a seven-year $61.6 million contract with Vegas in October 2020. He has been productive this season, scoring three goals and 25 points while averaging over 22 minutes of ice time.

With Pietrangelo unavailable, Team Canada general manager Don Sweeney is looking at other players to fill his spot. One of the options is Doughty, who is a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

“Yeah, I'm still hoping that I have that outside chance to play the 4 Nations," Doughty said on Sunday, via Hockey Royalty's Russell Morgan. "So, I haven't. I don't want a break. I want to play. So, we will see what happens.”

With Pietrangelo out, Doughty sees an opportunity to take his spot on Team Canada.

Drew Doughty's situation with an ankle injury

Drew Doughty is recovering from a broken ankle suffered in the preseason and has not played in a regular-season game. However, he has been practicing and is eager to play.

The 4 Nations Face-Off will be on Feb. 12-20, with games in Montreal and Boston. Doughty is hoping for a chance to be part of the tournament, but his participation depends on his recovery.

Elliotte Friedman talked about Alex Pietrangelo’s withdrawal

On the Jan. 7 episode of the "32 Thoughts" podcast, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman talked about Alex Pietrangelo’s withdrawal from the 4 Nations Face-Off. Friedman explained that Pietrangelo plays a lot and has a big role with the Vegas Golden Knights, so it's understandable if he needs rest.

"When Vegas came through Toronto earlier this year, I asked him about it, and he said, 'You know, I'm healthy now, so that's not an issue,'" Friedman said. "But players get banged up like, there's no reason to believe there's anything nefarious going on here... And I think it's perfectly understandable, especially a guy who plays as much and has a big role as Pietrangelo."

On Monday, NHL insider Jesse Granger reported that Pietrangelo was warming up for Vegas.

"Alex Pietrangelo is on the ice for warm ups for Vegas, so whatever ailment is holding him out of 4 Nations appears to be something he can play through for NHL games," Granger tweeted.

Friedman also mentioned Jacob Markström and William Karlsson's concerns. New Jersey Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom has a sprained MCL and Golden Knights forward William Karlsson is dealing with a lower-body injury.