Kevin Bieksa opines Team Canada players have an upper hand over Team USA during 4 Nations final in one key aspect 

By ARJUN B

Modified Feb 21, 2025 03:07 GMT

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Former player-turned-analyst Kevin Bieksa believes that Team Canada has an advantage over Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off final due to the amount of Stanley Cup winners on its roster.

Team Canada boasts an impressive 19 players who have won the Stanley Cup, with Shea Theodore, who is out due to injury, bringing that total to 20. Team captain Sidney Crosby alone has three Stanley Cup championships under his belt.

In contrast, Team USA only has three players who have won the coveted trophy – Matthew Tkachuk, Jack Eichel and Jake Guentzel.

Speaking on Sportsnet, Bieksa explained how this experience gives Team Canada an edge:

"It's perfectly distributed," Bieksa said. "It's two for the goalies, six for the D and 12 for the forwards. And what that means is you got guys that are used to playing in the big game and these big types of games, there's anxiety. There's pressure."

Bieksa also pointed out that making a simple tape-to-tape pass is much harder than it is during the regular season with a club team.

"So having that experience, that pedigree, knowing that you can make plays at the highest level in the most pressure, packed situations, that gives you comfort as a Canadian," he added.

Furthermore, Canada has seven players who have competed in a Stanley Cup Final Game 7 compared to just one for the Americans.

Bieksa believes this extensive Final experience for Canada could make the difference against a less seasoned Team USA group.

Analyst Justin Bourne on Team Canada's Stanley Cup experience

Analyst Justin Bourne pointed out that Stanley Cup experience could give Team Canada an edge over Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off final.

"They’ve [Team Canada] played in the big moments, felt the pressure and persevered. Sidney Crosby is tied for the tournament lead in points, and has the ability to calm the troops and not get lost in the moments when they come," Bourne said via Sportsnet.ca.

"If there are big mistakes in the final game, Canada's experience factor makes it feel less likely it'll come from their side," he added.

While the Americans did defeat Canada 3-1 earlier in the tournament, Bourne believes Canada's battle-tested stars like Crosby, Brayden Point and Brad Marchand will be prepared for the intensity of the rematch.