Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield addressed his exclusion from Team USA’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster during a media availability after Sunday’s practice.
While the snub surprised some fans considering Caufield is the top American goal-scorer so far this season with 17 goals in 27 games, he took the Team USA decision in stride.
“Honestly, it’s been a couple of days. I am kinda over it,” Caufield said. “Obviously, going to keep working, doesn’t change much for me. Will still be cheering them, too.”
When asked if Team USA management provided an explanation, Caufield chose not to criticize those at the helm.
“I am not really going to comment on that,” Caufield said. “They got tough decisions to make too. So at the end of the day, it is what it is.
”I’m still going to keep playing and do my thing.”
The 4 Nations Face-Off, scheduled for Feb. 12-20, will feature a roster packed with star power, including Jack Hughes, Auston Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk. Despite his absence, Caufield remains one of the NHL’s most electrifying young talents, making his exclusion a surprising decision.
Team USA general manager Bill Guerin stood by the selections, acknowledging the challenges in narrowing down the roster with so many talented players to choose from.
“You look at the names, this is an incredible group,” Guerin said on “NHL on TNT” on Wednesday. “This is as good as it’s ever been. There are a lot of difficult decisions along the way, but that comes with the territory. This is the group that we feel is going to give us the best chance to win.”
Caufield, only 23 years old, is the only player younger than 27 with more than 15 goals this season, and his 25 total points are tied for 46th in the NHL.
The Canadiens, however, could be doing much more to help Caufield as the franchise is dead last in the Eastern Conference standings. They boast a putrid 10-14-3 record and have 23 points in 27 games played through Sunday.