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Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski excited to play 'best-on-best' at 4 Nations
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- Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski excited to play 'best-on-best' at 4 Nations
Zach Werenski was just about to start his first NHL training camp with the Blue Jackets when the league last had its players compete in a best-on-best international tournament.
It was the 2016 World Cup of Hockey , which was held in Toronto and included Nationwide Arena as a pre-tournament host for the U.S. national team's camp and an exhibition against Canada. Like many top young players at the time, Werenski assumed he'd eventually get a shot to compete for the U.S. at a world cup or in the Winter Olympics, but the NHL hasn't held a World Cup since 2016 and didn't send players to the past two Olympics in 2018 and 2022.
At age 27, Werenski is finally getting a chance to represent the U.S. during a best-on-best competition at the 4 Nations Face-Off that starts Wednesday in Montreal with a game between Sweden and Canada.
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"I always thought I'd get a chance to do that, and the next thing you know, there's no World Cups or Olympics or any of that," Werenski said. "It's definitely unfortunate, but I think now we're at a good place and we're getting that best-on-best schedule back, and I think it's great for the game. I'm just excited for it."
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Werenski left Sunday for Montreal and started practices with the U.S. team on Monday. The U.S. will play Finland on Thursday night before facing Canada on Saturday in what's sure to be an intense game with a raucous crowd. The tournament will then shift to Boston for the final games, including a Feb. 20 championship game.
"I'm just excited to get there and play that first game against Finland," Werenski said. "Obviously, the big game is USA-Canada, but you look at the four teams now and anyone can win it. You look at their forward group on Finland, and they have some of the best players in the world. So, I'm just excited to get into that first game and see what it's all about, and then we'll worry about Canada after that."
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) takes the puck from Philadelphia Flyers right wing Bobby Brink (10) during the second period of the NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Jan. 14, 2025.
Werenski is expected to start off skating with Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy on the U.S. team's second pairing. He and McAvoy played with the U.S. National Team Development Program as teens and have remained friends.
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Werenski is familiar with most players on the U.S. roster, including close friendships with Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin , Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews , Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor and New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes — all part of the offseason group he skates with in Detroit. As much as the games, Werenski is excited to go through another tournament with familiar faces, including former Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella , a U.S. assistant coach.
"It's just the anticipation of getting there and seeing the buzz of the city," Werenski said. "It's (starting) in Montreal, which is going to be sweet. It's just getting that feeling of best-on-best and putting the 'USA' jersey on. It's a great honor, so I'm just excited for it."
Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski passes the puck against the Rangers on Saturday.
Werenski is putting together the best season of his career for the Blue Jackets, including a team-high 59 points and 21-game home point streak that has put his name among some of the league's all-time best defensemen, including Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey and Phil Housley.
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He'd love for that success to continue for the U.S., but individual success isn't Werenski's top priority in this tournament. His focus is winning.
"I haven't done it before," Werenski said. "I haven't been on a team like this, with this much skill, so I'm just going to try and do whatever I can to help the team win. You've got a lot of guys who are on the first power play for their teams who are going to go there and not be on the first power play, so it's just embracing that and doing whatever you can to help the team win."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets Zach Werenski eager to link up with US stars at 4 Nations Face-Off
