Team Canada makes final lineup changes ahead of opener vs. Sweden

Canada held an optional skate on Wednesday ahead of the opener against Team Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. Fans got a better look at the lineup expected for tonight’s game.

Head coach Jon Cooper had already confirmed that Jordan Binnington will get the start. Binnington is the oldest of the three options at 31, with netminders Adam Hill and Samuel Montembeault both set to turn 29 later this year. Binnington won the Stanley Cup in 2019 with the Blues, and has a 2.89 goals-against average and .896 save percentage this season. He holds a 15-9-4 record through 39 games.

On Wednesday, it was confirmed that Hill will backup Binnington tonight, with Montembeault being one of Canada’s scratches tonight.

On Tuesday, it was believed that Sam Bennett could draw into the lineup seeing that Philadelphia Flyers’ Travis Konecny was not on the ice for Canada’s practice because he is dealing with an illness.

However, he was back on Wednesday and is expected to play against Sweden, meaning that Bennett and Travis Sanheim will be Canada’s scratches tonight as well.

Captain Sidney Crosby also told media he was indeed playing vs. Sweden. His status had been in question due to an upper-body injury suffered last week while playing with the Pittsburgh Penguins against the New Jersey Devils .

Here is the full projected lineup for tonight with the return of Konecny:

Reinhart - McDavid - Marner
Stone - Crosby - MacKinnon
Marchand - Point - Jarvis
Hagel - Konecny - Cirelli
Bennett

Toews - Makar
Morrissey - Parayko
Theodore - Doughty
Sanheim

Binnington
Hill
Montembeault