Sam Reinhart lived out a childhood dream in June.
The Florida Panthers sharpshooter is hoping for another memorable moment this winter.
Reinhart sits among a group of players looking to grab roster spots for the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off — the league's first foray into international hockey since the 2016 World Cup.
Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland make up the field for the tournament set to run Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston.
The countries have each already announced six names on preliminary rosters, including Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid for Canada and Toronto Maple Leafs counterpart Auston Matthews for the U.S. But the remaining places have yet to be filled for an event that should serve as an appetizer for the league's return to the Olympics in 2026.
Reinhart said that while his aim is to make Canada's contingent, playing well coming off last season's 57-goal output and Cup victory is the starting point.
"You don't park it, it's something that drives me," said the winger. "As an athlete, you're always looking, 'Where can you get to next?' (The 4 Nations) is something on my mind."
Oilers forward Zach Hyman said his approach won't change following a 54-goal campaign with the event's roster deadline set for Dec. 2.
"There are great hockey minds figuring that stuff out," said Hyman, who plays alongside McDavid in the Alberta capital. "It'd be a huge honour."
Buffalo Sabres defenceman Rasmus Dahlin suited up in two games for Sweden as a youngster at the 2018 Olympics — an event the NHL skipped for business reasons before COVID-19 scuttled plans in 2022 after going to five straight Games between 1998 and 2014 — but is eager for the big stage.
"Means everything for me," he said. "I will do everything I can to be on the team."
"Gonna let my play do the talking," added Utah Hockey Club captain Clayton Keller, a U.S. hopeful. "If I play well and play how I can, that'll be an easy decision."
There have been plenty of projected lineups floating around since the 4 Nations' first 24 players were announced in June. The likes of Reinhart, Hyman, Dahlin and Keller have appeared on most, but there's another group of talent further down each country's pecking order competing for the remaining spots.
"Nice to be considered," said St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas, who's in the mix for Canada. "It's a bucket list thing."
Los Angeles Kings centre Quinton Byfield said it's his job to create difficult decisions.
"There's so many good Canadian players," he said. "Going to be super hard to make."
Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki has thought a lot about what it would be like representing his country on home soil at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
"You want to be on that team," he said. "I just want to carve out a role."
But Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Jaccob Slavin said solid or even impressive showings over the first eight weeks of the NHL schedule might not be enough for some hopefuls.
"Coaches know who they want," said the American-born blueliner. "Sometimes it's the right fit, and sometimes it's not … they know who they hate playing against."
Dallas Stars centre Wyatt Johnston said it would be "nerve-racking" to walk into Canada's locker room at 21 years old.
"Guys I've been watching play for a long time," he said of McDavid, Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon et al. "It would be pretty awesome not having to play against them, and get a chance to play with them."
Reinhart said continuing to grind as the young season progresses is all any player can truly control.
"Hopefully have that honour to represent the country," he said. "Ultimately, not my choice. You can't focus on the end result.
"But you can certainly focus on what drives you to put yourself in the best position to be there."
THE REST GET A REST
Players from the countries not included in the 4 Nations will get a significant mid-season break to recharge ahead of the push down the back half of the NHL schedule.
Russia isn't part of the setup because of the war in Ukraine, while Czechia and Germany are also on the outside due to the showcase's compressed time frame.
"Going to take the 11-day break," said Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl of Germany. "I will take it, but I'd like to be playing."
FIRST-PLACE FLAMES
The Calgary Flames weren't expected to do much this season — at least from outside.
The departure of several key veterans, including goaltender Jacob Markstrom, over the last 12 months saw the organization pivot to a rebuild.
With tough times expected, the Flames have instead opened 2024-25 with four straight victories, including Sunday's 4-1 road win over McDavid's struggling Oilers and Tuesday's 3-1 home triumph over Connor Bedard's Chicago Blackhawks that has Calgary alone atop the Pacific Division.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.
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Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press