Team Canada has bold response to Team USA wanting to bring in Quinn Hughes for final

Ever since Team USA blue liner Charlie McAvoy has been ruled out of the remainder of the tournament due to a bad infection to an upper-body injury, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes has been on standby for the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off. But whether he gets to be inserted in the American lineup for Thursday’s final against Canada remains to be seen.

Earlier on Wednesday, insider Chris Johnston reported how Team USA continues to work through the process of potentially bringing Hughes to Boston. Team USA general manager Bill Guerin confirmed that Hughes will skate with the Canucks again today, remaining in Vancouver until at least the afternoon.

McAvoy being sidelined reduced the U.S. to six healthy defensemen. Tournament rules are however clear. The rulebook states that teams can apply to bring in a player as emergency relief if they drop below the threshold of a half-dozen blue liners, 12 forwards or three goaltenders. Meaning that Hughes would not be allowed to practise with the U.S. unless his country drops below the defence threshold with another injury or illness.

We saw the almost exact situation with Team Canada earlier in the tournament when defenseman Thomas Harley was added to the roster for its game against the Americans on Saturday in Montreal after Shea Theodore sustained a brual upper-body injury and Cale Makar fell sick, leaving the Canadians with five available members of the defence corps. Harley was removed from the roster after Makar recovered.

Speaking of Team Canada, when they were asked about the possibility of the U.S. bringing in Hughes for the finale, none of the them had an issue with it. In fact, per Pierre LeBrun:

“Team Canada has no issue with Quinn Hughes joining Team USA but the NHL again today says it’s status quo as far as Hughes not being able to play unless there’s an injury/illness to another Team USA D.”

In the Team USA’s dressing room, Jack Hughes revealed how he’s been texting with his brother, Quinn, about whether he’ll join Team USA.

“I know it’s an interesting situation. We’ll see what happens.”

When the roster was first announced, Quinn Hughes was part of it, but had to vacate his spot, dropping out due to injury. The decision to opt out of the tournament wasn’t easy.

“Not to be dramatic, but it was extremely hard. I mean, it’s been something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time,” he said.

“Really what it came down to, I just wasn’t healthy enough where I wasn’t sure that I could get worse. And I felt like I couldn’t be crawling back to Vancouver at the end of that tournament, where now I’m missing more Canucks games.”

Quinn Hughes is now so close to perhaps reinserting himself into Team USA, and even Canada is fine with it.
However, the NHL is the one with the final call.