Jack Eichel has been starving. The 4 Nations Face-Off is his sustenance.
The Vegas Golden Knights center said he has waited years for another "best-on-best" hockey tournament for himself and his peers. "The generation of the players that are currently in the NHL haven't had that opportunity to all play together," he told ESPN.
The NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off brings together four hockey powers -- the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland -- in a midseason tournament played in Montreal and Boston. Now Eichel gets to wear the red, white and blue with Auston Matthews and Jack Hughes. Connor McDavid gets to wear the maple leaf next to Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby. William Nylander shares a Swedish locker room with Victor Hedman and Erik Karlsson. Aleksander Barkov can sling passes to Mikko Rantanen and Patrik Laine.
The players acknowledge the 4 Nations Face-Off is more borne out of necessity -- a combination of compressed scheduling and the conundrum of Russian participation -- than an ideal best-on-best event.
"Obviously it's not exactly what we want in terms of ... we're missing some great teams. I think of the Germany or Switzerland or the Czechs, so many different teams," McDavid told ESPN. "But it's just exciting to have best-on-best again. You know, four great teams. It'll be a pretty fun competition and a prelude to the Olympics."
How will the 4 Nations Face-Off play out, starting tonight with Canada vs. Sweden at Bell Centre?
Spoiler warning: It'll play out exactly like what I've written below. Or maybe it won't. Either way, enjoy 4 Nations!