From Friends to Foes at 4 Nations | FEATURE

Very quickly, from one day to the next, several New Jersey Devils will turn from friends to foes before turning back into friends 10 days later.

Jack Hughes (USA), Jesper Bratt (SWE), Jacob Markstrom (SWE) and Erik Haula (FIN) were all named to their respective country's 23-man roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off, set to begin in Montreal on Feb. 12.

So now, with the rosters set and before the tournament actually starts, the friendly banter and chirping can begin.

“I might have to run him through the boards or something,” Haula joked on the NHL Network about seeing Bratt on the other side of the ice before adding: “Would love nothing more than to put a couple of pucks behind (Markstrom)."

For Bratt, this will be the first opportunity for true best-on-best hockey he'll play at the Men's level, and it has been a long time coming.

"It's something you've always dreamed of," Bratt said from his home in New Jersey. "I remember after my draft when I was watching the World Cup of Hockey, and I remember just dreaming to be in that situation, to play best-on-best in a tournament. So obviously, super, super excited. Very honored to be putting on the jersey and play a best-on-best tournament. I'm looking forward to it."

Markstrom, who is in his first year with New Jersey, now has first-hand knowledge of what it's like to be teammates with Bratt and just how valuable he is as a teammate. It's something Team Sweden will benefit from, he says.

"He's a perfect player for this kind of tournament," Markstrom said on the NHL's media availability shortly after the announcement was made. "He's coming to work; he's not leaving anything to chance. He's going to make sure that he's going to do everything he can to be ready and help Team Sweden be as successful as possible."

"With Bratter, you get a different view of him as a player," Markstrom added. "You've played against him, and you see the skill and whatever he does on the ice, and when you become teammates with the guy, you see what he does, all the work he puts in every day, and what kind of human being he is off the ice too."

The goalie pool for Sweden is deep. Markstrom joins Minnesota's Filip Gustavson and Ottawa's Linus Ullmark as the Three Crowns three goaltenders. Sweden head coach Sam Hallman has quite a choice ahead of him going into the short tournament.

"Filip has been playing unbelievable in Minnesota," Markstrom said, sizing up the trio. "And Ullmark is a world-class goalie, coming off one year ago winning the Vezina (...) I think goaltending, our job is to push eachother. Filip, Linus, and myself, we want to be in the net and play, but only Sam is going to have that tough decision to make come game-time, but that's part of it when you do this best-on-best tournament. We're here to push each other, it's a short tournament, two games, and you want to win them both to be able to play in the final. We're here to support the team and here to wear the Three Crowns proudly."

Haula, 33, last wore his national team jersey at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and looks forward to returning to the international stage with his home nation.

"Lots to be proud of," Haula said of representing Finland again. "It's such a proud country. I feel like we kind of bring that to the ice. We usually have a tight-knit group, that it's a team mentality and team-first and that's what's kept us successful on an international level. It will be exciting to see how we match with the best."

Those sentiments were echoed by Finnish head coach Antti Pennanen.

"In general, a Finnish player is a good team player," he said on his afternoon conference call. "I think we have a chance and are able to be a commitment team. I think the players they are excited. They are excited to be part of the team and this tournament. I think we're ready."

For now though, Hughes, Bratt, Haula and Markstrom have plenty of work to do together as the Devils still have plenty of games of their own leading up to the tournament.