TAMPA BAY – Three Tampa Bay Lightning forwards have been selected to participate in the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, as Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel will represent Team Canada, and Jake Guentzel will suit up for Team USA, the NHL announced today. In addition, Hockey Canada announced that the Lightning’s mental performance coach, Ryan Hamilton, will also join their staff.
Cirelli, 27, is off to the best offensive start of his NHL career with 10 goals and 23 points through Tampa Bay’s first 23 games. The Etobicoke, Ontario, native leads all Lightning skaters with a plus-11 rating and ranks second on the team for faceoffs with a 52 percent win percentage (minimum 200 faceoffs). His 23 points rank third among all Bolts skaters, while his 10 goals are tied for third and his 13 assists are good for fourth.
Hagel, 26, is also enjoying a career start to the season with 10 goals and 29 points through 23 games. Averaging a career-high 21:27 in time on ice per contest, Hagel ranks second among all Tampa Bay skaters for both assists and points, while his 23 even-strength points lead the team and are tied for the sixth in the NHL. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native recently recorded five assists in the Lightning’s 8-2 win on November 25 versus Colorado, tying the Tampa Bay franchise record for most assists in a single game.
After signing a seven-year contract with the Lightning on July 1, 2024, Guentzel has produced at a near point-per-game pace to begin his career in Tampa Bay. The Omaha, Nebraska, native has posted 10 goals and 22 points through his first 23 games with the Bolts, ranking tied for third for goals and tied for fifth for points among all Lightning skaters. Guentzel has also netted three power-play goals, ranking second on the team.
Following today’s announcement, the Lightning organization will have a total of eight representatives at the NHL 4 Nations Faceoff, following the previous announcements of Brayden Point, Jon Cooper (Head Coach) and Julien BriseBois (Assistant GM) representing Team Canada, as well as Victor Hedman representing Team Sweden.
