Lafreniere making case for Canada roster at 4 Nations Face-Off

TORONTO -- Alexis Lafreniere thinks it’s “cool” that he’s being watched.

And not just by a national television audience on "Hockey Night in Canada" on Saturday, one that saw the Saint-Eustache, Quebec native score the opening goal in a 4-1 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.

The patience the 23-year-old showed in waiting out Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz from the high slot before snapping in his third goal of the season at 11:44 of the first period was yet another example to viewers in his home country of just how much his game has ascended in the past 13 months.

No wonder he’s on the radar of Canada officials as a candidate for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, the tournament featuring teams from Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland that runs February 12-20 at Montreal’s Bell Centre and TD Garden in Boston.

“That’s always cool,” he said. “Obviously, those events are fun to watch. You never know what can happen. I’ll try to keep playing my game. My focus is here, try to help the team win, and play some good hockey.”

He’s been doing exactly that, especially since Peter Laviolette took over as Rangers coach on June 13, 2023.

Under Laviolette’s watch, Lafreniere set career highs in goals (28), assists (29) and points (57) last season, only six of which came on the power play. Still lacking a regular spot with the man-advantage this season, he’s still off to an impressive start with six points (three goals, three assists) in five games.

Where Lafreniere’s growth as a player really shone was during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when he had 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 16 games and appeared to flourish in tight-checking games where real estate out on the ice was at a premium.

“For me it’s more of a confidence thing with him that was built up from last year to him maybe being one of our best players in the playoffs,” Laviolette said. “And some of the things he was doing in the playoffs, you’d have to be carrying some confidence to try and pull off some of the stuff that he did successfully.

“He’s just seemed to pick up this year where he left off last year.”

Laviolette pointed to Lafreniere’s goal against the Maple Leafs as an example of that.

“That’s the type of patience he showed last year in a lot of different situations including the playoffs,” he said. “He made some plays that were pretty special.

“And so, for me, that’s a confidence thing.”

One that could help him one day represent Canada in best-on-best competition in the not-so-distant future.