Five Colorado Avalanche players will represent their respective countries in the 4 Nations Face-Off with the final addition of Devon Toews to Team Canada on Wednesday.
Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar were initially named to Team Canada and Mikko Rantanen was part of the original lineup for Team Finland. Artturi Lehkonen will join Rantanen and Toews will join his defense partner along with the Avalanche’s top scorer.
Artturi Lehkonen Joins Mikko Rantanen on Team Finland for 4 Nations Face-Off
The 30-year-old blueliner has eight points in 22 games and has averaged 23:21 of ice time per game. His numbers are lower than expected coming off a 50-point 2023-24 season.
He played his 400th career NHL game on Oct. 22 and has battled injury throughout the season. He has missed four games and opted out of several practices to get rest and time to heal ailments.
“It’s not something that’s going to go away anytime soon,” Toews told Colorado Hockey Now’s Colleen Flynn last month. “It’s just something I gotta deal with.”
The Abbotsford, British Columbia native played all 82 games last season and only missed two the season before. He joined Sandis Ozolinsh and Makar as the only defensemen in Avalanche/Nordiques history to have three consecutive 50-point seasons (2021-24).