With Alex Pietrangelo sidelined, Shea Theodore injured, and now star defenseman Cale Makar ill, Team Canada is desperately seeking to shore up its defense corps for the high-profile 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament. The league and NHLPA mutually agreed to grant a waiver to Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley to play for Team Canada in the event that Makar is not healthy enough to take to the ice Saturday night, confirmed NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun was the one to break it on Friday, reporting that Harley is cleared to play in emergency situations.

This contingency plan highlights the preemptive action of the NHL and NHLPA to ensure a competitive Team Canada in spite of a cumulative roster problem. The rules of the tournament, in that each team is limited to a 23-man roster provide for emergency additions only when a team is below a minimum of fewer than six healthy defensemen. With injuries and illness piling up, everybody counts.

The urgency of the situation is underscored by the swift turnaround of events over the course of a few days. Shea Theodore’s injury in Canada’s win over Sweden—where he logged fewer than seven minutes of ice time before a clean hit by Adrian Kempe ended his tourney—is set to put Team Canada in a position to adapt in a hurry.

Theodore’s loss, combined with a rumored illness to Cale Makar, is having management scrambling to scrounge up substitutes. Travis Sanheim is already in Montreal and is going to take his place in the lineup, but his presence is not enough to meet all defensive requirements.

With limited options, Harley is the rational choice for Team Canada

Thomas Harley, a defenseman of 23 years old with a background in physical play and power-play playmaking, was already making trips to Boston in a backup role. With the injury to Makar getting worse, Harley’s status has been elevated to a key member of Canada’s defense corps. With his background of playing for Canada in the under-18s and World Juniors, he is a natural fit to be called in to provide a boost to the team when there is a need for depth.

The tournament’s strict roster rules have been a point of discussion among managers. Initially, emergency provisions were only to be activated when a team’s healthy numbers fell below 18 skaters or two goaltenders. However, in light of the unfolding injury crisis, the rules were tweaked to focus specifically on defensemen—ensuring that teams do not have to play with fewer than six healthy blueliners. “We have told them they can identify and notify a player that he would be ‘next up,’” Daly explained to The Athletic, stressing that the standby player remains off the ice until absolutely necessary.

Additional pressure is also created by having this tournament co-sanctioned by the NHL and NHLPA, making decisions on the roster more sophisticated in nature. With the looming 2026 Milan Olympics, every decision on the roster is not only critiqued in terms of short-term impact but also in terms of long-term international repercussions. The swift cooperation between the league, players’ union, and Hockey Canada speaks to a collective willingness to put a competitive team on the ice even when circumstances are less than ideal. As Canada is to face Team USA in a highly touted matchup that is of great interest to fans and media, having Thomas Harley in reserve is a comfortable safety net. Despite a torrent of injuries and illness, Team Canada’s leadership is to employ every means at their disposal. With everyone’s attention in Boston, a dramatic showdown is to be a question of depth, resilience, and quick decision-making.