It’s finally here! A match that has always dazzled hockey lovers! On Saturday night, the Bell Centre in Montreal becomes the battleground as Team USA and Team Canada go head-to-head in the 4 Nations Face-Off. The last time these two met at the Olympics was in Beijing 2022 where the Americans emerged victorious in the 4-2 match, but later they were defeated by Slovenia in the quarterfinal round. Now, with redemption on Canada’s mind and pride on the line in a true NHL-flavored best-on-best competition, the teams could not have had any higher stakes. But wait. Some changes in the line-up just before the start of the game is not something that the fans like.

Right before the game started, Hockey Canada hit X with a game-changing update, dropping the news: “Cale Makar will not play tonight, but remains eligible for the tournament. Brad Marchand will serve as an alternate captain tonight.” Marchand stepping up? That’s some classic veteran grit right there. But still, tough break for Team Canada and its fans.

And shortly after that Hockey Canada followed up with another X post: “ROSTER UPDATE | Thomas Harley has been added to the roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off.” Talk about a last-minute roster shuffle! Buckle up, because this tourney is already serving up some serious drama.

Fans weren’t thrilled about this one, and honestly, who could blame them? One user expressed the level of panic when they said, “makar not playing is actually a nightmare now I’m scared.” And let’s be real—when Colorado Avalanche’s star, Cale Makar is missing from one of the most high-stakes 4 Nations Face-Off games, it’s enough to send chills down any Canadian hockey fan’s spine.

After all, this gentleman has been causing quite a stir right from the moment he joined the NHL season in 2019-2020. Right from the start, he was not just great; he was dynamite, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s best rookie. So yeah, missing him in 4 Nations Face-Off? That’s a tough pill to swallow. However, this was just the beginning as many other users raised the concerns!

4 Nations Face-Off’s roster shake-up concerns fans!

One fan summarized it in a few words: “Cale Makar being out not good.” But why is Makar not present in this epic 4 Nations Face-Off? Well, per Sleeper NHL, they pulled the news on X before the puck drop, saying, “Cale Makar (illness) is OUT for tonight’s 4 Nations game against the United States.” Tough break, especially since Makar—yep, the 2022 Norris Trophy winner, and the man who was the main driving force behind Colorado’s Stanley Cup win, was a game-time decision after missing Friday’s practice due to illness.

Another fan kept it real, saying, “In for a tough night without Cale Makar & no Theodore.” And yeah, no lies detected. Makar’s absence is a kick in the gut, but let’s not forget–this is not the only loss Canada has to face. As it was reported by NHL.com, Shea Theodore has been ruled out for the rest of the 4 Nations Face-Off. The reason? An upper-body injury that he sustained during the Canada’s close call 4-3 OT win against Sweden at Bell Centre last week. Thus, with two of its top blueliners out of the picture, Canada’s defense has become a lot more shallow.

But wait—there’s more! One fan commented, “Cale Makar is the best defenseman in the world by a pretty wide margin imo. Replacing him with Harley is a massive downgrade. That’s not a shot at Harley but a testament to how irreplaceable Makar is.” In other words, they are stating that it is impossible to replace a player like Makar in 4 Nations Face-Off without experiencing a loss. Sure, Harley just recently signed a two-year, $8 million extension with the Dallas Stars, still, the loss of Makar didn’t seem right with the fans.

The disappointment is so real that one fan even threw in the towel early, saying, “OOF Congrats USA on the W.” But hey, this is hockey. Anything can happen, and until that final buzzer sounds, it’s still anyone’s game!