The tension between Team USA and Team Canada in international hockey is well international. Like a simmering pot—always on the verge of boiling over, careful don’t melt the ice fellas. And when the two of the best players in the world — Canada’s Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon — are attacking your net with what feels like reckless abandon, it’s legendary. Team USA will be dealing with the same threat again after Feb. 15th, for the championship game of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Minnesota Wild defenseman has a tough job to keep them at bay. And when push comes to shove, the 22-year-old is there.

Mr. 14, Brock Faber knows he’s in for a war on the ice, but if his pregame words are any indication, he’s more than battle ready. Faber and Matt Boldy already left their mark in the earlier 3-1 win over Canada, each notching an assist. Now, with gold on the line, they’re looking to do it again. During warmups, NHL Network caught the Maple Grove native with a question that pulled at his roots: “What would 15-year-old Brock say about playing in this game for Team USA? His response? Short, sharp, and straight to the heart of the rivalry.”

“He’d tell me he hates Canada.” No mincing words, no sugarcoating. Just a savage 22-year-old defenseman embracing the fire that fuels this decades-old feud. In simple terms, Brock Faber doesn’t do pleasantries when it comes to Canada. Not before the game, not during it, and certainly not after. Faber has every reason to lean into the fire. He and his defensive partner, Jaccob Slavin, have been Team USA’s backbone, a pairing designed for one job—making life miserable for Canada’s top forwards.

And they’ve done it well. In the Americans’ 3-1 win over Canada earlier on Feb. 15th, Faber logged 25:19 of ice time, second only to Slavin’s 25:36. They each blocked three shots, disrupted zone entries, and made sure every Canadian forward trying to slip behind the blue line paid for it. With the gold medal on the line, their mission doesn’t change.

“Blocking shots, picking up sticks, boxing out, trying to get (Hellebuyck) to see it,” Faber said. “There’s a lot that goes into it, and (Canada) is so dangerous off the rush, and the odd-man rush, so we’re trying to limit that. It’s what we did (Saturday) and what we’re going to try to do again.” For a team that thrives in transition, Canada can be suffocating when given space. Limiting those opportunities means winning the battles along the boards, breaking up plays before they start, and keeping the game inside the trenches, where USA has had the upper hand.

Brock Faber hasn’t just embraced the challenge—he’s relished it. He has two assists in three games, one of only two Team USA defensemen with a point, alongside tournament leader Zach Werenski. Thursday night’s goal will be to become U.S.’s last line of defense and not allow the puck to get to goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

But his impact isn’t measured in offensive stats. It’s in…

Brock Faber’s defense is his true stat sheet—and Team USA knows it

You won’t always find Brock Faber’s impact in a highlight reel or on the score sheet, but make no mistake—his fingerprints are all over the game. His brilliance lies in the little things: closing gaps before they become breakaways, snuffing out passing lanes before they turn into assists, and turning what should be prime scoring chances into nothing more than a frustrating shift for his opponents.

“Those two are extremely hard to play against no matter who you are,” Faber said of himself and teammate Slavin. “Having that opportunity the last time we played them was great, and I thought we played really well. Tomorrow we’ll have the same task, so we’ll try to be as solid as we can again. It’s going to be a fun challenge in a fun atmosphere.”

Bill Guerin, Team USA’s GM, knows exactly what Faber brings to the ice—because he’s seen it firsthand as the general manager of the Minnesota Wild. Now in his third NHL season, Faber has become an anchor for the Wild’s blue line, racking up 22 points in 52 games while continuing to play shutdown defense.