As an athlete, representing your country is easily at the top of your list. But for the Vancouver Canucks’ captain Quinn Hughes, it wasn’t meant to be. As the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off continues to mesmerize fans with its high-octane action, the 25-year-old defenseman has to watch the thriller from the sidelines.

On January 31, the Canucks suffered a 5-3 defeat at the hands of Dallas. Since that game, Quinn missed all the next four games for Vancouver. His absence from the roster raised a lot of eyebrows. However, with the international tournament going on, fans still expected him to him in the USA’s lineup along with Matt Boldy and Brock Faber in the match against Finland. And yet, Quinn Hughes wasn’t to be spotted at the Bell Center on Thursday night.

Why isn’t Quinn Hughes playing in the 4 Nations Face-Off?

Last year’s Norris Trophy-winning defenseman has been the Canucks’ lead scorer this season. However, that couldn’t ultimately get him to represent the Stars and Stripes at the 4 Nations Face-Off. As per an article by NHL.com, Hughes had to opt out of the tournament due to an “undisclosed injury“. During last month’s game against the Dallas Stars, Hughes took an injury late into the game and played only three shifts. Quinn was also seen looking uncomfortable on the bench.

With 14 goals and 45 assists this season, Quinn Hughes has been one of the main architects of the Canucks’ 63-point haul this season. Naturally, fans were excited to see what he had planned for the 4 Nations Face-Off. But alas, that now looks like a far cry from the reality turned out to be for the USA’s hockey community.

Quinn was expected to play for the national squad along with his brother Jake. But it seems like the Hughes brothers aren’t lucky enough like Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, who are already whipping up a storm on the ice at the ongoing tournament. But it’s probably not all bleak for Team USA, who seemingly is managing Quinn’s absence pretty well so far.

How is the USA coping without one of its biggest defensive pillars?

On Thursday, the Americans let the Finns bag the first goal of the game. But the squad quickly buckled up and held the fort while the Tkachuk brothers, Boldy, and Jake Guentzel opened up the floodgates on scoring. Thanks to Team USA’s brilliant forward play, they trounced Finland 6-1 and are currently the only team with all three points to its name after all teams have played their first matches at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

But the victory wouldn’t have been possible without the American defensemen also doing their part to help bag the first win. On Friday, in an episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli lauded the Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski for his contributions to the USA’s win over Finland. “I thought Werenski was fantastic, and a huge plus for this team,‘ said Seravalli.

Hughes’ injury also prompted the USA to find a viable replacement for the Vancouver captain at the last minute for the 4 Nations. The Ottawa Senators’ Jake Sanderson was added to the roster on an emergency basis. Sanderson had to make drastic changes to his plans to fly north and join the squad. But will all that scurrying to save the day matter when the US takes on Team Canada tomorrow? Or will Quinn Hughes’ absence create a gaping hole in the squad’s defensive abilities with Connor McDavid & Co. waiting to take advantage? Tell your predictions for Saturday’s high-stakes match below!