Leafs Blueliner Chris Tanev Snubbed Yet Again by Team Canada Amid Shea Theodore Injury
After being passed over once already by Team Canada for the 4 Nations Face-Off, Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev has been passed over again.
Coach Craig Berube and Tanev’s own Maple Leafs teammates made a strong case for him to make Team Canada for the 4 Nations Face-Off, but he was ultimately passed over in favour of seven other NHL blueliners.
However, after it was announced that Shea Theodore would miss the rest of the tournament due to an injury in the opening game against Sweden, there was plenty of chatter on Chris Tanev once again as it became clearer that Canada could put someone on reserve in case of another injury on the back end.
Unfortunately, Tanev has been passed over once again, as Team Canada’s management has decided to have Thomas Harley of the Dallas Stars travel to Boston as a standby.
“While Hockey Canada declined to confirm the identity of its standby player, league sources said that 23-year-old defenseman Thomas Harley of the Dallas Stars was scheduled to travel to the Boston area on Friday.” – Chris Johnston, The Athletic
Insider Elliotte Friedman had told Sportsnet 590 The Fan earlier Thursday that Tanev was definitely on Team Canada’s radar for the standby position, but also pinned Thomas Harley as the another possible candidate.
There may be other chances for Tanev to represent his country on the international stage as the NHL has confirmed the return of the World Cup of Hockey in February of 2028, while the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics take place next year, which could be another opportunity.
That said, the reliable and steadfast defenceman just turned 35, so there isn’t a huge amount of time left.
