BREAKING: Granlund Going to 4 Nations Face-Off, Eklund Doesn’t Make It

Mikael Granlund is going international.

Granlund will be representing Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Boston and Montreal in February.

At the moment, Granlund appears to be the San Jose Sharks’ lone representative in this international best-of-the-best tournament.

The United States and Canada are also competing, and will announce their rosters at 3:30 PM PT on Wednesday, but no Sharks are expected to be named to their rosters.

Granlund, 32, is a fixture for Finland in international play, most recently captaining Suomi at the 2024 World Championships. The centerman is enjoying another strong campaign for the Sharks, leading the team with 10 goals (tied with Tyler Toffoli) and 19 assists and 29 points. He also paced San Jose in these categories last year.

Granlund will be joining 2024 Stanley Cup winner Aleksander Barkov, among others, on Finland.

San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky has been effusive in his praise of his top centerman all season, saying recently, “He’s been one of our best players all season. Most consistent guys. Knows the game. He’s smart, really good pro. Helps the younger guys out. Can’t say enough good things about Mikael.”

Granlund spoke on what it means to represent his country: “I’ve always loved to play for Team Finland. As a young player in Finland, that’s one of your biggest things that you can have in your hockey career to play for your country.”

Eklund, 22, has opened eyes with a quick start to his second full NHL season. The winger is second on the Sharks with 18 assists and 23 points and is on pace to easily set career-high marks in both areas.

So for good reason, it was believable when a Swedish report stated that William Eklund would make the team. But it looks like he just missed the cut for Team Sweden.

The 4 Nations Face-Off will be held from Feb. 12 through Feb. 20.