Will we see an All-Tampa Bay Lightning line at the 4 Nations Face-Off?

When the puck drops for the highly anticipated 4 Nations Face-Off, the Tampa Bay Lightning will be well represented. With five players selected, Tampa Bay is tied for third among NHL teams sending the most players to the tournament, trailing only the Florida Panthers (8) and Vegas Golden Knights (7). Sharing the third-place spot with five players are Colorado, Minnesota, and the New York Rangers.

The Bolts have players on three of the four teams in the tournament: Captain Victor Hedman will wear the “C” for Team Sweden, while Jake Guentzel will represent Team USA. Meanwhile, Team Canada features three Lightning players — Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, and Brandon Hagel.

That raises an interesting question: Could we see an All-Tampa Bay Lightning line take the ice a this international tournament? It’s not impossible, but the way the lines are set up right now makes it a bit of a challenge.

The Projected lineup and chemistry factor

According to NHL insider Chris Johnston, Team Canada’s forward lines at practice have shaped up as follows:

1st line: Reinhart - McDavid - Marner
2nd line: Stone - Crosby - MacKinnon
3rd line: Jarvis - Point - Marchand
4th line: Hagel - Cirelli - Bennett

Point is currently slotted in as the third-line center, with Cirelli centering the fourth line and Hagel playing as his left winger. Although Tampa Bay’s trio will be playing key roles, a full Lightning line at even strength seems unlikely unless injuries happen.

Both Point and Cirelli are natural centers, making it difficult for them to share a line at five-on-five. Additionally, head coach Jon Cooper is known for his willingness to adjust lines on the fly — especially if things aren’t clicking — but even he is unlikely to break structure just to reunite his NHL trio.

A dominant presence on the penalty kill

Cirelli and Hagel are primed to make a major impact on Team Canada’s penalty kill at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and their shorthanded chemistry could be a game-changer. This season, the two have flourished into one of the NHL’s best shorthanded duos, excelling in defensive coverage, relentless puck disruption, and counter attacking with speed. So far this season, they’ve both tallied six shorthanded points, tying them with Sam Reinhart of the Florida Panthers and Jake Evans of the Montreal Canadiens for the league lead.

While Brayden Point has seen some time on the penalty kill before, it’s unlikely he’ll log many minutes in this role. With two defensemen already on the ice during a penalty kill, Cirelli and Hagel will carry the bulk of the minutes if Team Canada finds itself in penalty trouble.

The chemistry they’ve developed over the years in Tampa Bay will carry over to the international stage, making them a reliable option in critical defensive moments. Who knows? They may even catch an opposing team's power play off guard by scoring a short-handed goal.

Team Canada's power play wild card

If there’s any scenario where we might see all three Lightning forwards share the ice, it could be on the power play — but it would take some adjustments. Team Canada’s top unit is about as frightening as it gets, featuring Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Sam Reinhart, and Cale Makar. Many are saying that this might be the most stacked power-play unit since Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux played together at the 1987 Canada Cup.

The second unit, per Johnston, is currently set as follows:

PP2: Theodore - Morrissey - Point - Marner - Stone

Point has a spot on the second unit, but for the full Lightning-connection to happen, Cooper would have to shake things up. If Canada’s power play struggles early in the tournament, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Cooper lean on chemistry over pure star power. Point, Cirelli, and Hagel have occasionally shared time together on the man advantage in Tampa, and if Canada is in need of a spark, their coach could turn to his familiar trio to help change momentum.

There’s also the possibility of a full Lightning line appearing in a different scenario — if Canada has a huge lead in one of the round-robin stage games. In such a situation, Cooper might opt to rest his top players and give his Lightning trio a rare chance to play together on both the NHL and international stage. It wouldn’t just be a reward for their chemistry and friendship; it would also be a strategic way to keep Team Canada’s stars fresh for the finals, which everyone expects them to reach.

While a full Tampa Bay Lightning line at the Four Nations Face-Off isn’t guaranteed, the chemistry between Point, Cirelli, and Hagel makes it an exciting storyline for fans to keep an eye on. Whether it’s on the power-play or in garbage time, don’t be surprised if Cooper finds a way to reunite his Bolts trio at some point in the tournament to give them a legendary moment they can cherish forever.