It seems Mike Sullivan's declaration that Quinn Hughes was coming to Boston to join Team USA for the 4 Nations Face-Off final vs. Canada may have been a bit premature.
According to NHL insider Pierre LeBrun of TSN, Team USA has been informed that Hughes won't be joining them for Thursday's game after all. LeBrun reports that Hughes was not medically cleared to play, and thus will not be able to make the trip out to Boston.
Hughes was initially ruled out for the tournament due to an injury, and it seems that, despite his best efforts to represent his country, he's not fully healed. Even if he did fly to Boston to join the team, there was no guarantee he'd be able to play. Because of tournament rules, Hughes would only be allowed to suit up for Team USA if an injury or illness caused them to fall below six healthy defensemen. Even with Charlie McAvoy unavailable for the rest of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the U.S. still has six defenseman at its disposal.
With Hughes unavailable, Team USA has extended invitations to Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson and New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce to join the team in Boston as injury replacements. Like Hughes, Thompson and Pesce would only be available to play if another member of the team is unable to play.
It remains to be seen if any final roster tweaks are in the works ahead of Thursday's final, for which puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET from the TD Garden. Hughes, despite the excitement surrounding his possible addition to the team, is ultimately unavailable to fortify Team USA's defense.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Latest On Quinn Hughes's Availability for Team USA in 4 Nations Face-Off vs. Canada.
