On Wednesday, the National Hockey League unveiled the rosters for the participating teams in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off. The Calgary Flames were represented by blueliner Rasmus Andersson on Team Sweden, but teammate MacKenzie Weegar was conspicuous by his absence from Team Canada’s group.
According to our pal Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, Weegar was among the final cuts from the Canadian roster. He spilled the tea on Friday morning’s edition of Daily Faceoff Live.
Seravalli discussed a few players that were on the bubble, circling to Weegar after discussing some forwards: “…on defence, I believe one of the very last players cut was MacKenzie Weegar from the Calgary Flames.”
A bit later, Seravalli discussed what made Weegar such a strong contender for a spot on Team Canada.
“And then on the back end is MacKenzie Weegar. He’s a guy that has a strong skill set in both ends of the ice. I think he defends better than he’s given credit for. He’s got good puck skills. I think better puck skills than someone like Travis Sanheim. Sanheim ends up making the team because of his ability to play right and left side and definitely has a little bit more of a physical presence as well. So keep an eye on Weegar.”
Following the Flames’ 4-3 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, Weegar was asked by Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson if Hockey Canada brass can keep his number if they need an extra defenceman.
“Of course they can keep my number,” replied Weegar. “I’ll be staring at my phone if there’s an injury or whatnot. So, of course, I’d still love to play for the team. That’s a no-brainer.”
Since arriving in Calgary in the Matthew Tkachuk trade with Florida in July 2022, Weegar has been really, really good for the Flames. He posted 52 points in 82 games last season, and so far in 2024-25 has 16 points through 27 games – just a hair shy of his pace from last season. Weegar represented Canada for the first time at the 2023 World Championships, capturing a gold medal.
The Flames are back in action on Sunday in Dallas. The 4 Nations Face-Off goes Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston.
