Thomas Harley Added to Canada’s 4 Nations Roster

Following the news of Shea Theodore’s injury, Team Canada needed to quickly adjust their roster for the remainder of the 4 Nations Face-Off. This presented a challenge due to the tournament’s unique roster rules, co-sanctioned by the NHL and NHLPA. Teams were initially limited to 23-man rosters, with limited flexibility for injuries. ¹ While federations had pushed for larger rosters, their requests were denied due to cost concerns and NHLPA member feedback.  

Despite awareness of the risks associated with small rosters, a late January memo from the NHL outlined a contingency plan: emergency in-tournament additions would be allowed if a team fell below 18 healthy skaters or two healthy goalies. This rule was slightly modified after Theodore’s injury against Sweden. While Travis Sanheim was already in Montreal and ready to play, Canada lacked further defensive depth. The difficulty was compounded by the fact that most NHL players were on their breaks, making it challenging to quickly call up a replacement.

Hockey Canada sought clarification from the NHL and NHLPA about the specific rules governing roster changes after Theodore’s injury. They learned they were permitted to have a player travel to the Boston area and be on standby for the game against Finland or potentially even the championship game. This player was Thomas Harley.

Official t-shirt buy here: Battle of Comm Ave Boston College Eagles vs Boston University Terriers shirt