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Kristen Shilton
MONTREAL — It’s next man up already for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore will miss the remainder of the tournament after suffering an upper-body injury in Canada’s opening game against Sweden on Wednesday. Vegas subsequently announced on Thursday that Theodore was considered “week-to-week” with the ailment, which came off a clean hit from Swedish forward Adrian Kempe in the second period of Canada’s 4-3 overtime win.
Theodore’s departure opens the door now for Philadelphia’s Travis Sanheim to enter the lineup when Canada faces the USA on Saturday. Canada didn’t hold a full team practice on Thursday, so coach Jon Cooper said he and his staff are still figuring out what role Sanheim will fill in Theodore’s absence.
“[Sanheim’s] checking in now, and he’s a big body, he can skate, he can play at this tempo,” Cooper said during a media availability on Thursday. “What exactly and where he’s going to fit, it’s hard to divulge now. Plus, we have two more days to get our heads wrapped around that. This is my first experience with him, and he’s one of the guys soaking it all in and taking in the environment and how these experiences do nothing but help his game. I’m excited for him to play [and] more than that, I know he can play. He’ll be just fine.”
Sanheim and forward Sam Bennett were healthy scratches for Wednesday matchup, and both were on the ice for Thursday’s optional morning workout. Cooper remarked that Sanheim was likely to get a look in the tournament regardless of Theodore’s injury but said he “just hate[s] the way [Sanheim] is checking in, and I’m sure he probably feels the same way.”
Cooper was right. Sanheim said he was immediately concerned seeing Theodore leave the ice in pain and first and foremost tried to be supportive. It’s not clear yet whether Theodore will remain with Canada through the end of the tournament next week, or if he’ll return to Vegas, but Cooper said Theodore “will be with us” if he has the choice.
“You worry about him,” Sanheim said. “You don’t want to see anyone get hurt. I just felt for him and knew how big it meant to him to be a part of this. I’m just trying to be there for him. Unfortunate circumstance that he got injured.”
The opportunity to play in the 4 Nations event is a big one, though. Sanheim earned his way onto Canada’s roster amid a career-best season for the Flyers, with six goals and 27 points in 57 games while clocking a team-high 24:34 per game. (Theodore, comparatively, has seven goals and 48 points in 55 games for the Golden Knights, while taking on 22:03 a night and a significant power-play role.)
Sanheim is also comfortable playing on the left or right side, giving Cooper some options as he shuffles the deck for Canada.
“I just think I have a solid two-way game,” Sanheim said. “I’m a guy that can skate and move the puck well. I’m used to playing [against] top guys, so I feel comfortable in that role. I’m just bringing about a lot of simple plays and the ability to play at both ends.”
And Sanheim won’t be expected to mirror Theodore, either. Cooper is prepared to adjust more than just his blueline combinations to excel without Thedore and maximize what Sanheim can offer.
“I think with Theo, it was tough to lose him because he can break pucks out,” Cooper said. “He can play with pace. He’s like a gazelle out there. Sandy does much of the same things. The difference is, Travis kills penalties. Whereas Theo…he was more of a power-play guy for us. So that’s probably the major trade-off between the two. But they both can skate. They both have length. And it’s never a bad thing to have another penalty killer.”
Sanheim doesn’t much care, frankly, what’s asked of him now. It was exciting enough for him to watch Wednesday’s game from the press box. The chance to actually be on the ice Saturday is second to none.
“It’s been something that I’ve dreamt of doing,” Sanheim said of playing best-on-best hockey. “I’m very excited, I just said [to the coaches] that I’d be ready if they needed me. You hate to see it happen this way, but I’m looking forward to it.”