It’s already “next man up” for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore will miss the rest of the tournament after getting an upper-body injury in Canada’s opening game against Sweden on Wednesday.
Vegas announced on Thursday that Theodore is considered “week-to-week” with the injury, which happened after a clean hit from Swedish forward Adrian Kempe in the second period of Canada’s 4-3 overtime win.
With Theodore out, Philadelphia’s Travis Sanheim will join the lineup for Canada when they play the USA on Saturday. Canada didn’t hold a full team practice on Thursday, so coach Jon Cooper mentioned he and his staff are still figuring out what role Sanheim will take on in place of Theodore.
“[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’s game, and both were on the ice for Thursday’s optional morning workout. Cooper pointed out that Sanheim was likely going to play in the tournament anyway, but he “just hate[s] the way [Sanheim] is checking in, and I’m sure he probably feels the same way.”
Sanheim agreed. He said he was immediately concerned seeing Theodore leave the ice in pain and focused on being supportive. It’s still unclear whether Theodore will stay with Canada for the rest of the tournament or 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.”
Getting the chance to play in the 4 Nations tournament is huge for Sanheim. He made Canada’s roster after having a career-best season with the Flyers, recording six goals and 27 points in 57 games while averaging a team-high 24:34 per game. (Theodore, by comparison, has seven goals and 48 points in 55 games for the Golden Knights, while playing 22:03 a night and taking on a big role on the power play.)
Vegas Golden Knights players celebrate a goalSanheim is also comfortable playing on either the left or right side, giving Cooper flexibility as he makes adjustments 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.”
Sanheim won’t be expected to replace Theodore exactly. Cooper is ready to adjust more than just the defensive pairings to keep things working without Theodore and make the most of what Sanheim can contribute.
“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 mind what’s asked of him now. It was exciting for him just to watch Wednesday’s game from the press box, and getting the chance to play on Saturday is even better.
“It’s been something that I’ve dreamt of doing,” Sanheim said about playing top-level 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.”
