Ex-NHLer Has Interesting Guess As To Why Capitals Goalie Logan Thompson Isn't On 4 Nations Face-Off Roster

One of the things about a tournament like the NHL's new 4 Nations Face-Off is that we can debate who should and should not be on the four participating teams until we pass out from a lack of oxygen.

However, there was one snub that has really never made a ton of sense and that's Logan Thompson of the Washington Capitals, who didn't make the cut for Team Canada.

Thompson is third in the league in goals-against average and second in the league in save percentage, plus he's been one of the biggest reasons why the Capitals have proven to be one of the surprise teams of the 2024=25 NHL season.

And what made the omission even more of a head-scratcher is that if Canada has an obvious weakness going into this tournament on paper, it's between the pipes.

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Well, ex-NHL goalie turned Rangers analyst — and man who made the term "Instagram Hockey" famous — Steve Valiquette, discussed this and hinted that the issue may have little to do with Thompson's on-ice performance.

Valiquette spoke with Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne, and during the appearance, he said that current Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy and former Vegas head coach Peter DeBoer — both of whom will be behind the bench as assistants to head coach Jon Cooper — were not super fond of their time with Thompson.

"I told you guys what happened there," Valiquette said coyly. "Cassidy and DeBoer weren't gonna have it, y'know?"

Whoa, that's pretty wild.

Ex-NHLer Steve Valiquette hinted that Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson may have been kept off of the Team Canada roster due to his time with the team's assistant coaches in Vegas.. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

"They didn't have a great experience with him in Vegas," Valiquette continued. "There were times that they wanted him to play and he wasn't available.

"I know a little bit about what happened there, and I can't get into it, but… that was never gonna happen."

Please. Do get into it, because I think we all want to know what was so bad that the assistant coaches don't want to coach a guy for two weeks in an international tournament.

As good as Thompson is, you'd think that Cooper or someone GM Don Sweeney would say, "Suck it up, Buttercups." but perhaps not.

Cassidy and DeBoer are phenomenal coaches, so if they say something, you should probably listen, but passing on a top 2 or 3 goalie in the league right now?

If what Valiquette is saying is true — and there's not much of a reason to think it isn't — this could be a move that haunts Team Canada when the tournament gets started given the offensive firepower on the three other teams.