The NHL cleared its schedule for the 4 Nations Face-Off, a tournament that pits players from four countries (the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland) against each other in a mini-preview of next year’s Winter Olympics. Three Buffalo Sabres represent their home nations in the five-day event. Let’s examine them and explore why the NHL chose them for the tournament.
Rasmus Dahlin
Sabres’ captain and veteran defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is no stranger to international hockey events, capturing Buffalo’s attention during his performance at the 2018 World Juniors. Dahlin also appeared in the NHL All-Star Game for three consecutive years (2022, 2023 and 2024).
Ever since No. 26 signed with the Sabres almost seven years ago, he’s been one of the team’s most consistent competitors, making plays on both defense and offense. Dahlin is a record-breaker, becoming the first NHL D-man to score in each of the first four games during the 2022-23 campaign. He also reached Phil Housley’s stat as the second Buffalo defenseman with 70 points a season and the first since Alexei Zhitnik in 1997-98 to score at least 15 goals in one hockey year.
Dahlin isn’t content to let forwards do the scoring and often takes charge himself, netting goals and making assists. One of his best moments came on Mar. 20, 2022 against the Vancouver Canucks. With the score tied 2-2 in OT, Dahlin snapped the puck past Canucks’ goalie Thatcher Demko to snag two points for the Sabres.
The captain also plays defense as well as offense, saving games in crucial situations. A year after his OT win, the Sabres faced the Carolina Hurricanes on Apr. 8, 2023. The score was tied 3-3 in the third period and the Canes had an opportunity to get the lead. Dahlin put his 6-foot-3-inch body in front of Carolina forward Martin Necas, stopping him from scoring on a wide-open Sabres’ net. The save let Buffalo send the puck to the other end, where Tage Thompson got the lead (and ultimate game-winning goal) instead.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Sabres’ staring goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is one of three goalies playing for Finland in the 4 Nations Face-Off. In his fifth season with the Sabres, UPL has a career .902 SV% and 2.98 GAA, as of this writing. While he didn’t clinch Buffalo’s starting netminder spot until Jan. 6, 2024, when he made 40 saves as part of the team’s 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, Luukkonen enjoyed a solid stat sheet in previous years.
Statistically, his best season to date is basically a tie between 2021-22 and 2023-24, based on the numbers. Save percentage wise, 2021-22 was the best, when UPL had his highest SV% yet, .917. However, his goals against average (GAA) was slightly better in 2023-24, when he enjoyed a 2.57 GAA vs. 2021-22’s 2.74.
Luukkonen also went 27-22-4 with five shutouts during the 2023-24 season. This record was the most in a hockey year since Sabres’ goaltending great Ryan Miller won 30 games in 2005-06 and enjoyed six shutouts during 2011-12.
UPL made some great saves in 2023-24, thwarting scoring chances from well-known top NHL forwards including Jimmy Vesey, Max Domi and Connor McDavid.
More recently, Luukkonen helped the Sabres defeat the Washington Capitals 4-3 on Jan. 6, 2025, blocking three Caps’ shootout attempts to win his second SO of the season.
Henri Jokiharju
Defenseman Henri Jokiharju is on Team Finland along with Urho Vaakanainen as injury replacements for Miro Heiskanen and Jani Hakanpaa. With hockey the rough sport it is and multiple games during the five-day tournament, there’s a good chance Jokiharju sees some ice time.
No. 10 started his NHL career with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018, but one year later the Hawks traded him to Buffalo in exchange for forward Alexander Nylander. Jokiharju scored four goals and had 11 assists his first season as a Sabre. Last year, he enjoyed a plus-14 ranking and was fourth in defense with 106 blocked shots. The Finnish D-man signed a one-year deal with Buffalo on July 5, 2024, so it remains to be seen whether he returns to the Blue and Gold next season.
Jokiharju has had his moments, showing Dahlin isn’t the only Sabres’ defenseman who can make plays and win games. Back on Feb. 17, 2024, Buffalo went on the road to face the Minnesota Wild. The two teams battled back and forth and went to overtime tied 2-2. No. 10 made the game-winning OT goal to clinch the Sabres’ 3-2 victory.