Golden Knights Defenseman Won't Miss Games With 'Ailment'

Despite withdrawing from the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Vegas Golden Knights will not be forced to play without a key defenseman.

Jan 26, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (7) tips the puck away from Florida Panthers center Jesper Boqvist (70) during the first period at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Vegas Golden Knights recently announced that Alex Pietrangelo would not be participating in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off. According to the Golden Knights, their star defenseman withdrew from the international tournament to deal with an ‘ailment’ and focus on the remainder of the 2024-25 NHL season.

The same night the Golden Knights announced Pietrangelo was dealing with an ‘ailment,’ he suited up and played against the Florida Panthers. Pietrangelo logged over 24 minutes of ice time against the reigning Stanley Cup champions.

So, Pietrangelo is dealing with something to the point where he doesn’t want to represent Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off but is still able to play with the Golden Knights. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Pietrangelo will not need to miss any NHL games despite withdrawing from the 4 Nations tournament.

“Alex Pietrangelo won’t have to miss any NHL games as a result of removing himself from the 4 Nations,” Friedman said in a tweet. “Clarification came this morning.”

32 Thoughts Monday pod.

Have answer to one thing we weren’t sure of: Alex Pietrangelo won’t have to miss any NHL games as a result of removing himself from the 4 Nations. Clarification came this morning.

Links to your preferred platform, here: https://t.co/io7Mr1RceU Enjoy!

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 27, 2025

Friedman notes that the NHL, the teams, and players are treating the 4 Nations Face-Off almost as an All-Star Game. The NHL has a history of superstar talents skipping All-Star games, but they would be faced with one-game suspensions.

To avoid suspension in a normal All-Star year, a player would have to miss at least one game ahead of the break. It doesn’t appear that will be the case for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Pietrangelo will be able to play every game with the Golden Knights, while possibly injured, and get a few weeks off while Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland duke it out at the first-ever 4 Nations.

With Pietrangelo dropping out, his teammate, William Karlsson, likely to miss the tournament with an injury, and two key goalies already injured, there may be a wave of players withdrawing from the 4 Nations Face-Off coming.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

• Stars Forward Hitting New Level
• Senators Stars Break Through in Perfect Weekend
• Returning Kings Defenseman Could be 4 Nations Replacement
• NHL Lessons Learned: Baby Sharks Learning to Swim
• Jets Forward Continues Breakout Season