MONTREAL — As Team Canada’s management group processed the news that Shea Theodore was lost to injury for the remainder of the 4 Nations Face-Off, it immediately became apparent that they needed to quickly get contingency plans in place.
That’s much easier said than done for a brand new tournament being co-sanctioned by the NHL and NHL Players’ Association, where some of the rules are, well … fluid.
Each team was limited to a 23-man roster that didn’t leave much room for injury, with only one extra forward, defenseman and goaltender apiece. The federations pushed for the ability to bring more players to 4 Nations before December’s roster deadline — they’ll each be permitted to bring 22 skaters and three…