Canadian goaltender unable to play for Canada at Four Nations Faceoff due to not having a passport

Rumors have been swirling recently that Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord could play for Canada at the Four Nations, but that won't be happening after all.

The Four Nations Faceoff is not far away, with the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Finland all preparing for what promises to be an intense prelude to the 2026 Olympic Games.

As per usual, Canada is setting itself up to be the favorite. With a loaded blue line and a forward group headlined by Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby, they look strong, except for one glaring issue: goaltending.

Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, Marc-Andre Fleury, Stuart Skinner, and Sam Montembeault will all fight for a roster spot, but compared to the other countries, Canada's goaltender options feel very underwhelming.

The plot thickened, though, as there were rumblings about Joey Daccord, a goaltender born in the United States but possessing Canadian citizenship, possibly joining the fray that is Team Canada.

Suddenly, his eligibility became relevant because his 2.56 GAA and.912 save percentage trumped the numbers of his Canadian counterparts.

But after a week of speculation, it's been confirmed that Daccord isn't eligible to play for Canada.

The unusual reason? While he holds Canadian citizenship, he doesn't have a Canadian passport, a requirement for international competition. If he gets one in the future, his eligibility will change.

For now, Daccord's path remains with the United States, though breaking into a crowded pool of talent that includes Jeremy Swayman, Anthony Stolarz, Connor Hellebuyck, and Jake Oettinger will be no easy feat.

While Daccord may lean toward the U.S. for now, don't rule out the possibility of him exploring the Canadian option down the road, but first he will need to get cracking on his passport application!

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