Stars Defenseman Makes Unexpected But Unsurprising Impact
Thomas Harley quickly made an impact for Team Canada in the Four Nations Face-Off.
Dallas Stars' Thomas Harley had grand thoughts of warm weather, beaches and clear blue water as he and teammate Wyatt Johnston were set to make their way to Cabo San Lucas, but a last minute call from Team Canada led to Harley playing an important role against Team USA Saturday night in the Four Nations Face-Off.
Originally brought on as a non-playing replacement for Shea Theodore, Harley needed another player to bow out of Team Canada's lineup before he had a chance to see the ice, and that is exactly what ended up happening Saturday. Cale Makar was unable to play due to an illness, and suddenly Harley was in the top six paired with long-time Team Canada representative Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings.
His impact was somewhat limited over two periods, only seeing the ice for just over 10 minutes, but when ESPN's Emily Kaplan interviewed Team Canada assistant coach (and Harley's head coach in Dallas) Pete DeBoer prior to the start of the third period, DeBoer said that the Stars defenseman was set to play a major role in the third.
DeBoer was right, as Harley finished with over 18 minutes of ice time. He and Doughty played more often and for longer shifts than either of the other two pairings.
Harley's impact on the game went further than just time on ice during the most critical part of the game. When Harley was on the ice, the shots were heavily in favor of Team Canada, with a majority coming from high danger areas close to the net. For Team USA, their four shots came from further away and from bad angles, even with one of those shots beating Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington. The scoring chances ended up 10-1 in favor of Team Canada during Harley's time on ice.
For a player who was not even part of Team Canada's plans at the beginning of the tournament, Harley has quickly made his presence known on the international stage. But his performance surprises no one who routinely watches the Stars. He has emerged as a top pair defenseman for Dallas over the past two seasons, and is having a standout season.
Now, Team Canada is working to gain clarification on whether Harley can stay in the lineup if Makar is healthy enough to play moving forward. Originally, the rules made it seem like Harley was only a reserve replacement if Team Canada did not have six healthy defensemen, but with his play against Team USA, it is no surprise Team Canada wants him back on the ice Monday against Team Finland.
Even if the rules only allow Harley to sit and watch for the rest of the tournament, he has made his presence felt for Team Canada with the Olympics on the horizon in 2026.
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