Adam Lowry Post-Game After some lengthy anticipation, Winnipeg Jets [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/winnipeg-jets/] forwards Adam Lowry and Mark Scheifele can officially book their all-inclusive winter getaways to Cabo or the Dominican between February 8-21 in peace. On Wednesday evening, the National Hockey League announced the four rosters for the clubs participating in the Four Nations Cup this February. Held en lieu of an All-Star Weekend, the two-week event will see Canada, United States, Sweden and Finland square off in a four-team tournament in advance of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Fans of the Jets will have the opportunity to see three members of the team face-off in the round robin. Calgary-born defenceman Josh Morrissey was granted one of six spots on the Canadian blueline, while Michigan products Connor Hellebuyck and Kyle Connor earned their way onto Team USA. Despite the excitement for the three selected parties, a couple members of the Jets who had vied for spots on their nation's teams were shooed aside for other representatives. Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry had both heard their names in Team Canada roster conversations over the past two months, while Neal Pionk was once a consideration for the defence of Team USA. Scheifele was the closest to cracking a team, but thanks to a rather dry spell, and quite possibly some sort of nagging injury, his name was left off the list - even as the 13th forward. He has 13 goals and 27 points in 26 games played this season, but just three points in seven games since scoring a hat trick in a 6-3 home victory over Florida on November 19. Lowry, who serves as the Jets' captain, would not have been selected based on his offensive abilities. His addition would simply be on the leadership and defensive side of things. No, Canada really does not need many more leaders on a team already consisting of Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Mark Stone and Alex Pietrangelo, but the notion was there to have some added truculence and grit on the fourth line - a role with Lowry could have nicely filled. Should things end up going south for Canada, hindsight may have the big brass changing their minds on their offensive needs if they could get a do-over. Finally, Pionk, who started the year as one of the highest-producing offensive defencemen in the league, has fallen back down to earth. His 13 points in 11 games to start the year had him higher among league leaders than fellow power play QB Morrissey. But with just eight points in 14 games in November, Pionk's play has come back to the level that Jets fans have come to know and expect out of their sixth-year man.
