Falcons at the Four Nations event

 With the return of international competition this week, it meant Fort Erie would have an opportunity to see some of their players on a bigger stage than their NHL teams.  

It's always interesting to see who is selected, and for the Falcons it turns out they had a lot of players chosen.  

Canada:  Hagel, Bennett, Marner, Toews, Sanheim and late addition Harley

USA:  Slavin, Fox, Matthews, Trocheck

Sweden: Forsling

Finland:  Luukonen

Canada has a very extensive list of Falcons, with Bennett and Harley being surprise additions after spending most of the season out of the lineup for the team.  While they didn't play a lot this season, their roles will grow next year with Bennett expected to form a vicious checking line with Trocheck and Sherwood - a trio that will have more hits in the NHL this season than any other CCHL line could throw out there.  Will it work?  Who knows.......but that's the beauty of it as Bennett could also find his way onto a line with Draisaitl and Marner given his ability to add some moxy to that line while being able to score.  

The American players on the Falcons are all guys that contribute in different ways.  As the world found out in the USA/Canada game, Jaccob Slavin is just on another level defensively and continues to be the most underappreciated player in hockey.  All he does annually is post 30 points while matching up against the league's best forwards and succeeds in shutting them down.  

Adam Fox is just a steady 70 point guy and will see a massive raise in the CCHL next year but it's a raise that the Falcons can handle.  Trocheck is having a down year in the NHL despite playing 21 minutes a game and winning 60% of his faceoffs, but the addition of real-life best friend JT Miller to the Rangers might kick-start that offence once again.  

Gustav Forsling is a lot like Slavin in that he isn't appreciated nearly enough for his +30 every season, but I can't say he's nearly as underappreciated given his play in the playoffs last year.  Forsling was on the map in a big way there.  

If Germany were to have a team, there's no doubt Draisaitl and Peterka would be headlining it along with Stutzle and Seider.  It'll be exciting to see them all suit up together at the Olympics as German hockey has come a long way in the last 20 years.  

Will having 12 players on the rosters mean playoff success in the CCHL for the Falcons?  It's hard to say but it certainly shows the team is on the right track in terms of finding elite talent to suit up.