Don Sweeney named GM for Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off team; Jim Nill to serve as associate GM

As part of the additions, Sweeney and Nill have been named assistant GMs, alongside St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong, for the Canadian Men’s Olympic Team for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

“As we continue to prepare for international competition over the next two years,” Armstrong said in a release. “I am thrilled to have Don and Jim lead Team Canada at the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, and to welcome these two experienced general managers to our management group for the 2026 Olympics. Both Don and Jim have enjoyed successful NHL careers and will represent the Maple Leaf with pride, and we know their experience will be a valuable asset as we build teams for two major international events in 2025 and 2026.”

The 4 Nations Face-Off will mark the first time Sweeney has been part of the management group for an international team. He has been the GM in Boston since 2015. Under the role, Sweeney has done everything but help the team win a Stanley Cup. The New Brunswick native was an executive with the Bruins when they won in 2011. Sweeney’s teams have won two President’s Trophies (2020, 2023), making it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2019, the same year he won the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award.

This is not the first time Nill has been part of a Team Canada management group. The former assistant GM of the Detroit Red Wings was the director of player personnel for the 2003 World Championship team and the GM for the 2004 and 2015 gold-medal-winning world championship squads. The Alberta native also played for Team Canada at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid.

Nill has been the GM in Dallas since 2013, and structured the lineup that made it to the Finals in 2020.

According to the release, Canada’s 4 Nations’ coaching staff and first six players are expected to be announced in June. The schedule has not been released for the inaugural event next February. All we know is that Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland will compete in the tournament featuring seven games across two North American cities.