Canada and Sweden Face Off in 4 Nations Hockey Tournament Opener

Montreal, Quebec, Canada — The 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, an international hockey tournament organized by the NHL, commenced tonight with a highly anticipated round-robin game between top-ranked Canada and Sweden at the Bell Centre.

Canada struck first, taking an early lead just 56 seconds into the contest when Nathan MacKinnon scored on the power play, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. The swift goal set the tone for Canada, dominating the early stages of the match.

A notable pregame moment included a standing ovation for hockey legend Mario Lemieux, who made a rare appearance in his hometown arena. It marked Lemieux’s first recognition in Montreal since he last played there in 2002. His presence next to Crosby was a memorable visual for the fans, adding a historic layer to the event.

The tournament features teams from Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States, with each team competing in a round-robin format over the next several days. Following the preliminary games, the top two teams will face off in a championship encounter on February 20.

Head coach Jon Cooper emphasized the challenges of rapidly building team chemistry within the tournament’s compressed schedule. “Every game is game seven in this tournament, but you don’t have the previous six to work the kinks out,” Cooper said during a pregame interview. His experience as a two-time Stanley Cup Champion has equipped him for the pressure of this unique format.

Regarding the matchup against Sweden, goaltender Filip Gustavsson expressed optimism about the match dynamics. “I think it’s perfect for us. Everyone’s going to cheer for them, and they’ll have the most pressure,” he noted, indicating that Sweden might thrive under pressure.

Sweden, currently viewed as underdogs against the robust Canadian squad, has not faced Canada in a best-on-best international game since the 2014 Sochi Olympics, where Canada secured a 3-0 victory. As Canada seeks to continue its dominance—having won eight of the past nine encounters against Sweden—Swedish forward Filip Forsberg acknowledged the challenge posed by their opponents’ elite talent.

“Obviously it’s an All-Star team over there,” Forsberg remarked. “For us, we need to just worry about our game, try to get to our game early.”

Connor McDavid, another star player for Canada, expressed excitement about participating in the tournament after a pause in international play. “We’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” McDavid stated. “Now it’s time to go play. That’s what I do.”

With the game underway, viewers can watch the action on TNT, TruTV, and Sportsnet. The first puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, marking the beginning of this thrilling international competition.