4 Nations Face-Off Tournament Kicks Off Wednesday in Montreal

Montreal, Quebec—The inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off tournament featuring Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States will commence on Wednesday, February 12, at the Bell Centre in Montreal. This event marks the first major international hockey competition since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, bringing together top NHL players to battle for national pride.

The tournament will kick off with Canada squaring off against Sweden at 8 p.m. ET, while the U.S. team will take the ice against Finland the following evening. The format consists of a round-robin where each of the four teams will compete in three games over the span of a week. The top two teams from the round robin will advance to the championship game set for February 20 at TD Garden in Boston.

This year’s 4 Nations Face-Off will take place as a replacement for the traditional NHL All-Star festivities. Sporting Director of the NHL, Chris Foster, stated, “We saw an incredible opportunity to showcase the best players from some of the leading hockey nations in a competitive environment. We believe this tournament will serve as an exciting lead-up to next year’s Winter Olympics.”

Within this high-stakes competition, each team will earn points based on their performance: three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime win, one for an overtime loss, and zero for a regulation loss. In addition, the tournament will implement NHL’s special 3-on-3 overtime rules, extending to 10 minutes, with a possible three-round shootout if necessary. Conversely, the championship match will revert to traditional playoff rules, featuring continuous 20-minute periods until a winner is determined.

The U.S. team faced an unexpected setback when Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes withdrew from the tournament due to an undisclosed injury. He will be replaced by Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson. Similarly, Canada has seen roster changes, with Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty stepping in for Alex Pietrangelo, who also withdrew due to injury.

Canadian icon Sidney Crosby, who had been recovering from an upper-body injury, confirmed his participation after a full practice on Monday, saying, “I feel ready to go. This tournament means a lot, not just for us but for our fans.”

The schedule for the event lists the games as follows:

February 12: Canada vs. Sweden, 8 p.m. ET on MAX, truTV, TNT
February 13: United States vs. Finland, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS
February 15: Finland vs. Sweden, 1 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS; United States vs. Canada, 8 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS
February 17: Canada vs. Finland, 1 p.m. ET on MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS; Sweden vs. United States, 8 p.m. ET on MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS
February 20: Championship game at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS

For viewers, the matches will be available across various platforms, including ABC, ESPN, truTV, and TNT, allowing access via streaming services such as ESPN+. Pre-game coverage will feature analysts Mark Messier and P.K. Subban.

As excitement builds for this extraordinary showcase of international hockey talent, fans eagerly anticipate the opening puck drop.