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Everything you need to know about the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament
“Guys put on the jersey for their country. It doesn’t matter where you’re at, they’re going to leave everything they have on the ice."
Some of the greatest players in hockey are set to converge on Causeway Street, with international bragging rights on the line.
Instead of an All-Star Weekend, the NHL will hold the 4 Nations Face-Off — a tournament between four of the world’s top hockey powers — during a two-week stoppage of regular-season play that began Monday.
It will stand as the first NHL-led, best-on-best international tournament since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey — and as a lead-in to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, which will feature NHL talent for the first time since 2014.
An Olympic medal may not be up for grabs at TD Garden on Feb. 20, but Bruins captain and Team Canada forward Brad Marchand expects NHLers to give it their all.
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“These are a blast,” Marchand said last week. “Guys put on the jersey for their country. It doesn’t matter where you’re at, they’re going to leave everything they have on the ice. They’re going to play as hard as they possibly can.
“When we’re going up against each other, it’s not going to be that All-Star mentality. You’re trying to win. You feel the weight of the entire country on your shoulders. You may never have the opportunity to put that jersey on again, so you want to make the most of it.”
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Here’s everything you need to know about the 4 Nations Face-Off:
Which teams are in?
The 4 Nations Face-Off will feature teams comprised of players from the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Finland.
That leaves out two notable hockey nations: Russia and Czechia. While Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine has precluded it from several international tournaments the last few years, David Pastrnak was irked by the exclusion of a talented — albeit top-heavy — Czechia team that won the world championship last year.
“It’s a huge disappointment,” Pastrnak said a year ago. “I don’t know much I can say. Definitely not happy about it. I understand that it’s a quick turnaround. It’s next year. They probably didn’t have much time to make it a bigger tournament.
“But Czech isn’t there. So it’s always a lot of players left out, so I’m not going to watch the tournament, to be honest.”
When will the 4 Nations Face-Off be held?
The tournament begins at Bell Centre — the Montreal Canadiens’ home arena — before moving to TD Garden for the final three games on Feb. 17 and Feb. 20.
At Montreal — Wednesday
Canada vs. Sweden, 8 p.m. (TNT)
Thursday
United States vs. Finland, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
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Saturday
Finland vs. Sweden, 1 p.m. (ABC)
United States vs. Canada, 8 p.m. (ABC)
At TD Garden — Feb. 17
Canada vs. Finland, 1 p.m. (TNT)
Sweden vs. USA, 8 p.m. (TNT)
Feb. 20
Championship game, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
What is the format of the tournament?
It’s a round-robin, with each team to play the other three before the top two meet for the championship.
Scoring goes by the international standard. A regulation win will net 3 points, an overtime or shootout win is worth 2, and an overtime or shootout loss will secure 1.
Overtime will receive a tweak during round-robin play, with up to 10 minutes of three-on-three hockey preceding, if needed, a three-round shootout. The championship game will be cut from the same cloth as NHL playoff bouts if extra hockey is needed, with 20-minute periods of sudden death until a winner is determined.
Will there be any Bruins?
Pastrnak may not be taking part in 4 Nations, but the Bruins will be represented on three of the teams.
Marchand will play for Canada as he tries to stake his claim on a roster spot for the 2026 Olympics, while Elias Lindholm will lace up his skates for Sweden. Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman will represent Team USA, with McAvoy an alternate captain.
As Don Sweeney mulls the Bruins’ path at the trade deadline, he also is serving as Team Canada’s GM. Former Bruins bench boss Bruce Cassidy is an assistant on Jon Cooper’s Canadian coaching staff.
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What else can fans in Boston do during the tournament?
Beyond the action at TD Garden, the 4 Nations Face-Off Fan Village will be held at City Hall Plaza from Feb. 15-17.
Open daily from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., with no tickets or fees required for entry, fans will be able to take part in multiple exhibits, including photo opportunities with the Stanley Cup, autograph sessions, hockey skills competitions, and watch parties.
Scouting reports
United States: Can a stacked roster assert itself on the international stage ahead of the Olympics? While Canada’s skill up front leads the pack, the Americans might have the most balanced roster — especially when factoring in goaltending and defense.
With Connor Hellebuyck expected to be the No. 1 option between the pipes and McAvoy, Zach Werenski, and Jaccob Slavin on the back end, Team USA has the personnel to stay afloat against the likes of Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and other opposing superstars. However, the loss of Quinn Hughes to injury looms large.
Team USA may not have the horses to win high-scoring battles against Canada, but it has an intriguing blend of finishing talent led by Auston Matthews, as well as some snarl from Matthew and Brady Tkachuk. One concern might be Hellebuyck’s so-so playoff numbers — nine wins in 28 postseason starts, 3.13 GAA. However, the Americans have solid contingency options in Jake Oettinger and Swayman.
There will be plenty of Massachusetts-born players looking to celebrate on Feb. 20, with Chris Kreider (Boxford), Matt Boldy (Millis), Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford), and Noah Hanifin (Norwood) hailing from the Commonwealth.
Canada: The best, if we’re ranking these rosters on talent alone. Especially in terms of offensive firepower.
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On any given power play, Cooper could roll out a grouping of McDavid, MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, Cale Makar, and Brayden Point. Oooof.
Canada has plenty of other elite forwards (Mitch Marner, Mark Stone, and Sam Reinhart), and its D corps has plenty of size between Colton Parayko, Travis Sanheim, and Drew Doughty. One thing worth noting is the health of captain Crosby, who’s nursing a left arm injury.
The one Achilles’ heel is goaltending. No longer buoyed by Carey Price or Roberto Luongo, the Canadians are going to have to hold out hope that Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, and Sam Montembeault can remain competitive against some high-powered offenses. Granted, Binnington and Hill proved the last few seasons that they can get the job done during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Could Binnington clinch another trophy on TD Garden ice?
Sweden: For all of the hype surrounding the US and Canada, Sweden might feature the deepest defense in the tournament, headlined by Victor Hedman, Mattias Ekholm, Erik Karlsson, and Florida’s Gustav Forsling — one of the more underrated players in the NHL.
But with Jacob Markstrom sidelined because of an MCL sprain, Sweden’s hopes might rest on Linus Ullmark, who is coming off an injury that sidelined him for more than a month. When available, the former Bruin has been locked in for the Senators, sporting a .944 save percentage and two shutouts his last 12 games.
Finland: Injuries are hitting at the worst possible time, with top defenseman Miro Heiskanen (knee) ruled out and star winger Mikko Rantanen entering the tourney with a lower-body ailment.
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Still, Finland is set to roll out the top defensive forward in the game. Aleksander Barkov will captain a strong forward grouping with Sebastian Aho, Patrik Laine, and a still-effective Rantanen. Juuse Saros is expected to be the primary option in net, although Kevin Lankinen (four shutouts) has risen to the occasion this season with the Canucks.
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