What is the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off? Here’s what you need to know

In 2025 4 Nations Face-Off it starts on February 12 and ends on February 20, but what is the tournament, and how did it come to fruition?

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the international tournament in a press conference at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game.

In the NHL’s announcement, the league said they see the 4 Nations event as a “building block for a bigger World Cup.”

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NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman speaks to the media before a game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. (Marc DesRosiers-Images)

Bettman said in addition to the players competing in the 2026 Olympicsthey will play in a World Cup in 2028, return to the Olympics in 2030, and then two years later, have another World Cup to establish the cycle of the international game.

Bettman called the 4 Nations Face-Off an “appetizer” for what looks to be a full international roster for the sport of hockey in the coming years.

The tournament will be the first time since 2016 that NHL players were in an international best-of-the-best tournament. It was the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, and there were eight teams in that tournament.

Due to the 4 Nations Face-Off, there will not be an All-Star Game this season.

Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming tournament.

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Actor Will Arnett, left, and Team McDavid captain Connor McDavid look on during the NHL All-Star Player Draft at NHL All-Star Thursday at Scotiabank Arena. (John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports)

What is the format of the tournament?

The tournament is a round-robin tournament, and each team will play three games.

For each regulation win, the winning team receives three points. For each overtime or shootout win, the team will receive two points.

For each overtime or shootout loss, the team will receive one point. For a regulation loss, the team will not be awarded a point.

Overtime is a 10-minute, 3-on-3 sudden-death period. If overtime is scoreless, the game will be decided by a three-round shootout.

The top two teams will play in a winner-takes-all final.

If overtime is needed in the championship game, it will be traditional 5-on-5 hockey with consecutive 20-minute periods, similar to how overtime works in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

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NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman takes questions from the media before a game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena. (Lucas Peltier-Images)

Where and when are the games played?

The tournament will be held in North America, with games at the Bell Center in Montreal and the TD Garden in Boston.

There are two days of practice, February 10 and 11, and then the games begin.

There are four games played at the Bell Center, and three at the TD Garden.

Here are the games being played at the Bell Centre:

• Wednesday, February 12: Canada vs. Sweden at 8 a.m. ET.
• Thursday, Feb. 13: USA vs. Finland at 8 pm ET.

Saturday, February 15, is a doubleheader at the Bell Center. Finland will play Sweden at 1:00 PM ET, while Sweden will play the USA at 8:00 PM ET.

The TD Garden will also host a doubleheader. On Monday, February 17, Canada will play Finland at 1 pm ET, while Sweden will play the United States at 8 pm ET.

The championship game is Thursday, Feb. 20 at 8 a.m. ET.

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September 21, 2016; Team North America center Connor McDavid, #97, tries to throw the puck away from Team Sweden defenseman Victor Hedman, #77, in the third period during preliminary round play in the Cup World Cup of Hockey 2016 at Air Canada Center on September 21. , 2016. (Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports)

Who is on the list?

Each roster will consist of 13 forwards, seven defenders and three goalkeepers.

Team Canada

Forwards (alphabetical list by last name):

Sam Bennett, Florida Panthers
Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay Lightning
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay Lightning
Seth Jarvis, Carolina Hurricanes
Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins
Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning
Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers
Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights

The defenders:

Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets
Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues
Alex Pietrangelo, Vegas Golden Knights
Travis Sanheim, Philadelphia Flyers
Shea Theodore, Vegas Golden Knights
Devon Toews, Colorado Avalanche

Goalkeepers:

Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
Adin Hill, Vegas Golden Knights
Sam Montembeault, Montreal Canadiens

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North American forward Johnny Gaudreau, #13, and forward Auston Matthews, #34, celebrate a goal by Matthews against Team Czech Republic during the third period in a pre-tournament game of the World Cup of Hockey at the CONSOL Energy Center on September 14. , 2016. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

Team USA

Go ahead:

Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild
Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets
Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights
Jake Guentzel, Tampa Bay Lightning
Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
Chris Kreider, New York Rangers
Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
JT Miller, Vancouver Canucks
Brock Nelson, New York Islanders
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers
Vincent Trocheck, New York Rangers

The defenders:

Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild
Adam Fox, New York Rangers
Noah Hanifin, Vegas Golden Knights
Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins
Jacob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets

Goalkeepers:

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars
Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins

Team Finland

Go ahead:

Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes
Joel Armia, Montreal Canadiens
Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
Mikael Granlund, San Jose Sharks
Erik Haula, New Jersey Devils
Roope Hintz, Dallas Stars
Kaapo Kakko, Seattle Kraken
Patrik Laine, Montreal Canadiens
Arthur Lehkonen, Colorado Avalanche
Anton Lundell, Florida Panthers
Eetu Luostarinen, Florida Panthers
Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche
Teuvo Teravainen, Chicago Blackhawks

The defenders:
Jani Hakanpaa, Toronto Maple Leafs
Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars
Esa Lindell, Dallas Stars
Olli Maatta, Utah Hockey Club
Niko Mikkola, Florida Panthers
Rasmus Ristolainen, Philadelphia Flyers
Juuso Valimaki, Utah Hockey Club

Goalkeepers:
Kevin Lankinen, Vancouver Canucks
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Buffalo Sabres
Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators

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Team Europe forward Thomas Vanek, #26, tries to score on Sweden goalie Henrik Lundqvist, #30, as defender Mattias Ekholm, #14, and forward Carl Soderberg, #34, look on a semi-final game in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey at the Air Canada Center on September 25, 2016. (John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports)

Sweden team

Go ahead:
Viktor Arvidsson, Edmonton Oilers
Jesper Bratt, New Jersey Devils
Leo Carlsson, Anaheim Ducks
Joel Eriksson Me, Minnesota Wild
Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators
William Karlsson, Vegas Golden Knights
Adrian Kempe, Los Angeles Kings
Elias Lindholm, Boston Bruins
William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs
Gustav Nyquist, Nashville Predators
Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings
Mika Zibanejad, New York Rangers

The defenders:
Rasmus Andersson, Calgary Flames
Jonas Brodin, Minnesota Wild
Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
Mattias Ekholm, Edmonton Oilers
Gustav Forsling, Florida Panthers
Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Erik Karlsson, Pittsburgh Penguins

Goalkeepers:
Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota Wild
Jacob Markstrom, New Jersey Devils
Linus Ullmark, Ottawa Senators

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