Hockey fans around the world are in for a thrilling and exciting spectacle as the inaugural NHL Four Nations Face-Off comes to a conclusion this week. Featuring powerhouse teams from Canada, the United States, Finland, and Sweden, the tournament is set to run from February 12th to February 20th, 2025, with games being played at Montreal’s Bell Centre and Boston’s TD Garden.
This new international event, designed to showcase elite-level hockey outside the Olympics and World Cup of Hockey, aims to become a major staple of the NHL calendar. The competition pits four of the world’s top hockey nations against each other in a round-robin format, culminating in a high-stakes final to crown the first-ever Four Nations Face-Off champion.
The tournament brings together some of the biggest stars in the sport, many of whom have been waiting for another opportunity to represent their countries in a best-on-best format. Fans can expect to see the top NHL talent, including Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby for Team Canada, Auston Matthews and Jack Hughes leading the United States, Finland’s Aleksander Barkov and Mikko Rantanen, and Sweden’s Victor Hedman and Elias Pettersson.
“This is a chance to bring back meaningful international hockey,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said during a press conference. “The Four Nations Face-Off will give players and fans the high-intensity country-versus-country competition they’ve been craving.”
The round-robin phase will see each team face off against the other three once. The two teams with the best records will advance to the championship game on February 20th at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
The tournament’s opening matchup on February 12th will feature a highly anticipated showdown between Canada and the United States, reigniting one of the fiercest rivalries in hockey. Meanwhile, Finland and Sweden will battle for Scandinavian supremacy in what is expected to be another hard-fought game.
Key matchups include:
February 12th – Canada vs USA (Bell Centre, Montreal)
February 13th – Finland vs Sweden (Bell Centre, Montreal)
February 16th – USA vs Sweden (TD Garden, Boston)
February 17th – Canada vs Finland (TD Garden, Boston)
February 20th – Championship Game (TD Garden, Boston)
This event marks the NHL’s first major international competition since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. With the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan on the horizon, where NHL players are expected to return, the Four Nations Face-Off serves as a crucial test for many of the players who will compete in Olympic play.
“This is a great stepping stone for international tournaments,” said USA Hockey’s general manager. “It allows us to evaluate our team, build chemistry, and compete against the best in the world.”
