That is NBA All-Star weekend. This yr the league carried out a brand new format, with the All-Stars drafted into three groups of eight gamers. They may face off with the winner of Friday evening’s Rising Stars Problem in a small, single-elimination event on Sunday evening.
The NHL can be making an attempt one thing new, which kicked off this week.
As a substitute of an All-Star Sport, the NHL and the NHLPA are holding the 4 Nations Face-Off, which runs from February 12 by February 20. This can be a round-robin event that includes 4 nationwide groups — Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the USA — with NHL gamers filling out the rosters.
Here’s what it’s good to know for the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off, how you can watch, and the scores.
Why did the NHL implement the 4 Nations Face-Off?
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman introduced the round-robin event on the 2024 All-Star Sport. The transfer got here following prolonged negotiations between the league and the NHLPA relating to participant participation in worldwide tournaments. NHL gamers competed between 1998 and 2014 within the Winter Olympics. Nonetheless, no deal was reached to permit gamers to play in both the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in 2018 or the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.
As a part of the settlement, gamers will have the ability to compete within the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, in addition to the 2030 Winter Video games.
“The worldwide composition of Nationwide Hockey League rosters is unparalleled, and NHL Gamers take nice pleasure in representing their international locations,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman stated in an announcement final yr.
“We’re happy that, after intense collaborative efforts with the NHL Gamers’ Affiliation and the Worldwide Ice Hockey Federation, we are able to formally announce that NHL Gamers will take part in each the 2026 and 2030 Olympic hockey tournaments.”
As well as, the league launched the in-season 4 Nations Face-Off, to be held rather than the 2025 NHL All-Star Sport. Between that event and subsequent yr’s winter video games, the NHL All-Star Sport is on a one-year hiatus. The 2026 NHL All-Star Sport shall be held at UBS Enviornment in New York, the house of the New York Islanders. Bettman stated final yr that the 2026 version of the All-Star Sport shall be a “sendoff to the Olympics,” with gamers collaborating within the Winter Video games leaving from the All-Star Sport in New York to go to Italy.
Saying the 4 Nations Face-Off, Bettman indicated that worldwide competitors is critically necessary to the league’s gamers.
“We all know how necessary worldwide competitors is to our gamers. We all know they love and need to signify the international locations from which they’re from,” stated Bettman final yr. “We expect it is a nice stage for one of the best on one of the best, in one of the best sport.”
What groups are within the 4 Nations Face-Off?
The 4 groups chosen for participation within the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off had been all ranked within the prime six by the Worldwide Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the game’s international governing physique, on the time the event was introduced.
Nevertheless, there’s some controversy related to the number of these 4 groups.
Canada, Finland, and the USA all ranked inside the prime 4, with Canada topping the rankings, Finland sitting in second, and the USA fourth.
Sitting third? Russia, which was banned from competing in worldwide tournaments by the IIHF for the nation’s invasion of Ukraine. Germany, ranked fifth, was additionally excluded from collaborating as a result of the nation doesn’t have sufficient NHL gamers to fill out a full nationwide roster.
That noticed Sweden, the sixth-ranked group, earn a spot.
What’s the format for the event?
The 4 Nations Face-Off is a round-robin event, with every group enjoying the three different groups as soon as.
The factors system for the 4 Nations Face-Off contains three factors for a win in regulation, two factors for a win in both time beyond regulation or a shootout, one level for a loss in both time beyond regulation or a shootout, and 0 factors for a loss in regulation.
Following the tip of round-robin play, the highest two groups will meet within the Championship Sport, scheduled for February 20.
Throughout the round-robin portion of the event, time beyond regulation is a ten-minute, 3-on-3 sudden loss of life interval. If the rating stays tied on the finish of this ten-minute sudden loss of life, the sport proceeds to a shootout.
Within the Championship Sport, the time beyond regulation format is a 20-minute, full-strength sudden loss of life. These shall be successive 20-minute sudden-death intervals, so if the sport stays tied after the primary, it should advance to the second and a 3rd, and nevertheless many are wanted to find out a winner.
Relating to tiebreakers, a tie-breaker between two groups shall be determined by their head-to-head end result.
Three-way ties shall be decided by a number of steps, which you’ll examine right here.
The place are the video games being performed?
Throughout the round-robin portion of the event, video games are being performed at two websites: The Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada, and the TD Backyard in Boston, Massachusetts.
Who’re the gamers to know?
Canada
Canada is led by Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sam Reinhart, Brayden Level, and Cale Makar. Sidney Crosby was picked because the Group Captain, however might even see restricted ice time given the depth Canada brings to the desk.
Nonetheless, he had a trio of assists in Canada’s first sport towards Sweden, the third approaching Mitch Marner’s winner in time beyond regulation.
The most important query Canada might have comes between the pipes. Jordan Binnington obtained the beginning for Canada towards Sweden however allowed three targets, together with two within the third interval which noticed Sweden pressure time beyond regulation.
Finland
Finland has plenty of two-way gamers that you must learn about, together with Aleksander Barkov — who received the Selke Trophy, given to one of the best defensive ahead within the NHL, twice — Sebastian Aho, Mikko Rantanen, and Roope Hintz.
Nevertheless, Finland is with out standout defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who underwent knee surgical procedure at first of the month and is taken into account “month-to-month” for a return to motion.
Sweden
The Swedes might need one of the best group of defenders within the event. Gamers similar to Victor Hedman, Rasmus Dahlin, Gustav Forsling, Mattis Ekhold, and Jonas Brodin give Sweden super expertise and depth alongside the blue line.
In the event that they get sufficient from their forwards — led by William Nylander and Filip Forberg — Sweden may very well be an issue. Forcing time beyond regulation with Canada the opposite evening is an instance of what they’ll do on this event.
United States
What may stand out for the USA is their depth, as this roster is likely to be the strongest top-to-bottom within the event. Between the Tkachuk brothers (Brady and Matthew), Jack Eichel, Matt Boldy, Jake Guentzel, J.T. Miller, and extra, the USA has expertise up entrance. Alongside the blue line coach Mike Sullivan has a Norris Trophy winner in Adam Fox, Norris Trophy contenders in Charlie McAvoy, Zach Werenski, and Jaccob Slavin, and different super choices similar to Brock Faber, Noah Hanifin, and Jake Sanderson.
This expertise was on full show within the group’s 6-1 rout of Finland to open their event.
Sport schedule and how you can watch
Listed below are the scores for every sport, and how you can watch the upcoming contests.
Saturday evening’s showdown between the USA and Canada on the Bell Centre in Montreal is certain to be an electrical ambiance.
Wednesday, February 12: Canada 4, Sweden 3 (OT)
Thursday, February 13: USA 6, Finland 1
Saturday, February 15: Finland 4, Sweden 3 (OT)
Saturday, February 15: USA 3, Canada 1*
Monday, February 17: Canada 5, Finland 3**
Monday, February 17: Sweden vs. USA, 8:00 p.m. ET, TNT
Thursday, February 20: USA vs. Canada, 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
*With their win over Canada the USA clinched a spot within the Championship Sport
**Canada’s regulation win over Finland clinched a spot within the Championship Sport
What are the 4 Nations Face-Off Standings?
Listed below are the standings as of Friday, February 14:
4 Nations Face-Off Standings
| Group | Whole Wins | Whole Losses | Regulation Wins | Additional time Wins | Regulation Losses | Additional time Losses | Factors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Whole Wins | Whole Losses | Regulation Wins | Additional time Wins | Regulation Losses | Additional time Losses | Factors |
| USA | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Canada | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Finland | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Sweden | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
