The NHL announced the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, beginning the return of in-season international hockey. While it is hard to say this is going to be best-on-best hockey with only four teams involved, it is certainly a step in the right direction. The league announced that Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the USA will be the four teams participating.
The tournament is set to take place from Feb. 12-20, 2025. The two host cities will be Montreal and Boston, with the championship game being held at TD Garden in Boston. The first six members of each team are set to be announced on June 28, 2024, likely ahead of the first round of the NHL Draft at The Sphere in Vegas.
The Return of International Play
NHL players have been limited to the IIHF’s World Championship when looking to represent their countries. While it is a competitive tournament, oftentimes the top players in the league pass on the opportunity, while others do for multiple reasons. Some are still competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, while others are worrying about contract negotiations. Having an in-season tournament puts those worries aside and will also work to get the players in a cycle of having a break from NHL hockey, whether it be participating in the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Olympics, or the World Cup upon its return.
Related: Projected Canada Roster for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off Tourney
The NHL has not participated in the Olympics since Sochi in 2014, and there hasn’t been a World Cup tournament since 2016. Fans and players have expressed their frustration and disappointment in the lack of a true best-on-best tournament absent for the last eight years, and to have some concrete information about the closest thing coming is great news for everybody.
The 4 Nations Face-Off will have a Round Robin with each team playing three games. It will follow NHL rules, rather than any adjusted international play rules. The scoring system for the Round Robin will be the 3-2-1 system many people have been asking for in the NHL. A regulation win will earn a team three points in the standings, while an overtime/shootout win earns two, and an overtime/shootout loss is one. The two teams at the top of the standings after their three games will play in a match on Feb. 20, 2025, to fight for the championship.
