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’ll face off with the winner of Friday night time’s Rising Stars Problem in a small, single-elimination event on Sunday night time.
The NHL can also be making an attempt one thing new, which kicked off this week.
As an alternative of an All-Star Recreation, the NHL and the NHLPA are holding the 4 Nations Face-Off, which runs from February 12 by February 20. It is a round-robin event that includes 4 nationwide groups — Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the US — with NHL gamers filling out the rosters.
Here’s what it’s essential know for the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off, the way to 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 Recreation. The transfer got here following prolonged negotiations between the league and the NHLPA concerning 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 be capable 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 will 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 instead of the 2025 NHL All-Star Recreation. Between that event and subsequent yr’s winter video games, the NHL All-Star Recreation is on a one-year hiatus. The 2026 NHL All-Star Recreation might be held at UBS Area in New York, the house of the New York Islanders. Bettman stated final yr that the 2026 version of the All-Star Recreation might be a “sendoff to the Olympics,” with gamers collaborating within the Winter Video games leaving from the All-Star Recreation in New York to move to Italy.
Asserting the 4 Nations Face-Off, Bettman indicated that worldwide competitors is critically essential to the league’s gamers.
“We all know how essential worldwide competitors is to our gamers. We all know they love and wish to signify the international locations from which they’re from,” stated Bettman final yr. “We expect it is a nice stage for the most effective on the most effective, in the most effective sport.”
What groups are within the 4 Nations Face-Off?
The 4 groups chosen for participation within the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off have been all ranked within the prime six by the Worldwide Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the game’s world governing physique, on the time the event was introduced.
Nonetheless, there may be some controversy related to the collection of these 4 groups.
Canada, Finland, and the US all ranked inside the prime 4, with Canada topping the rankings, Finland sitting in second, and the US 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 staff, earn a spot.
What’s the format for the event?
The 4 Nations Face-Off is a round-robin event, with every staff taking part in 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 additional time or a shootout, one level for a loss in both additional time or a shootout, and nil factors for a loss in regulation.
Following the tip of round-robin play, the highest two groups will meet within the Championship Recreation, scheduled for February 20.
Through the round-robin portion of the event, additional time 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 Recreation, the additional time format is a 20-minute, full-strength sudden loss of life. These might be successive 20-minute sudden-death intervals, so if the sport stays tied after the primary, it can 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 might be determined by their head-to-head end result.
Three-way ties might be decided by a number of steps, which you’ll be able to examine right here.
The place are the video games being performed?
Through 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 recreation towards Sweden, the third approaching Mitch Marner’s winner in additional time.
The most important query Canada could have comes between the pipes. Jordan Binnington acquired the beginning for Canada towards Sweden however allowed three targets, together with two within the third interval which noticed Sweden power additional time.
Finland
Finland has numerous two-way gamers that you need to learn about, together with Aleksander Barkov — who received the Selke Trophy, given to the most effective defensive ahead within the NHL, twice — Sebastian Aho, Mikko Rantanen, and Roope Hintz.
Nonetheless, Finland is with out standout defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who underwent knee surgical procedure originally of the month and is taken into account “month-to-month” for a return to motion.
Sweden
The Swedes may need the most effective group of defenders within the event. Gamers resembling Victor Hedman, Rasmus Dahlin, Gustav Forsling, Mattis Ekhold, and Jonas Brodin give Sweden large 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 might be an issue. Forcing additional time with Canada the opposite night time is an instance of what they’ll do on this event.
United States
What may stand out for the US is their depth, as this roster may 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 US has expertise up entrance. Alongside the blue line coach Jake Sullivan has a Norris Trophy winner in Adam Fox, Norris Trophy contenders in Charlie McAvoy, Zach Werenski, and Jaccob Slavin, and different large choices resembling Brock Faber, Noah Hanifin, and Jake Sanderson.
This expertise was on full show within the staff’s 6-1 rout of Finland to open their event.
Recreation schedule and the way to watch
Listed here are the scores for every recreation, and the way to watch the upcoming contests.
Saturday night time’s showdown between the US and Canada on the Bell Centre in Montreal is certain to be an electrical environment.
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 vs. Canada, 8:00 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+/Disney+
Monday, February 17: Canada vs. Finland, 1:00 p.m. ET, TNT
Monday, February 17: Sweden vs. USA, 8:00 p.m. ET, TNT
Thursday, February 20: Championship Recreation, 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
What are the 4 Nations Face-Off Standings?
Listed here are the standings as of Friday, February 14:
4 Nations Face-Off Standings
| Group | W | Additional time Win | Additional time Loss | Loss | Factors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group | W | Additional time Win | Additional time Loss | Loss | Factors |
| USA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Canada | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Finland | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Sweden | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
