02/03/2024 – CanucksBanter

February 2, 2024

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, NHL Players’ Association Executive Director Marty Walsh announced the competition in Toronto prior to the 2024 NHL Skills competition at Scotiabank Arena, the host venue for the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend.

NHL All-Stars Connor McDavid, Sebastian Aho, Elias Pettersson and Auston Matthews were present at the announcement.

The in-season 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off will consist of a total of 7-games played during a 9-day period from February 12-20, along with two practice days, February 10-11, and will be held in two yet-to-be named North American cities, one in Canada and one in the United States.

411 On 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament

Each team at the 4 Nations Face-Off will be comprised of 23 NHL players (20 skaters, three goalies) selected by each National Association: Hockey Canada, Finnish Ice Hockey Association, Swedish Ice Hockey Association and USA Hockey
Players must be under an NHL contract for the 2024-25 season and on an NHL roster as of Dec. 2, 2024.
All roster announcement dates will be made by the NHL and NHLPA, with each of the participating National Associations selecting its initial six players this summer, prior to selecting its complete roster later in the year
All games in the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off will be played in accordance with NHL rules on NHL-sized rinks.
Each team will play three tournament games in a traditional round-robin format, with teams earning three points for a win in regulation, two points for a win in overtime or a shootout, one point for a loss in overtime or a shootout, and no points for a loss in regulation
The two teams with the best record will advance to a one-game final. The overtime format for round-robin games will be 3-on-3 sudden death for a 10-minute period, followed by a three-round shootout.
The overtime format for the one-game final will be full strength of sudden death through successive 20-minute periods until one team scores

“We view this event as a building block to a larger World Cup, an important tournament to the players,” Walsh said.

“These guys on this stage, every one of them either talked to me or Ron [Hainsey, NHLPA assistant executive director], personally saying, ‘We want to get international hockey back in the NHL,’ and with this series, we have an amazing opportunity.”
NHL Players’ Association Executive Director Marty Walsh

The NHL will not hold an All-Star Game next season.

Source: nhl.com

The National Hockey League (NHL), National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) on Friday, February 2, 2024 jointly announced plans for NHL Players to participate in the 2026 and 2030 Olympic Winter Games.

“The international composition of National Hockey League rosters is unparalleled, and NHL Players take great pride in representing their countries. We are pleased that today, after intense collaborative efforts with the NHL Players’ Association and the International Ice Hockey Federation, we can formally announce that NHL Players will participate in both the 2026 and 2030 Olympic hockey tournaments.”
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman

The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 are scheduled to be held Feb. 6-22, 2026, in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

It will mark the first time NHL Players compete on the Olympic stage since 2014, and sixth time overall (1998 – Nagano, Japan; 2002 – Salt Lake City, United States; 2006 – Turin, Italy; 2010 – Vancouver, Canada; 2014 – Sochi, Russia).

The host for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games is expected to be chosen later this year by the International Olympic Committee.

“For years, the players have embraced the opportunity to compete for Olympic gold, and we are excited that today’s announcement makes it a certainty for our members in the 2026 and 2030 Olympic Winter Games. We also know that hockey fans worldwide have long been anticipating the next best-on-best international competition, and now they can finally see some of their favourite players represent their countries and line up together.”
NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh

The NHL, NHLPA and IIHF have outlined and agreed to the major principles related to the Players’ participation, with details to be finalized over the coming months.

“This decision represents a turning point for Ice Hockey at the global level and marks the great return of the NHL Players to the Olympic Games. The IIHF was able to gather all related stakeholders at the same table to find a long-lasting and sustainable consensus, which is the backbone of what we intend to do as Sports Organizations. As prime hockey fans, the IIHF is obviously thrilled and excited about this unprecedented agreement, we are already looking forward to witnessing the Best of Ice Hockey at these upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Milano and in 2030.”
IIHF President Luc Tardif

Friday’s announcements were made at a news conference from the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto, Canada, attended by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh, and IIHF President Luc Tardif.

Source: nhl.com