By NHL Public Relations

February 17, 2025

Sweden could know its 4 Nations fate before their third round-robin game begins, but if the Canada-Finland game extends past regulation – like half the games have so far – then the Tre Kronor will need a regulation win vs. USA to advance to the final.

Sweden and USA 411

• Sweden has reached the playoff round/championship game in six consecutive NHL International Tournaments dating to the 1984 Canada Cup. Canada is the only other nation to accomplish the feat during that stretch.
• Sweden is seeking its second trip to the final at an NHL International Tournament, with their only appearance coming more than 40 years ago in the best-of-three 1984 Canada Cup final.
• Sweden last played for a championship/gold medal at a senior men’s international tournament (NHL tournaments, Olympic Winter Games, World Championship) in 2018 when the nation reached the decisive contest in the World Championship (win vs. Switzerland). That came four months after the junior squad reached the gold medal game of the World Junior Championship (loss vs. Canada). Ten members of its 4 Nations roster were part of at least one of those runs to the final.
• Since Sweden’s gold at the 2018 World Championship, the nation has found success at the junior level – they have played for gold in three of the past five Under-18 World Championships, with Lucas Raymond (2019) and Leo Carlsson (2022) helping them secure two championships (loss to USA in 2023).
• After a pair of regulation wins in Montreal, including a 3-1 victory over Canada on Saturday to secure the first spot in the 4 Nations Face-Off final, USA will either enter its game Monday knowing its opponent in Thursday’s final (Canada or Finland), or face Sweden knowing a regulation defeat would set up a rematch with the championship on the line.
• This will be the first-ever NHL International Tournament game in Boston – home of the NHL’s oldest U.S. franchise.
• There have been 18 NHL International Tournament games contested in the United States, including 17 involving the host Americans: USA has claimed 11 wins, five losses (including one in OT during the 1996 WCH final) and one tie. The only contest in the country not involving USA was between Canada and Sweden at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.
• USA and Sweden have only faced off on U.S. soil once before, with USA winning a round-robin contest 6-3 at Civic Arena in Pittsburgh during the 1991 Canada Cup, en route to a final appearance against Canada.
• Keith Tkachuk, the father of USA’s Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, has the only two hat tricks by an American player at an NHL International Tournament and both came on home soil.
• He recorded 4-1—5 in the quarterfinals against Russia at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey (the country’s last victory in the U.S.) and 3-1—4 in a round-robin game against Slovakia played at Madison Square Garden in New York during the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.
• The Tkachuk brothers each recorded a multi-goal game in USA’s opener against Finland on Thursday.

Source: nhl.com