2025 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament

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

The first six players representing each of the teams in the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off were announced this week by the NHL and NHLPA.

They are:

2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off 411

The National Hockey League (NHL) and National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) announced on February 2, 2024 the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, which will feature international tournament play between NHL Players from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States.
The 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off will take place in February 2025 in two North American cities – one in Canada and one in the United States. NHL All-Star Weekend will not be held in the 2024-25 season.
The 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off will consist of a total of seven games played over a nine-day period from Feb. 12 to 20, along with two designated training/practice days (Feb. 10 and Feb. 11)
Each team will be comprised of 23 NHL Players (20 skaters, 3 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 rosters later in the year.
All games in the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off will be played in accordance with NHL rules.
Each team will play three tournament games in a traditional Round Robin format, under the following points system: 3 points for a win in regulation time; 2 points for a win in overtime/shootout; 1 point for a loss in overtime/shootout; and 0 points for a loss in regulation time.
The two teams with the best tournament record will then advance to a one-game Final.
The overtime format for Round Robin games will be three-on-three 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 sudden death through successive 20-minute periods until one team scores.