Tag: National hockey League players association

USA and Finland Go At It In 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament Tonight

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Source: nhl.com

By NHL Public Relations

February 13, 2025

The second game of the 4 Nations Face-Off will pit a new era of USA stars – they are the only team without a player returning from the 2016 World Cup of Hockey – led by first-time national team captain Auston Matthews against a Finland team captained by Aleksander Barkov, who is one of four members of the reigning Stanley Cup champion Panthers on the roster. 

USA and Finland 411

  • This will mark the seventh all-time meeting between the countries in an NHL International Tournament, with the two most recent coming in the semifinals. Finland’s last victory in an NHL International Tournament was against USA in the semifinals of the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, with longtime Canadiens legend Saku Koivu netting the game winner.
  • In the 1991 Canada Cup, Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Mullen netted what would become the game-winning goal in a 7-3 semifinals victory for the United States. In both cases, Finland and USA reached the final of an NHL International Tournament for the first time.
  • The reigning Stanley Cup champion Panthers, who lead all teams with eight players participating in the tournament, will be well represented in Thursday’s contest with Matthew Tkachuk skating for USA and Aleksander Barkov, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola on Finland’s roster.
  • Barkov (8-14—22 in 24 GP) and Tkachuk (6-16—22 in 24 GP) were tied for the team playoff scoring lead during Florida’s run to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2024.
  • Prior to Tkachuk joining the Panthers, he and Barkov went head-to-head in the NHL nine times, with Tkachuk holding the edge in both points (5-7—12 in 9 GP) and team record (6-2-1). Barkov also produced at a point-per-game rate in those contests (2-7—9 in 9 GP; 3-5-1 record).
  • Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk will suit up together on the international stage for the first time, and also the first time on any team outside of the 2023 NHL All-Star Game. They will become the 14th set of brothers to play on the same team in an NHL International Tournament and the fifth to do so with USA, joining Derian and Kevin Hatcher (1996 WCH), Aaron and Neal Broten (1984 CC), Brian and Joe Mullen (1984 CC) and Curt and Harvey Bennett (1976 CC).
  • The Hatcher brothers are the only siblings, from any country, to win an NHL International Tournament together.

Source: nhl.com

4 Nations Face-Off Begins Wednesday

On By CanucksBanterIn 4 Nations Face-Off, Canucks NewsLeave a comment

By NHL Public Relations

February 10, 2025

Best-on-best international competition returns this week when the League and NHLPA host the 4 Nations Face-Off, a seven-game tournament featuring NHL players from Canada, Finland, Sweden and USA played over a nine-day period.

The event opens with a clash between Canada and Sweden at Bell Centre on Wednesday, marking the first of four contests in Montreal before the tournament shifts to TD Garden in Boston.

* Games will be played in accordance with NHL rules (with the exception of OT, which will be 10:00 instead of 5:00 for round-robin games) and each team will contest three games in a traditional round-robin format under the following points system: 3 points for a win in regulation; 2 points for a win in overtime/shootout; 1 point for a loss in overtime/shootout; and 0 points for a loss in regulation. The two teams with the best record (including use of the tournament’s tiebreaking procedure, if necessary) will then advance to the winner-take-all championship game, which will feature the same overtime format as the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The format and rules for each of the eight previous NHL International Tournaments can be found at the new first-of-its-kind section on Records.NHL.com.

* In addition to their normal operations out of Toronto and New York City, respectively, the NHL Hockey Operations Department and Department of Player Safety will be on-site in Montreal and Boston.

* Monday marks the first of two designated training/practice days and Media Day takes place tomorrow. The opener is followed by Finland facing USA on Thursday before a two-game Saturday featuring historic rivalries as Sweden squares off with Finland and Canada clashes with USA. Saturday is also when fans can visit the one-day Fan Festival in Montreal (11 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET) followed by a three-day Fan Village in Boston (Feb. 15-17 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET). Both events are free to the public.

* A range of documents pertaining to the tournament are available on the League’s Media site (from the main menu, navigate to 4 Nations Face-Off to find an Overview and Media Schedule of Events), as well as on the new first-of-its-kind international section on Records.NHL.com. Updates to each #NHLStats Pack will be posted once rosters are finalized.

· 4 Nations Face-Off Interactive Information Guide

· #NHLStats Packs: 4 Nations Face-Off: Tournament | Canada | Finland | Sweden | USA

· NHL International Tournament Records: Overview | Recaps | Records | Registers

Source: nhl.com