Sweden – Page 2 – CanucksBanter

By NHL Public Relations

February 12, 2025

A whirlwind 4 Nations Face-Off, the NHL’s first best-on-best competition since 2016 that will pit Canada, Finland, Sweden and USA against each other in a round-robin tournament with the top two teams advancing to the final next week in Boston, opens tonight at Bell Centre in Montreal when Canada faces Sweden.

Canada and Sweden 411

Canada and Sweden have met in an NHL International Tournament nine times, starting with the 1976 Canada Cup – the NHL’s first-ever international tournament – when Bob Gainey scored twice to help Canada earn a 4-0 victory in a game that included two legendary Hall of Fame defensemen in Bobby Orr and Borje Salming.
The two countries last met in an NHL International Tournament in the semifinals of the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, with Theo Fleury scoring 19:47 into the second overtime to help Canada advance to the final. Canada has an 8-1-0 record in their nine meetings to date.
Canada captain Sidney Crosby (609-1,045—1,654) has more points than any active player and is the only skater in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament who ranks among the top 10 on the NHL’s all-time points list.
Sweden’s Erik Karlsson (196-660—855) and captain Victor Hedman (164-608—772) rank second and third, respectively, in career points among active defensemen.
Three of the NHL’s top-five goal scorers this season will be in this contest: William Nylander (2nd; 33), Brayden Point (t-4th; 31) and Sam Reinhart (t-4th; 31), as well as three of the top-five point producers in 2024-25: Nathan MacKinnon (1st; 87); Connor McDavid (4th; 71) and Mitch Marner (5th; 71).
Canada head coach Jon Cooper confirmed goaltender Jordan Binnington would be the starter in the opening game (Sweden did not confirm its starter). Binnington is one of two Stanley Cup-winning goaltenders on a 4 Nations Face-Off roster, with the other his Canadian teammate Adin Hill. Binnington, who was an OHL champion (2011), Stanley Cup champion (2019) and is the winningest goaltender in Blues history, will look to claim an international championship for the first time.
A pair of second-generation NHL players will follow in their fathers’ footsteps once again Wednesday when Canada’s Sam Reinhart and Sweden’s William Nylander hit the ice in the 4 Nations Face-Off opener.
Each player’s dad played at a past NHL International Tournament: Reinhart’s father, Paul, skated for Canada at the 1981 Canada Cup, and Nylander’s father, Michael, scored the last Sweden goal vs. Canada at an NHL International Tournament during the 1996 World Cup of Hockey semifinals. The same feat will happen Thursday when brothers Brady and Matthew Tkachuk team up for USA and follow in the footsteps of their father, Keith (1996 & 2004 WCH).
Guy Gaudreau, father of the late Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau, was invited to Montreal by USA and is taking part in the event. Guy has been included in team activities including a dinner Monday alongside American hockey legends Mike Eruzione, Rob McClanahan and Mike Modano, and on the ice for practice Tuesday at Bell Centre – where Johnny scored twice while wearing a Team North America jersey during preliminary action at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Much like the Blue Jackets are this season, USA will have a stall set aside in remembrance – hear from Guy and members of the USA team in Dan Rosen’s article on NHL.com.

Source: nhl.com

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