Tag: Teams Sweden

Sweden and Finland Battle In 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament Today

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By NHL Public Relations

February 15, 2025

Finland is facing Sweden in the latest chapter of a long-standing hockey rivalry between the countries, who share over 500 kilometers of border separated mostly by water.

The hockey rivalry dates back almost a century – Finland’s first international match is reported to be against Sweden on Jan. 29, 1928, and their first-ever appearance in the Winter Olympic Games was against Sweden in 1952 in Oslo, Norway (Sweden won 9-2).

Sweden and Finland 411

  • Sweden and Finland have met in one Olympic gold medal game, with Sweden defeating Finland 3-2 at the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy. Teemu Selanne (FIN) and Daniel Alfredsson (SWE), two of the legends who took part in the 4 Nations Face-Off opening ceremony, participated in that contest.
  • The two countries have also played for gold four times at the World Championship, each winning twice (Finland: 2011 & 1995; Sweden: 1998 & 1992).
  • This will mark the eighth meeting between Finland and Sweden at an NHL International Tournament, all in the round robin. Five of the previous seven contests have been decided by a margin of two or fewer goals.

Source: nhl.com

Canada and Sweden Open Up 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament Tonight

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Source: nhl.com

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