The Stanley Cup isn’t the only major hockey championship up for grabs in 2025.
Instead of an All-Star Game, the NHL will hold a midseason international tournament called the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The tournament will feature only NHL players, marking the first best-on-best international tournament since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has described the 4 Nations Face-Off as a “bit of an appetizer” ahead of the NHL’s return to both the Olympics, starting with the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games, and the World Cup, starting in 2028.
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So, which countries are competing and who are the NHL stars taking the ice? And how will the tournament work? Here’s everything you need to know:
The 4 Nations Face-Off features Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States.
The first game takes place on Wednesday, February 12.
The tournament concludes just over a week later on Thursday, Feb. 20.
Tournament play begins at Bell Centre, home of the Canadiens in Montreal, before moving over to TD Garden, home of the Bruins in Boston.
The opening round features a round robin in which teams play three games, one against each of the other squads in the field. A regulation win is worth three points in the standings, an overtime or shootout win is worth two points and an overtime or shootout loss is worth one point. A regulation loss results in zero points.
The two teams with the most points after the round robin will then meet in a championship game.
Games will be played on NHL-sized rinks with NHL rules, although, overtime will look a bit different.
Round robin contests that reach overtime will play 10 minutes of sudden death hockey at 3-on-3 before moving to a three-round shootout. If the championship game goes to OT, the teams will play 20-minute sudden death periods at full strength until one team scores.
Games through Feb. 15 will be played in Montreal, with the remaining action taking place in Boston. The highly anticipated Canada vs. United States showdown will be played in Montreal. Here’s the full schedule (all times ET):
Feb. 12
Feb. 13
Feb. 15
Feb. 17
Feb. 20
Teams are permitted to carry 23 players in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Here’s a full look at the rosters, head coaches and captains:
Canada
Finland
Sweden
Team USA
The final NHL games before the 4 Nations Face-off are scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 9 and regular-season play will resume on Saturday, Feb. 22.
