That is NBA All-Star weekend. This 12 months the league carried out a brand new format, with the All-Stars drafted into three groups of eight gamers. They are going to face off with the winner of Friday evening’s Rising Stars Problem in a small, single-elimination event on Sunday evening.
The NHL can be attempting one thing new, which kicked off this week.
As an alternative of an All-Star Recreation, the NHL and the NHLPA are holding the 4 Nations Face-Off, which runs from February 12 by means of February 20. It is a round-robin event that includes 4 nationwide groups — Canada, Finland, Sweden, and america — with NHL gamers filling out the rosters.
Here’s what you should know for the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off, how one can watch, and the scores.
Why did the NHL implement the 4 Nations Face-Off?
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman introduced the round-robin event on the 2024 All-Star Recreation. The transfer got here following prolonged negotiations between the league and the NHLPA relating to participant participation in worldwide tournaments. NHL gamers competed between 1998 and 2014 within the Winter Olympics. Nonetheless, no deal was reached to permit gamers to play in both the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in 2018 or the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.
As a part of the settlement, gamers will be capable to compete within the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, in addition to the 2030 Winter Video games.
“The worldwide composition of Nationwide Hockey League rosters is unparalleled, and NHL Gamers take nice satisfaction in representing their international locations,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman mentioned in an announcement final 12 months.
“We’re happy that, after intense collaborative efforts with the NHL Gamers’ Affiliation and the Worldwide Ice Hockey Federation, we will formally announce that NHL Gamers will take part in each the 2026 and 2030 Olympic hockey tournaments.”
As well as, the league launched the in-season 4 Nations Face-Off, to be held rather than the 2025 NHL All-Star Recreation. Between that event and subsequent 12 months’s winter video games, the NHL All-Star Recreation is on a one-year hiatus. The 2026 NHL All-Star Recreation shall be held at UBS Enviornment in New York, the house of the New York Islanders. Bettman mentioned final 12 months that the 2026 version of the All-Star Recreation shall be a “sendoff to the Olympics,” with gamers taking part within the Winter Video games leaving from the All-Star Recreation in New York to go to Italy.
Asserting the 4 Nations Face-Off, Bettman indicated that worldwide competitors is critically vital to the league’s gamers.
“We all know how vital worldwide competitors is to our gamers. We all know they love and wish to symbolize the international locations from which they’re from,” mentioned Bettman final 12 months. “We expect this can be a nice stage for the very best on the very best, in the very best sport.”
What groups are within the 4 Nations Face-Off?
The 4 groups chosen for participation within the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off have been all ranked within the prime six by the Worldwide Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the game’s international governing physique, on the time the event was introduced.
Nonetheless, there may be some controversy related to the collection of these 4 groups.
Canada, Finland, and america all ranked throughout the prime 4, with Canada topping the rankings, Finland sitting in second, and america fourth.
Sitting third? Russia, which was banned from competing in worldwide tournaments by the IIHF for the nation’s invasion of Ukraine. Germany, ranked fifth, was additionally excluded from taking part as a result of the nation doesn’t have sufficient NHL gamers to fill out a full nationwide roster.
That noticed Sweden, the sixth-ranked crew, earn a spot.
What’s the format for the event?
The 4 Nations Face-Off is a round-robin event, with every crew enjoying the three different groups as soon as.
The factors system for the 4 Nations Face-Off contains three factors for a win in regulation, two factors for a win in both additional time or a shootout, one level for a loss in both additional time or a shootout, and 0 factors for a loss in regulation.
Following the tip of round-robin play, the highest two groups will meet within the Championship Recreation, scheduled for February 20.
Throughout the round-robin portion of the event, additional time is a ten-minute, 3-on-3 sudden demise interval. If the rating stays tied on the finish of this ten-minute sudden demise, the sport proceeds to a shootout.
Within the Championship Recreation, the additional time format is a 20-minute, full-strength sudden demise. These shall be successive 20-minute sudden-death durations, so if the sport stays tied after the primary, it’ll advance to the second and a 3rd, and nevertheless many are wanted to find out a winner.
Concerning tiebreakers, a tie-breaker between two groups shall be determined by their head-to-head outcome.
Three-way ties shall be decided by a number of steps, which you’ll examine right here.
The place are the video games being performed?
Throughout the round-robin portion of the event, video games are being performed at two websites: The Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada, and the TD Backyard in Boston, Massachusetts.
Who’re the gamers to know?
Canada
Canada is led by Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sam Reinhart, Brayden Level, and Cale Makar. Sidney Crosby was picked because the Crew Captain, however may even see restricted ice time given the depth Canada brings to the desk.
Nonetheless, he had a trio of assists in Canada’s first sport in opposition to Sweden, the third approaching Mitch Marner’s winner in additional time.
The largest query Canada might have comes between the pipes. Jordan Binnington received the beginning for Canada in opposition to Sweden however allowed three targets, together with two within the third interval which noticed Sweden drive additional time.
Finland
Finland has plenty of two-way gamers that it’s best to find out about, together with Aleksander Barkov — who gained the Selke Trophy, given to the very best defensive ahead within the NHL, twice — Sebastian Aho, Mikko Rantanen, and Roope Hintz.
Nonetheless, Finland is with out standout defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who underwent knee surgical procedure at first of the month and is taken into account “month-to-month” for a return to motion.
Sweden
The Swedes might need the very best group of defenders within the event. Gamers similar to Victor Hedman, Rasmus Dahlin, Gustav Forsling, Mattis Ekhold, and Jonas Brodin give Sweden great expertise and depth alongside the blue line.
In the event that they get sufficient from their forwards — led by William Nylander and Filip Forberg — Sweden may very well be an issue. Forcing additional time with Canada the opposite evening is an instance of what they’ll do on this event.
United States
What would possibly stand out for america is their depth, as this roster may be the strongest top-to-bottom within the event. Between the Tkachuk brothers (Brady and Matthew), Jack Eichel, Matt Boldy, Jake Guentzel, J.T. Miller, and extra, america has expertise up entrance. Alongside the blue line coach Jake Sullivan has a Norris Trophy winner in Adam Fox, Norris Trophy contenders in Charlie McAvoy, Zach Werenski, and Jaccob Slavin, and different great choices similar to Brock Faber, Noah Hanifin, and Jake Sanderson.
This expertise was on full show within the crew’s 6-1 rout of Finland to open their event.
Recreation schedule and how one can watch
Listed here are the scores for every sport, and how one can watch the upcoming contests.
Saturday evening’s showdown between america and Canada on the Bell Centre in Montreal is bound to be an electrical ambiance.
Wednesday, February 12: Canada 4, Sweden 3 (OT)
Thursday, February 13: USA 6, Finland 1
Saturday, February 15: Finland vs. Sweden, 1:00 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+
Saturday, February 15: USA vs. Canada, 8:00 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+/Disney+
Monday, February 17: Canada vs. Finland, 1:00 p.m. ET, TNT
Monday, February 17: Sweden vs. USA, 8:00 p.m. ET, TNT
Thursday, February 20: Championship Recreation, 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+
What are the 4 Nations Face-Off Standings?
Listed here are the standings as of Friday, February 14:
4 Nations Face-Off Standings
| Crew | W | Extra time Win | Extra time Loss | Loss | Factors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | W | Extra time Win | Extra time Loss | Loss | Factors |
| USA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Canada | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Sweden | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Finland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |