In lieu of having an All-Star Game this season, the NHL and NHLPA are staging the 4 Nations Face-Off, which will run from Feb. 12 through Feb. 20. This is a round-robin tournament that will feature four national teams — Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States of America — with NHL players from those nations filling the rosters.
What’s the schedule and format for the tournament? Who is on the rosters? What are the players saying? And what does it mean for the 2026 Olympic Games?
Read on for answers to those questions and more, courtesy of Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski.
What is the format and rules of the tournament?
Each team will play three games, with the top two teams playing in a winner-take-all final. Teams will receive three points for a win in regulation, two points for an overtime or shootout win, one point for an overtime or shootout loss and zero points for a loss in regulation.
Overtime will be a 10-minute, 3-on-3 sudden death period. If the game is not decided in OT, there will be a three-round shootout. Once the tournament reaches the final game, overtime will be held in the more traditional playoff format, with 5-on-5 play in consecutive 20-minute periods. — Clark
Where are the games being held?
The 4 Nations Face-Off will be held in North America, splitting games between Bell Centre in Montreal and TD Garden in Boston.
Initially, the proposed format for the midseason tournament would have had the U.S. and Canada play two games in North America, while Sweden and Finland would play two games in either of those two nations. The winners of those matchups, either by points or aggregate goals, would face the second-best team from the other matchup — most likely in North America. The winners of those “semifinals” would then meet for the tournament championship, leaving open the possibility that the U.S. and Canada could meet in that final game.
But the logistics and schedule for the tournament proved too difficult for something that adventurous. There’s no semifinal round anymore. Instead of a global staging, it’s being held between two Original Six hockey markets.
There are four games held at Bell Centre, including a rivalry doubleheader:
Wednesday, Feb. 12: Canada vs. Sweden (8 p.m. ET) Thursday, Feb. 13: USA vs. Finland (8 p.m.) Saturday, Feb. 15: Finland vs. Sweden (1 p.m.) Saturday, Feb. 15: USA vs. Canada (8 p.m.)
There are three games scheduled for TD Garden:
Monday, Feb. 17: Canada vs. Finland (1 p.m.) Monday, Feb. 17: Sweden vs. USA (8 p.m.) Thursday, Feb. 20: Championship Game (8 p.m.)
The possibility is there for the U.S. and Canada to meet in both cities, including for the championship. — Wyshynski
Why only four nations? And why these four?
In a word, practicality. The NHL is putting the 4 Nations tournament together on its own and not in concert with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), whereas the league and IIHF do have a partnership that’s bringing NHL players back to the Olympics in 2026 and 2030.
For this particular tournament, there are only four countries represented because there has to be enough NHL skaters to complete each roster. That’s why Germany, for example, isn’t involved in this event. The Czech Republic and Russia do both technically have the NHL representation to craft a team, but the league will not have a Russian squad involved due to their ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The league choosing to go with Canada, the USA, Sweden and Finland means their event incorporates the largest number of NHL stars for now, and in time — if all goes well — the NHL will get more players and countries in the mix. — Shilton
When was the last time there was a best-on-best international tournament with NHL players?
The year was 2016, and the event was the World Cup of Hockey. The tournament was started in 1996, and staged again in 2004 before it returned in 2016.
The 2016 edition included eight teams total, including national teams from Canada, Czechia, Finland, Russia, Sweden and the USA. There was also a Team Europe — for players from nations such as Germany, Switzerland and Slovakia that didn’t have full rosters — while the tournament also introduced Team North America. The roster for Team North America featured under-24 talent from Canada and the United States, including future superstars such as Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Auston Matthews and Connor Hellebuyck.
The 16-game tournament was ultimately won by Canada, beating Team Europe in a best-of-three format. — Clark
What are the players saying about it?
The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.
“It’s great for the game of hockey,” Canadian forward Connor Bedard told ESPN. “Great for everyone to see the best players in each country going against each other. It’s going to be awesome, and people are going to love watching.”
“It’s going to be incredible for fans and players,” U.S. defenseman Brock Faber added. “It’s best-on-best, which hasn’t happened in a while, and that’s going to be so cool.”
While the younger contingency of NHL skaters might have many opportunities to represent their countries in the future, for some league veterans this 4 Nations event could be their best shot at such a chance.
“I would love to play in it,” U.S. defenseman John Carlson said. “To represent your country is cool; it’s a different animal than what we’re used to. And it’s fun to play against some of your teammates, play with some of your opponents. And obviously I think it’ll be awesome for the game of hockey.” — Shilton
Are there some players who aren’t raving about it?
While many players understand why the 4 Nations Face-Off exists, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s just four nations.
The World Cup of Hockey was more all-encompassing, to the point where the tournament had Team Europe, just to get those players whose national teams didn’t make the cut into the spotlight.
Russia and Czech Republic were both in the World Cup, and are not in the 4 Nations. In the case of the latter, at least one star player feels like his nation should have gotten an invite. Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak led Czechia to an IIHF world championship earlier this year. After winning the title, he posted a photo of himself holding the trophy with the caption: “Maybe Four Nation invite now?”
Pastrnak called their exclusion a “huge disappointment,” but could also understand there was a limited time and parameter to putting the 4 Nations tournament together.
Wait ’til 2026, Pasta. — Wyshynski
What does the winning country get?
The winning nation will receive a championship trophy. The NHL tells ESPN that it’s in the final design stages. Hopefully the trophy has a little more personality to it than the World Cup of Hockey one, which was accurately compared to a giant paperweight.
Both teams that make the championship game are also expected to receive medals.
As far as bonus money, it’s unclear if there is bonus money for the winning teams, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t financial incentives for making this tournament a success. Like the World Cup of Hockey, this tournament is an NHL and NHLPA presentation. The players will get a split of the profits, which will then be split among NHLPA members. The NY Post reported in 2016 that there was a 70/30 revenue split between players who played in the World Cup and those that did not. — Wyshynski
Who is on the rosters?
The teams announced an initial group of six players each in June:
The full rosters will be announced on Dec. 4. — ESPN Staff
What does all of this mean for the Olympic Games, and future tournaments?
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman called the 4 Nations tournament “a bit of an appetizer” for the Olympics and forthcoming World Cup events. The league hasn’t shut down and allowed its skaters to participate in an Olympics since the 2014 Games in Sochi (meaning players missed out on the 2018 and 2022 showcases).
Top NHLers like Connor McDavid have been championing a return to the Olympics, and finally the league acquiesced and partnered with the IIHF to make that happen in 2026 and 2030. The plan is for the NHL to put on 4 Nations in February, go to the Milan Games in 2026, hold a World Cup in 2028, represent at the 2030 Games and then host another World Cup in 2032. The 2034 Winter Games will be hosted by Salt Lake City.
This tournament is a precursor to all of that, and it should be engaging for fans and give players a taste for that best-on-best style of play, which many haven’t experienced since the NHL last put on a World Cup in 2016. — Shilton
DALLAS — Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele scored a goal in his club’s must-win Game 6 of the second-round playoff series at Dallas on Saturday night, hours after the unexpected death of his father.
But he also had the penalty that set up the Stars’ power-play goal in overtime for a 2-1 win that knocked the top-ranked Jets out of the playoffs.
Jets captain Adam Lowry went and got Scheifele out of the box when the game ended.
“We’re a family. Just to let him know that we’re there for him. It’s just an awful day for him,” Lowry said. “You want to give him the strength, you want to get that kill so bad. We just couldn’t do it.”
During the handshake line afterward, Scheifele hugged and talked to just about everyone, with Stars players clearly offering their support to him in a heartwarming moment.
Scheifele scored his fifth goal of the playoffs 5½ minutes into the second period to give the Jets a 1-0 lead. He scored on a short snap shot from just outside the crease after gathering the rebound of a shot by Kyle Connor.
“I just I know we have a great group here. I knew, going in, once we found out the news that he’s going to have a great support group and we’re going to be there for him through the highs and the lows and obviously today was a real low,” defenseman Neal Pionk said of Scheifele. “[We] did everything we could to give him some words of encouragement, [and] for him to play tonight, and play the way he did, is flat out one of the most courageous things we’ve ever seen.”
The game was tied at 1 when Sam Steel, who had already scored for Dallas, was on a break. Scheifele lunged forward desperately trying to make a play when he tripped up the forward at the blue line with 14.8 seconds in regulation. Scheifele and the Jets avoided a penalty shot on the play, but ended up losing on the power play when Thomas Harley scored 1:33 into overtime.
Jets coach Scott Arniel said the news of Brad Scheifele’s passing overnight was difficult for the entire team. The team was told before the optional morning skate.
“On behalf of the Winnipeg Jets family, our condolences to Mark and his family. It rocked us all this morning when we found out,” Arniel said before the game. “Mark will be playing tonight. As he said, that’d be the wishes of his dad. He would have wanted him to play.”
Scheifele was the last Jets player to leave the ice following pregame warmups, and during at least part of the singing of “O Canada,” he had his head bowed and his eyes closed. He took the opening faceoff against Roope Hintz.
“The thing about Mr. Scheifele is he’s part of our family. He’s part of the Jets family. He goes back to 2011 when Mark was first drafted here,” Arniel said. “We have a lot of players that came in around the time that are still here that he’s been a big part of their life, along with their family. So it’s certainly, obviously devastating for Mark, but also for a lot of guys on this team.”
Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said the organization was doing everything it can to support Scheifele. There was no immediate word on the cause of Brad Scheifele’s death.
The 32-year-old Mark Scheifele finished with 11 points (five goals, six assists) while playing in 11 of the Jets’ 13 games this postseason. He missed Games 6 and 7 of the first-round series against St. Louis with an undisclosed injury after taking a pair of big hits early in Game 5 of that series.
In Game 5 against the Stars on Thursday night, a 4-0 win by Winnipeg that extended the series, Scheifele was sucker-punched by Stars captain Jamie Benn during a late scrum. Benn got a game misconduct penalty and was fined by the NHL the maximum-allowed $5,000 but avoided a suspension.
Scheifele had 87 points (39 goals and 48 assists) in the 82 regular-season games.
DALLAS — Thomas Harley scored on a power play 1:33 into overtime and the Dallas Stars advanced to the Western Conference final for the third season in a row, beating the top-seeded Winnipeg Jets2-1 in Game 6 on Saturday night.
Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets hours after the unexpected death of his father, but also had a tripping penalty with 14.8 seconds left in regulation that set up Dallas to start overtime with a man advantage.
Sam Steel, who had scored earlier for Dallas, was on a break when Scheifele lunged forward desperately trying to make a play when he tripped up the forward at the blue line. The Stars called a timeout, but missed a shot and had another one blocked before the end of regulation.
The Stars move on to face the Edmonton Oilers in the West final for the second year in a row and will host Game 1. Connor McDavid and his club, which won in six games last year, wrapped up their second-round series with a 1-0 overtime win over Vegas on Wednesday night in Game 5.
Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger made 22 saves to wrap up his sixth playoff series win over the past three seasons. He made an incredible diving save with 8½ minutes left in regulation, leaning to the right before having to lunge back across his body toward the left post to knock down a shot by Mason Appleton.
Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped 19 shots but couldn’t prevent a loss that assured a winless record for his club on the road this postseason. Meanwhile, his final goal allowed continued a magical season for Harley, Dallas’ breakout blueliner who also played for Team Canada this season in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
“Not surprising to the guys in here,” Oettinger said of Harley’s rise to prominence. “We’re very lucky.”
Steel notched his first goal of the playoffs midway through the second period. He shot a long rebound from the top of the right circle, sending the puck into the upper right corner of the net just above Hellebuyck’s glove.
“I’m just disappointed,” Winnipeg captain Adam Lowry said. “We couldn’t get that [penalty] kill for [the fans], and get it back to win in Winnipeg for Game 7. But you know, [I’m] really proud of this group, and the way they handled everything, and the way we fought back. … It just came up short.”
The Jets become the next in a long line of Presidents’ Trophy winners to bow out early. The award, which goes to the NHL’s top regular-season team, was won by the New York Rangers last season before they lost in the Eastern Conference final. Two years ago, the No. 1 seed Boston Bruins lost in the first round to the Florida Panthers.
“We lost to a great team,” Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said. “We lost to a team that was in our rearview mirror all year long.”
Scheifele’s effort was a focus for Dallas coach Pete DeBoer, who began his postgame media availability by saying what the Jets star forward did in playing Saturday was “courageous,” adding “I’m sure his dad would’ve been really proud of him and what he did.”
For the Stars, it’s off to the NHL’s final four, as the franchise continues to seek its second Stanley Cup title.
“I think we’ve got something special going on. We’re going to have to prove it again,” DeBoer said. “You know, we’ve been to this spot the last two years and haven’t taken the next step, so that’s the challenge.”
As the Vegas Golden Knights absorb being knocked out in the second round of the NHL playoffs by the Edmonton Oilers, they don’t have to wait long before planning for their future. Jack Eichel, who has one season left on his eight-year, $80 million contract, is eligible for an extension beginning July 1.
“He’s one of the top guys in the NHL,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “He’s got great character, great leadership. You see night in, night out what he does for our team, so that will be a really important piece of business for us. We certainly hope to keep Jack in our organization. Jack loves it here, so I would hope we could find common ground.”
Eichel, 28, comes off the best season of his 10-year career, the past four with the Golden Knights. He set career highs with 66 assists and 94 points to go with 28 goals as the center on the team’s top line. He also skated for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off, where his club finished second to Canada.
“Can’t say enough about my teammates and the people in this building and the people that make this organization what it is,” Eichel said. “I’m super proud to be part of this organization and the city and represent the Vegas Golden Knights. Contractually, I think things kind of take care of itself. I’ll just worry about trying to prepare for next season this offseason and go from there.”
Management, which is not known for sitting on its hands, will have other significant decisions to make as well on the team’s direction after the Golden Knights were eliminated in the second round for the second year in a row.
“I like our team,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I don’t have a problem with any player in that room. I think every one of them is a great teammate. They care about one another. Are there areas of our game we could complement better? Probably. We’ll evaluate that.
“All the guys that were up, their contracts, they were all good players for us. All good players. No disappointments at all. We’ll probably have to look at areas because we’re not the last team standing. Usually, you think, ‘Where can we upgrade? Where can I upgrade what I do?'”
McCrimmon offered a similar assessment.
“I feel our team was good enough to win,” McCrimmon said.
The Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup two years ago and thought they had another contender this season after capturing the Pacific Division and securing the Western Conference’s second-best record. But Vegas had to rally from a 2-1 series deficit to beat Minnesota in the opening round, winning twice in overtime. Then the Golden Knights lost two overtime games in the 4-1 series loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
“I didn’t walk away from Edmonton saying, ‘We had no chance. They’re just better,'” Cassidy said. “I didn’t feel that way. I felt we needed to execute better in a few of the games and we could be the team moving on.”
Forward William Karlsson said losing to the Oilers made it “a wasted season.” McCrimmon wasn’t as blunt, instead labeling the loss as “a missed opportunity.”
Change will come, but at least given the tenor of the comments by Cassidy and McCrimmon, the Golden Knights will largely return their roster intact next season.
“I think we have a great organization,” goaltender Adin Hill said. “Best management I’ve been under. I think they’re going to do the things that they see fit for [the] roster, whether it’s keeping it the same or whether it’s changing up a few things. I don’t know. That’s their decision, above my paygrade, but it will be exciting to see. We know that we’re going to be contenders every year.”
Forward Reilly Smith made it clear he wants to return. An original Golden Knight, Smith was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins after winning the Stanley Cup and then sent to the New York Rangers a year later. The Golden Knights reacquired the 34-year-old on March 6.
Smith made a smooth transition back into the lineup with three goals and eight assists in 21 games. Then he delivered the play of the postseason for the Golden Knights, scoring with 0.4 seconds left to beat the Oilers in Game 3, and finished with three goals and an assist in 11 playoff games.
“Probably the best hockey I’ve played in my career has been wearing this jersey,” Smith said. “It’s a fun group to be a part of and a fun place to call home. My family loves it here, so if there’s a way to make it work, it’d be great. At the end of the day, it’s a business. My contract negotiations, I probably know as little as [the media does] right now.”