NHL players are returning to international competition sooner than you might think.
The NHL announced in February its intention to allow players to take part in the 2026 Olympics, opening the door for the sport’s finest talents to vie for the vaunted gold medal — just as they did from 1988-2014. With the NHL’s declaration, the stage had been set for more indelible moments like Sidney Crosby’s “Golden Goal.”
Hockey fans will get a preview of what could be in store when some of the NHL’s finest talents don their nations’ colors for the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025.
Here’s what you need to know about the international event set to take the hockey world by storm in February.
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4 Nations Face-Off rosters 2025
Each 4 Nations club previously announced six players. This section will be updated when the remainder of the rosters are revealed at 2 p.m. ET (Sweden, Finland) and 6:30 p.m. ET (USA, Canada) on Dec. 4, 2024.
Team Canada
| Player | Position | Birthplace | Team |
| Sidney Crosby | F | Halifax, Nova Scotia | Penguins |
| Nathan MacKinnon | F | Halifax, Nova Scotia | Avalanche |
| Cale Makar | D | Calgary, Alberta | Avalanche |
| Brad Marchand | F | Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia | Bruins |
| Connor McDavid | F | Richmond Hill, Ontario | Oilers |
| Brayden Point | F | Calgary, Alberta | Lightning |
Team USA
| Player | Position | Birthplace | Team |
| Charlie McAvoy | D | Long Beach, New York | Bruins |
| Jack Eichel | F | North Chelmsford, Mass. | Golden Knights |
| Adam Fox | D | Jericho, New York | Rangers |
| Quinn Hughes | D | Orlando, Florida | Canucks |
| Auston Matthews | F | San Ramon, California | Maple Leafs |
| Matthew Tkachuk | F | Scottsdale, Arizona | Panthers |
Team Sweden
| Player | Position | Birthplace | Team |
| Flip Forsberg | F | Ostervala, Uppsala | Predators |
| Gustav Forsling | D | Linking, Ostergotland | Panthers |
| Victor Hedman | D | Ornskoldsvik, Vasternorrland | Lightning |
| William Nylander | F | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Maple Leafs |
| Erik Karlsson | D | Landsbro, Jonkoping | Penguins |
| Mika Zibanejad | F | Huddinge, Stockholm | Rangers |
Team Finland
| Player | Position | Birthplace | Team |
| Sebastian Aho | F | Rauma, Satakunta | Hurricanes |
| Aleksander Barkov | F | Tampere, Pirkanmaa | Panthers |
| Miro Heiskanen | D | Espoo, Uusimaa | Stars |
| Esa Lindell | D | Helsinki, Uusimaa | Panthers |
| Mikko Rantanen | F | Nousiainen, Southwest Finland | Avalanche |
| Juuse Saros | G | Forssa, Kanta-Hame | Predators |
What is the 4 Nations Face-Off?
The NHL and NHLPA agreed to host the 4 Nations Face-Off, which will pit four of the world’s preeminent hockey powers – Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States — against one another.
Games will be held in two separate venues — Bell Centre in Montreal and TD Garden in Boston. Teams will be teeming with NHL talent, with former Hart Memorial Trophy winners Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan McKinnon and Auston Matthews all tipped to join.
The tournament is spearheaded by the NHL. That means no collaboration with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the Zurich-based governing body which presides over Olympic ice hockey and World Championships.
Because the competition is league-run, its requirements for entry are stiff. Countries such as Germany and Slovakia were deemed ineligible for the festivities as they don’t have enough NHL representation to fill out a full roster. The Czech Republic and Russia both have enough NHL talent to technically craft a roster. But the league refused to grant Russia access, citing the country’s war with Ukraine.
When does the 4 Nations Face-Off start?
- Start date: Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025
- End date: Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025
The tournament will kick off on Wednesday, Feb. 12, when Canada faces off against Sweden at the Bell Centre (8 p.m. ET). The competition will run through Feb. 20, with sides earning three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime or shootout victory, one point for an overtime or shootout defeat and zero points for a regulation loss.
Each team will play three games, with the two teams with the most points meeting in the championship game at TD Garden.
How to watch 4 Nations Face-Off roster announcements
Each 4 Nations Face-Off roster will be announced fully on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
Sweden and Finland’s full rosters will be revealed on SportsCenter at 2 p.m. ET, while Canada and the United States’ collection of players will be unveiled at 6:30 p.m. ET.
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