A pivotal day of play at the 4 Nations Face-Off begins when Finland and Sweden meet at 1 p.m. ET – primetime in those countries – and culminates at 8 p.m. ET with the first USA vs. Canada showdown in Montreal involving NHL players since the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. Both contests will air on ABC, ESPN+, Sportsnet and TVA Sports, and in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.
* Up to 14 sets of teammates could go head-to-head today across a doubleheader rooted in rivalry as the next chapter of international hockey is written in a city that has witnessed some of the most memorable moments in the game’s history.
* USA can secure a spot in the 4 Nations Face-Off final – which will take place on their home soil, Thursday in Boston – regardless of the outcome of the Finland-Sweden matinee. Click here for details.
FINLAND, SWEDEN CONTINUE RIVALRY LOOKING FOR FIRST 4 NATIONS WIN
Saturday’s action begins with Finland 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 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.
USA, CANADA LOOK TO REMAIN UNDEFEATED SATURDAY IN PRIME TIME
For the first time in nine years, USA and Canada will go head-to-head in best-on-best competition in a highly-anticipated final 4 Nations Face-Off showdown in Montreal before the teams shift to Boston for the final portion of the tournament. Auston Matthews, the Tkachuk brothers and USA will face Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and Canada at 8 p.m. ET in a game broadcast nationally across North America on ABC, ESPN+, Sportsnet and TVA Sports.
* Canada and USA will contest their 15th all-time game in an NHL International Tournament, including facing off in two finals – USA won the three-game series 2-1 in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and Canada claimed the 1991 Canada Cup by winning the first two contests. The last two games of the 1996 World Cup of Hockey final, as well as the opening contest of the 1991 Canada Cup final were played in Montreal.
* Canada and USA met in the gold medal game at the Olympic Winter Games in two of five years to date that NHL players participated, with a Mario Lemieux-captained Canada claiming gold in 2002 Salt Lake City (Canada’s first Olympic gold medal in 50 years at the time) and Sidney Crosby scoring the famous overtime “Golden Goal” on home soil in Vancouver in 2010 – a Canadian team that also included Drew Doughty.
* The last time these countries met in a best-on-best contest in Montreal, Canada defeated USA 2-1 in a round-robin game at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. Current USA general manager Bill Guerin scored USA’s lone goal in that contest, while current Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis recorded 1-1—2 including an assist on Joe Sakic’s game-winning goal.
FRIENDS TO FOES FOR 4 NATIONS FACE-OFF RIVALRY DAY
A snapshot at NHL teammates set to become 4 Nations foes during the Saturday’s doubleheader rooted in rivalry (click here for full lists):
* Aleksander Barkov (FIN), Anton Lundell (FIN), Eetu Luostarinen (FIN) and Niko Mikkola (FIN) will have a 4-vs-1 advantage against Panthers teammate Gustav Forsling (SWE) when the puck drops Saturday for a primetime showdown in their native countries. Forsling has faced Barkov (5x in NHL, last: Dec. 23, 2018) and Mikkola (3x in NHL, last: March 25, 2023; and semifinals at 2016 WJC) but has never gone toe-to-toe with Luostarinen or Lundell. Mikkola had the upper hand in the only international meeting involving any of these players, defeating Forsling and the Swedes en route to their gold medal win at the 2016 World Junior Championship.
* Rasmus Dahlin (SWE) and Henri Jokiharju (FIN) have been teammates with the Sabres since 2019-20, when the latter was acquired in exchange for Alexander Nylander, brother of Swedish forward William Nylander. Dahlin and Jokiharju rank first and second, respectively, in games played for Buffalo during that span, skating in front of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (FIN) since 2020-21.
* Kevin Lankinen (FIN) will make his NHL International Tournament debut against Canucks teammate Elias Pettersson (SWE), for their fifth major head-to-head. Three of those meetings have come in the NHL (Pettersson: 2-1—3 in 3 GP, last: Dec. 19, 2023), and one during international play. In the quarterfinals at the 2019 World Championship, Lankinen made 14 saves – and assisted on the overtime winner – to eliminate Pettersson (1-0—1) and the reigning champion Swedish squad that also included William Nylander, Mattias Ekholm, Elias Lindholm, Adrian Kempe and Jesper Bratt.
* Auston Matthews (USA) and Mitch Marner (CAN) have teamed up on 270 total goals with the Maple Leafs and have a combined 1,404 points for Toronto since both entered the League less than two weeks after the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Marner is one of 11 players to score an overtime goal at an NHL International Tournament (none have multiple).
* Charlie McAvoy (USA) and Brad Marchand (CAN) have battled alongside each other in 569 games, including a seven-game Stanley Cup Final in 2019, but will clash in the corners at Bell Centre – where they have teamed up for nine victories in 11 tries together with the Bruins. Jeremy Swayman is also part of the USA roster.
* Matthew Tkachuk (USA) and Sam Bennett (CAN) have been teammates for 533 games dating back to their time with the Flames, and won a Stanley Cup together alongside Sam Reinhart (CAN), but will meet as international rivals Saturday. Tkachuk and his brother, Brady, both are coming off a multi-goal game – only three players in NHL International Tournament history have posted back-to-back multi-goal efforts: Wayne Gretzky (Canada) and Sergei Shepelev (Soviet Union) at the 1981 Canada Cup, and Mario Lemieux (Canada) at the 1987 Canada Cup.
* Jack Eichel (USA) and Noah Hanifin (USA) have been teammates at the USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, Boston College and now with the Golden Knights, but now will square off against their captain Mark Stone (CAN) and potentially Adin Hill (CAN) – whom Eichel won the Stanley Cup with less than two years ago. Eichel (5-13—18 in 11 GP) and Stone (1-7—8 in 11 GP) have met 11 times in the NHL, most recently Jan. 14, 2020, when Eichel captained the Sabres to victory against the Golden Knights – scoring the game-winning goal off an assist by Saturday’s foe Sam Reinhart.
* Kyle Connor (USA), Connor Hellebuyck (USA) and Josh Morrissey (CAN) have bolstered the Jets into first place in the NHL standings this season, but tonight will battle for first place in the 4 Nations Face-Off. All three have spent their entire NHL careers with Winnipeg and have never faced each other at either junior or professional competition.
4 NATIONS FACE-OFF SO FAR, VIA NHL EDGE AND NHL EDGE IQ POWERED BY AWS
Two NHL EDGE leaderboards are topped by Swedish defensemen through two games at the 4 Nations Face-Off (max skating speed and hardest shot), and the all-star powered rosters are producing shot attempts with high projected goal rates according to NHL EDGE IQ powered by aws.
* There are four possible results on every shot attempt (goal, save, block or miss), and during the 2024-25 regular-season shot attempts result in a goal just under 5% of the time. So far at the 4 Nations Face-Off, shots inferenced by NHL EDGE IQ powered by aws calculate that at least two-thirds of attempts by USA (36.96%), Canada (34.78%) and Finland (33.33%) have had a projected goal rate above 5% (Sweden: 22.22%), and that nearly one in every five shots by USA had a high projected goal rate (>12%; USA: 19.57%, Sweden: 11.11%, Finland: 7.69%, Canada: 6.52%).
NHL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION HONORS 1972 TEAM CANADA SUMMIT SERIES
The National Hockey League Alumni Association announced members of the 1972 Team Canada roster as recipients of the 2025 Keith Magnuson “Man Of The Year” Award. Members of the team were in attendance for a reception and hot stove panel in Montreal on Friday.
* The NHLAA created this award to honor NHL Alumni who have personified the intangibles of perseverance, commitment, and teamwork developed through the game into a successful post-career transition. Click here for more information.
QUICK CLICKS
* WATCH: USA vs. Canada Creator Skills 3-on-3 Tournament presented by Tylenol
* 4 Nations rivalry doubleheader is ‘what you dream of’
* USA 4 Nations leadership driven to win like they did at Under-18s
* Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett teaming up on line for Canada
* 4 Nations fan festivals open Saturday in Montreal and Boston
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NHL PODCASTS WEEKLY ROUNDUP
* 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon (Feb. 14): Scotty Bowman Shares Thoughts On 4 Nations Face-Off, Sidney Crosby & The NHL’s Best
* NHL Unscripted with Virk and Demers (Feb. 13): Sean McDonough calls it as he sees it: Sid’s dominant 4 Nations opener, our quarter-century team and Clint Eastwood’s latest film
* NHL @TheRink (Feb. 12): 4 Nations players join; Binnington named CAN starter, USA chances
* 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon (Feb. 12): Barry Trotz on the Preds’ Struggles, Trade Deadline Plans & Expectations For The Future
* 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon (Feb. 12): Raising Tkachuks: Keith & Chantal on Hockey, Family, and Team USA
* Never Offside with Julie and Cat (Feb. 11): Kevin Connolly joins; Cat does NOLA, 4 Nations vacay plans, Manifesting
* Energy Line with Nate and JSB (Feb. 10): Mike Sullivan on 4 Nations, coaching USA; Brad Richardson talks Pettersson, Miller
* NHL Fantasy on Ice (Feb. 10): 4 Nations Face-Off preview
* 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon (Feb. 10): Mark Messier on Canada’s team, the 4 Nations Face-Off, and Today’s Game
* La Tasse de Café LNH (Feb. 10): Place à la Confrontation des 4 nations
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