For the first time in nearly a decade, the NHL will be presenting a true “best on best” international tournament, but in a smaller format than usual, with teams from Canada, Sweden, Finland and the United States facing off in the inaugural Four Nations Face-Off.
The tournament, which will see each team face each other once in a round robin before the top two teams advance to a winner-take-all final, begins on 12 February in Montréal, wrapping on 20 February in Boston. Looking at the stacked rosters of NHL superstars, it is hard to discount two-time defending World Cup champions Canada, the betting favourite, but questions about goaltending and lingering injuries show a potential weakness never before experienced by Canada in a tournament like this.
Team USA looks to be most balanced roster, with a stellar goalie trio, looking to win just their second NHL-led international ever, and first since the 1996 World Cup. Sweden and Finland, the latter in particular devastated by injuries to their defence core, will look to play spoilers on North American ice, each looking for their first invitational title, after finishing second in 1984 and 2004, respectively.
Click here to see the full 2025 Four Nations Face-Off schedule
From the perspective of the IHLC, a few interesting facts related to this year’s tournament:
– Finland enters as incumbent champions for the second time at an NHL-led international invitational, and for the first time since the 1991 Canada Cup
– this will be the seventh time Montréal has co-hosted an NHL-led international invitational, while Boston is co-hosting for the first time
– in the full history of the Canada / World Cup, Canada has never missed a final, winning six (1976, 1984, 1987, 1991, 2004, 2016) and finishing second only twice, to the Soviet Union in 1981 and United States in 1996
– this will mark the first time an NHL-led international invitational will have the final solely held in the United States; Philadelphia previously hosted Game 1 of the three-game 1996 World Cup of Hockey final
– only 15 players who competed at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey are returning, including 2016 tournament MVP Sidney Crosby; Finland has eight returning players, Sweden four and Canada three, while the Americans will field a completely new roster
Finland will enter with the International Hockey Lineal Championship, kicking off the tournament against the United States in Montréal on 13 February, looking to win their first ever NHL-led international. Whether they can do it, if Canada can continue their streak back to 2004, or a new global juggernaut emerges remains to be seen!
International Hockey Lineal Championship 