The 4 Nations Face-Off runs from Feb. 12 to Feb. 20 to take the place of the NHL All-Star Game and serve as a condensed spinoff of the World Cup of Hockey, which hasn’t been held since 2016. Players from Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland will compete in Montreal and Boston. The field of NHLers will be much greater at the 2026 and 2030 Olympic Games, but fans will finally get a sample of seeing some of the best players in the world competing against one another.
Whether you plan to participate in a pool, make bets or watch to fill the hockey void, there is plenty to pique your interest.
Who’s going into the face-off hot, who’s cold?
Matthew Tkachuk (USA) has been the hottest player in the league over the last 14 days, amassing seven goals and six assists during a six-game point streak. Brandon Hagel (CAN) registered six goals and 11 points in seven appearances, including a four-game spree. Aleksander Barkov (FIN) has produced three goals and eight helpers across his six-game point streak. Nathan MacKinnon (CAN) has two goals and eight assists in his past six matches. Sam Reinhart (CAN) has two goals and seven helpers during a six-game point spree. Jesper Bratt (SWE) has one goal and eight assists in his last six outings and is riding an eight-game point streak.
Elias Pettersson (SWE) has four assists in his last seven appearances and hasn’t scored a goal in nine consecutive contests. Patrik Laine (FIN) hasn’t earned a point in eight straight games. Gustav Nyquist (SWE) has gone six games without posting a point.
Line Combinations
All four teams were on the ice Monday for practices. Finland was the only squad that didn’t run line rushes because it was an optional session with only 11 skaters. Still, Barkov, Mikko Rantanen, Sebastian Aho, Artturi Lehkonen and Mikael Granlund should figure prominently. Remember, the lineups could change on a game-to-game or shift-by-shift basis, but some intriguing combinations emerged.
Canada’s stacked top six featured MacKinnon-Sidney Crosby-Mark Stone and Sam Reinhart-Connor McDavid-Mitch Marner. Brayden Point skated between Brad Marchand and Seth Jarvis, while Hagel was alongside Anthony Cirelli and Sam Bennett. Travis Konecny didn’t participate because of an illness but could replace Bennett on the fourth line. Travis Sanheim rotated into the defense corps, but the main group appears to be Devon Toews-Cale Makar, Shea Theodore-Drew Doughty and Josh Morrissey-Colton Parayko.
Reinhart was in the first power-play combination with Makar, MacKinnon, Crosby and McDavid. The 29-year-old Reinhart led the league with 27 power-play goals in 2023-24 and could be a dark horse option to lead the tournament in goals. The duo of Nova Scotians, MacKinnon and Crosby, could be unstoppable, and the nuclear option of playing them with McDavid could be a real possibility.
The United States revealed impressive line combinations, highlighted by the units of Matthew Tkachuk-Jack Eichel-Kyle Connor, Jack Hughes-Auston Matthews-Jake Guentzel and Brady Tkachuk-J.T. Miller-Matt Boldy. Chris Kreider could sit after rotating in on the fourth line with Brock Nelson, Vincent Trocheck and Dylan Larkin. The defense corps is deep, consisting of Jaccob Slavin-Adam Fox, Zach Werenski-Charlie McAvoy and Noah Hanifin-Brock Faber pairings. Jake Sanderson could be scratched to begin the tournament after taking reps with Hanifin and Faber. Connor and Eichel sit just outside the top five in NHL point production this season, collecting 69 points apiece and could be intriguing value options, along with the red-hot Matthew Tkachuk to land the tournament MVP honor.
Sweden’s top nine of William Nylander-Mika Zibanejad-Rickard Rakell, Adrian Kempe-Pettersson-Filip Forsberg and Jesper Bratt-Joel Eriksson Ek-Lucas Raymond possesses plenty of offensive firepower, especially on the wings. Nyquist, Elias Lindholm and Viktor Arvidsson round out the forward group, and Leo Carlsson is the extra. Gustav Forsling was absent from Monday’s skate because of an illness but could replace Jonas Brodin on the top pairing with Victor Hedman. All the rearguard sets, including Mattias Ekholm-Erik Karlsson and Rasmus Dahlin-Rasmus Andersson, offer a great blend of offensive and defensive talent. Nylander is the highest goal-scorer entering the tournament, netting 33 in 55 games.
Injuries and Replacements
Crosby missed two games with an upper-body injury, while Eriksson Ek and Rantanen sat out their final outings before the break because of lower-body injuries. All three will be ready for the start of the tournament, but other players weren’t as fortunate.
After missing four games because of an oblique injury, Quinn Hughes was replaced by Sanderson on Team USA. Hughes’ absence, which may end after the break, could lead to Werenski quarterbacking the top power-play unit. Team Canada’s defense corps will be without Alex Pietrangelo, though he didn’t sit out any games before the break. He will use the time off to heal from an undisclosed issue. Following his recovery from a fractured ankle, Doughty will fill in for Pietrangelo. Team Sweden won’t have the services of William Karlsson and Jacob Markstrom. Karlsson hasn’t played since Jan. 20 due to a lower-body injury. He won’t play directly after the break, and a timetable for his return remains unclear. Markstrom could be back in mid-March from a sprained MCL. Rakell replaced Karlsson, and Markstrom’s substitute was Samuel Ersson.
Blueliners Miro Heiskanen (knee), Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body) and Jani Hakanpaa (knee) won’t participate in the tournament for Team Finland, ceding their spots to Urho Vaakanainen, Henri Jokiharju and Nikolas Matinpalo. Heiskanen would have played a key role, and his absence is challenging to overcome. He is currently month-to-month and won’t be available after the break. Ristolainen could play after the tournament, and it remains unclear when or if Hakanpaa will play again this season.
Goaltending Situations
Canada’s questionable choices for goaltenders are likely to be their Achilles’ heel. Despite their struggles before the tournament, Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill could be the No. 1 and 2 netminders, while Sam Montembeault will likely be the third option. If they do not provide the team with stable play, the decisions to leave Logan Thompson, Darcy Kuemper and Mackenzie Blackwood off the roster will be highly criticized.
USA’s puck-stopping duo of Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger is the envy of the tournament. Hellebuyck is the favorite to win his second straight Vezina Trophy, giving him the clear inside track to being the starter, but Oettinger should see playing time. Jeremy Swayman has been up and down this campaign but should prove capable if given the opportunity.
Sweden’s crease will probably belong to Linus Ullmark, who has been superb this season despite missing chunks due to injuries. If there are lingering concerns about Ullamark’s back, Filip Gustavsson is a solid alternative and could compete for playing time. Ersson’s hot play going into the break gives him some under-the-radar appeal.
Finland’s goaltending situation would be much clearer if Juuse Saros had better numbers this season. He would have been the obvious first choice and will probably get the initial look, but Kevin Lankinen’s outstanding play in 2024-25 makes him a compelling pick for the top spot. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s inconsistency places him in third on the depth chart.
