The NHL is shaking things up in 2025, replacing its traditional All-Star Game with something way more exciting: a tournament featuring the world’s best hockey nations going head-to-head.
Called the 4 Nations Face-Off, this new competition will bring together powerhouse teams from Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States. It’s the first time we’ll see NHL stars represent their countries since 2016.
The tournament kicks off February 12 at Montreal’s Bell Centre, with games also being played at Boston’s TD Garden through February 20.
Here’s what makes this special: Every player will be from the NHL, meaning we’ll get to see teammates become rivals and rivals become teammates.
The format is pretty straightforward. Each team plays three games in a round-robin style, with the two best teams advancing to a winner-take-all championship game.
Teams get three points for winning in regulation, two for an overtime or shootout win, and one point for losing in overtime or a shootout.
The overtime rules are interesting. Regular tournament games will have a 10-minute 3-on-3 period (twice as long as regular NHL overtime), followed by a shootout if needed. But the championship game? That’s old-school playoff hockey – full 20-minute periods of 5-on-5 until somebody scores.
Sidney Crosby will captain Team Canada, with Connor McDavid and Cale Makar serving as his assistants. The Canadian roster is stacked with stars like Nathan MacKinnon and Brad Marchand.
Finland’s squad will be led by Aleksander Barkov, while Sweden has Victor Hedman wearing the ‘C’. Team USA picked Auston Matthews as their captain, with Charlie McAvoy and Matthew Tkachuk as alternates.
All games will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN, or TNT, with streaming available on fubo.
The tournament opens with a classic rivalry match: Canada vs. Sweden on February 12. The Americans start their campaign the next night against Finland.
This could be the start of something big for international hockey – a chance to see the world’s best players compete for their countries without waiting for the Olympics.
Want to catch all the action? Here’s the full schedule:
Feb. 12: Canada vs. Sweden, 8 p.m. (TNT)
Feb. 13: USA vs. Finland, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Feb. 15: Finland vs. Sweden, 1 p.m. (ABC)
Feb. 15: USA vs. Canada, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Feb. 17: Canada vs. Finland, 1 p.m. (TNT)
Feb. 17: Sweden vs. USA, 8 p.m. (TNT)
Feb. 20: Championship game, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
