Hockey fans will score big at the 4 Nations Face-Off
The exhilarating new 4 Nations Face-Off™ tournament features the best players from four of the top hockey-crazy countries on the planet — Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States — dazzling fans at matchups in Montréal and Boston from February 12 to 20.
Two temples of the hockey gods
The excitement of the annual IIHF World Junior hockey championship has barely subsided, and now fans of the game are about to be treated to another shot of high-calibre international hockey competition in the form of a nine-day 4 Nations Face-Off™ tournament. This year, the 4 Nations Face-Off™ will take the place of the traditional NHL All-Star Game during the League’s annual regular season break. The games will be played at the Bell Centre in Montréal (February 12-15) and at TD Garden in Boston (February 17-20), both “Original Six” NHL cities that share a long-running, friendly hockey rivalry to this day. Canada opens the competition against Sweden on February 12. Check out the schedule here.
Next-gen hockey
The best-on-best 4 Nations Face-Off™ provides an extraordinary chance for fans to see generational players like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid share the ice together as teammates for Canada. Other household names on the star-studded Canadian roster include Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche), Brad Marchand (Boston Bruins), Mitch Marner (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Sam Reinhart (Florida Panthers). Also of note, Montréal Canadiens starting goalie Sam Montembeault will be one of three netminders backstopping Canada, while Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper will helm the bench. And it’s not just Canada: all four teams are icing absolutely stacked lineups, ensuring action-packed play as they compete to win the tournament.
Game on!
For the rules-curious among us, all 4 Nations Face-Off™ games will be played in accordance with NHL regulations. Each team will play three tournament games in a traditional round-robin format, ensuring each team gets to play multiple games. Teams will earn three points for a win in regulation, two points for an overtime or shootout win, one point for a loss in overtime or shootout, and no points for a loss in regulation. The overtime format for round-robin games will be 3-on-3 sudden death for a 10-minute period, and if neither team scores there will be a three-round shootout. The two teams with the best record will advance to play in a one-game final on February 20.
Don’t put yourself in the penalty box
The 4 Nations Face-Off™ also includes an array of fan-friendly festivals featuring interactive games, special guest appearances and opportunities to get your photo taken with the 4 Nations Face-Off trophy and the iconic Stanley Cup. But you’ll want to act fast: it’ll be two minutes for waiting too long if you don’t grab your tickets soon, which are available on the tournament’s website here.
Jamie O'Meara
Jamie O'Meara was the Editor-in-Chief at C2 Montréal and the former Editor-in-Chief of alt-weekly newspaper HOUR Magazine.