The 4 Nations Face-Off takes place February 12–20, 2025, in Montreal and Boston and replaces the annual All-Star Game. The four-team tournament includes Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States. It’s a round-robin format, followed by a one-game final between the top two teams. Let’s preview each squad and their chances.
Canada +135
In any hockey tournament, anything less than gold is a disappointment for Team Canada. This roster is led by Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby who have a combined six Hart Trophies. Coach Jon Cooper has added grit to the forwards which included Sam Bennett, and Anthony Cirelli while the defense includes Norris winner Cale Makar, Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore. Scoring won’t be an issue, but goaltending could be. It’s the only real concern as Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill and Sam Montembeault make up the trio. Yes, Binnington and Hill have won Stanley Cups, but compared to the other nations, Canada’s goaltending may be the weakest.
USA +170
USA Hockey may be sending its best roster in history as this lineup includes superstars Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Jack Hughes, Matthew Tkachuk and Kyle Connor. The Americans may not have the same scoring prowess as Canada but the depth at center is top notch. The defense is anchored by Norris Trophy winners Adam Fox, Quinn Hughes while Zach Werenski adds some veteran leadership and Brock Faber brings youth and mobility. Here’s where the U.S. may be better than anyone else, goaltending. Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman make up the best trio in the tournament and that could be the difference or first or second.
Sweden +450
This Swedish side is full of skill but some of these players haven’t had the best of seasons. Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson and Mika Zibanejad have had their struggles and injuries while Lucas Raymond, Adrian Kempe and William Nylander need to take their game to another level at this event. The blueline is rock solid led by Victor Hedmans, Gustav Forsling, Mattias Ekholm and Rasmus Dahlin. Can veteran Erik Karlsson and some value on this squad as his best days are behind him. Goaltenders Filip Gustavsson, Jacob Markström and Linus Ullmark have had solid campaigns in the NHL and would need to turn up their game to give Sweden any realistic shot of winning.
Finland +700
The Finns have been winning medals at the World Juniors and we’ve seen some players develop into stars. This squad will be led by Sebastian Aho, Aleksander Barkov and Mikko Rantanen while the likes of Roope Hintz and Patrik Laine will be relied on as secondary scorers. The defense will be physical and the only offensive player on the backend is Miro Heiskanen. The Finns do produce incredible goalies and despite a terrible season in Nashville, Juuse Saros’ will be the starter with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Kevin Lankinen rounding out the group. While not much is expected, if Finland can play defensive hockey, catch some breaks, they’re capable of pulling off an upset or two.
