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It's been a while since hockey fans have been treated to a legitimate best vs. best international tournament featuring NHL players, but it's coming soon.
The first ever 4 Nations Face-off tournament will take place in February. The Bell Centre in Montreal and TD Garden in Boston will host the games. The participating nations include the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland. The games will use NHL rules.
Here's the full schedule:
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- Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m.: Canada vs. Sweden at the Bell Centre
- Thursday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m.: USA vs. Finland at the Bell Centre
- Saturday, Feb. 15 at 1 p.m.: Finland vs. Sweden at the Bell Centre
- Saturday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m.: USA vs. Canada at the Bell Centre
- Monday, Feb. 17 at 1 p.m.: Canada vs. Finland at TD Garden
- Monday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m.: USA vs. Sweden at TD Garden
- Thursday, Feb. 20 at 8 p.m.: Championship game at TD Garden
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The United States will have an awesome roster. There's a ton of elite, young American-born talent in the league right now. There's a real chance for Team USA to upset Canada and win this tournament. One area where the U.S. should have a clear advantage over Canada is in net.
Here's our final projection for the United States' roster for the 4 Nations Face-off tournament. Six players have already been selected, and their names are in bold text. The full rosters for all four teams will be unveiled Dec. 2.
Forwards
Matthew Tkachuk--Auston Matthews--Brady Tkachuk
Kyle Connor--Jack Eichel--Tage Thompson
Matt Boldy--Jack Hughes--Jason Robertson
Jake Guentzel--Dylan Larkin--Clayton Keller
Extra(s): J.T. Miller, Cole Caufield
Names in bold: Already selected to team
We could have put this group together in so many different ways. Matthews, if healthy, is the obvious choice as the No. 1 center. The Tkachuk brothers don't have to play on the same line, but who wouldn't want to see that combo on the ice each game? They are going to score goals and annoy the heck out of opponents. The entertainment factor would be immense.
Eichel deserves to be the No. 2 center over Hughes. Eichel is a better all-around player and has Stanley Cup-winning experience. Kyle Connor is one of the best pure goal scorers in the league and has posted 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) in 22 games for the Jets.
Matt Boldy was not on many roster projections over the last few months, but he's played himself into contention with a fantastic start to the season. He has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 21 games for the Wild.
Earlier this month, J.T. Miller took a leave of absence from the Canucks for personal reasons. If he's able to play in this tournament, he should have a roster spot. Miller's size and offensive skill would be valuable at the center position. He could also play on the wing if needed.
Defensemen
Quinn Hughes--Charlie McAvoy
Jaccob Slavin--Adam Fox
Zach Werenski--Brock Faber
Extra(s): Noah Hanifin, John Carlson
Names in bold: Already selected to team
The United States has a young, dynamic blue line that can skate, generate offense, push the pace and establish a physical tone to a game.
Hughes is one of the most gifted offensive defensemen in the world. Playing him with an all-round d-man such as McAvoy makes the most sense. Slavin has been underrated his whole career. Fox is an offensive dynamo. Werenski and Faber would provide toughness and more scoring depth to the group.
John Carlson should be considered given his Stanley Cup Final and Olympic experience. He's also still a productive player with 14 points in 21 games for the surprisingly good Capitals this season.
Goaltenders
- Connor Hellebuyck
- Jeremy Swayman
- Jake Oettinger
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko was fantastic last season, but he hasn't played yet in 2024-25 due to a knee injury, so we're keeping him off this roster projection.
Jeremy Swayman was arguably the best goalie in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and as a result, it was fair to wonder if he'd start for Team USA in this tournament. But a lackluster start to the season -- a 6-7-2 record, .887 save percentage, 3.30 GAA -- has hurt his stock a bit.
Connor Hellebuyck won the Vezina Trophy last season and he's off to a tremendous start this year for the first-place Winnipeg Jets. He's 15-2-0 with a .929 save percentage and a 2.06 GAA. Hellebuyck is the easy choice for Team USA's starting netminder right now. His playoff resume isn't amazing, but no other American-born goalie is playing better than him.
