The NHL regular season will take a nearly two-week long hiatus to host the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off. The round-robin tournament will run Feb. 12-20, splitting time between Boston and Montreal and featuring national teams from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States.
Many of the NHL’s top stars will suit up for their respective countries for the first time in an international environment since the World Cup of Hockey back in 2016. Each team will compete in three games, and the top two countries will face off in the championship game.
With some of the sport’s best talent on display for the world to see, there are many players that are going to help decide the fate of the 4 Nations Face-Off. Here’s a look at some of the most impactful players that will take center stage in a long anticipated tournament of international proportions.
It’s wasn’t a foregone conclusion that Auston Matthews would play in the 4 Nations Face-Off after dealing with injuries earlier this season. However, Matthews appears as though he’ll be a full go in the round-robin tournament, and he could be the most important piece for his home country. No NHL player has racked up more goals (160) than Matthews has over the past three NHL seasons, and he’s accomplished that feat in just 226 games. Aside from Connor McDavid, there may not be a more lethal goal scorer than Matthews, who will serve as the United States’ captain. Former San Jose Sharks star Joe Pavelski earned the nickname of