Some headed to the beach. Some headed back to Vegas. Some headed to Montreal. Welcome to the 4Nations Face-off winter break of 2025.
The Vegas Golden Knights earned a 4-3 comeback win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday to put everyone in a good mood prior to saying goodbye to one another until they reunite later in the month. Vegas plays its next game on Feb. 22 at T-Mobile Arena against the Vancouver Canucks.
Head coach Bruce Cassidy now joins Team Canada as an assistant coach while Adin Hill, Mark Stone and Shea Theodore will also wear red and white.
Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin will skate for Team USA on a stacked squad which enters the tournament as slight favorites over Canada.
Eichel will be pivotal to American success. He is his country’s best two-way center and coach Mike Sullivan will be relying on Eichel to handle the likes of Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon.
All four nations, Canada, USA, Finland and Sweden, are expected to hold their own practices on Monday in Montreal. The tournament begins Wednesday with Canada facing the Swedes at Bell Centre. The bulk of the round robin is scheduled for Montreal with the final three games including the championship to be played at Boston’s TD Garden.
4Nations Face-Off schedule, TV
(Times PT)
Wednesday, Feb. 12: Canada vs. Sweden at Montreal, 5 p.m., TNT
Thursday, Feb. 13: USA vs. Finland at Montreal, 5 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, Feb. 15: Finland vs. Sweden at Montreal, 10 a.m., ABC
Saturday, Feb. 15: USA vs. Canada at Montreal, 5 p.m., ABC
Monday, Feb. 17: Canada vs. Finland at Boston, 10 a.m., TNT
Monday, Feb. 17: Sweden vs. USA at Boston, 5 p.m., TNT
Thursday, Feb. 20: Championship game at Boston, 5 p.m., ESPN
Injuries succumbed in NHL regular season play have already put a dent in rosters. Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has elected to not play due to a lingering ailment and VGK center William Karlsson is out for Sweden as well.
Team USA defender Quinn Hughes is questionable as is Canadian center Sidney Crosby.
Coaches will begin to tip their hands regarding lines and defense pairings when practices begin on Monday.
Vegas captain Mark Stone should land in the top six with either McDavid or MacKinnon as his center.
Theodore has been among the NHL’s most efficient defensemen this season and will be in Canada’s top four.
Hill and St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington will likely get a game early on for Canada and the hot hand will eventually take the net.
Eichel is a Stanley Cup champion and a proven winner at center ice. Expect Sullivan to lean heavily on him. Eichel is the rare breed that can check and produce offense.
Hanifin has been excellent of late. He can transport the puck and defend. How Sullivan elects to use him early is one thing but Hanifin pairs nicely with either an offensive defenseman or a shut down type.
Team VGK will also have content team members on site for the tournament and will produce video, written stories and podcasts.
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