For the primary time ever, the NHL is internet hosting a best-on-best worldwide event in the midst of its common season.
The inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off is changing the recurrently scheduled All-Star weekend in 2025, with the perfect gamers of Canada, Sweden, Finland and the US squaring off over an eight-day event from Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston.
The NHL has beforehand paused its season for gamers to take part within the IIHF-sanctioned Winter Olympics, however 4 Nations stands as the primary NHL-sponsored, worldwide occasion for the reason that 2016 World Cup of Hockey, which Canada received by defeating Group Europe within the best-of-3 event collection.
Naturally, the standard of play will likely be extremely scrutinized, but when the gamers take it severely, it needs to be an awesome occasion. Right here is the whole lot you have to know in regards to the 4 Nations Face-Off and wager on it at BetMGM.
4 Nations Face-Off Schedule
All instances Japanese
- Feb. 12: Sweden vs Canada, 8 p.m., Bell Centre in Montreal
- Feb. 13: Finland vs United States, 8 p.m., Bell Centre in Montreal
- Feb. 15: Sweden vs Finland, 1 p.m., Bell Centre in Montreal
- Feb. 15: United States vs Canada, 8 p.m., Bell Centre in Montreal
- Feb. 17: Canada vs Finland, 1 p.m., TD Backyard in Boston
- Feb. 17: Sweden vs United States, 8 p.m., TD Backyard in Boston
- Feb. 20: Championship Sport, 8 p.m., TD Backyard in Boston
4 Nations Face-Off Odds
- Canada (+165)
- United States (+165)
- Sweden (+425)
- Finland (+600)
4 Nations Face-Off Favorites
Canada (+165)
Canada is listed first attributable to its place within the alphabet, however the Canadians ought to really be favored to win the event as nicely. Canadians will likely be proper to let you know it has received each best-on-best event since 2006, and Canada has claimed each best-on-best event performed in North America because it was shocked by the U.S. within the inaugural World Cup of Hockey in 1996.
With a superstar-laden roster that options Hart Trophy winners Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon, plus perennial Norris Trophy candidate Cale Makar, Canada is loaded and rightly deserving of its place as co-favorites, particularly since it is going to play two video games at dwelling in Montreal.
Nonetheless, the questions for Canada will all the time are available purpose, and there are bona fide considerations about Canada’s goaltending. The final time Canada received a global event, Carey Worth was in internet, and regardless that Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill have every received the Stanley Cup, the Canadians probably are perceived to have the event’s worst goaltending.
United States (+165)
If Hockey Canada has been chomping on the bit to get a best-on-best event performed, USA Hockey should have been as nicely. That is the golden age of American hockey, and the 4 Nations roster displays the unbelievable ability and depth of USA Hockey’s improvement.
The People are the one roster to characteristic a Hart Trophy winner (Auston Matthews), Vezina Trophy winner (Connor Hellebuyck) and Norris Trophy winner, of which there are two in Quinn Hughes and Adam Fox. Matthews isn’t the one super-skilled ahead since Jack Eichel, Jack Hughes, Matthew and Brady Tkachuk and the criminally underrated Kyle Connor make up arguably the perfect ahead group within the event.
Teaching has traditionally been a difficulty in earlier best-on-best ideations, for the reason that People have performed a gritty, underdog model regardless of boasting superior expertise. With two-time Stanley Cup winner Mike Sullivan operating the bench, that shouldn’t be a difficulty this yr, however it’s one thing to regulate.
4 Nations Face-Off Longshots
Sweden (+425)
Sweden really was the final nation to win a best-on-best event, although Henrik Lundqvist was the goalie when the Swedes topped the Finns to assert the gold medal on the 2006 Torino Olympics.
Sweden is a enjoyable darkhorse to contemplate wagering, because it additionally boasts a pair of former Norris Trophy winners, three-time recipient Erik Karlsson and the 2018 winner Victor Hedman. Plus, it is going to boast 2023 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark in purpose, and the Senators netminder has performed nicely this season too.
The Swedes are likely to play a sensible model, however their roster continues to be loaded with offensive ability, keyed by William Nylander, Filip Forsberg and Elias Pettersson. Whether or not they have sufficient offensive firepower to get previous the U.S. and Canada stays to be seen.
Finland (+625)
Like Sweden, Finland is an intriguing underdog, particularly on the present odds. Although it’s the solely roster with out a Hart, Vezina or Norris Trophy winner – Aleksander Barkov has received the Selke Trophy twice – the Finns can sustain offensively with two-time 100-point producer Mikko Rantanen and Carolina Hurricanes linemate Sebastian Aho.
The Finns could play the same model to the Swedes, and so they have had hassle persevering previous their Scandinavian rivals in best-on-best occasions, to the purpose the place Sweden deems Finland its “little brother,” Sweden coach Sam Hallam advised NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger.
In the end there aren’t any underdogs on this event, for the reason that Finland roster is loaded regardless that a lot of its gamers are much less achieved when it comes to particular person awards. Like all of the groups, the Finns can win it. They only look like the least probably to take action getting into the event.
