The 4 Nations Face-Off will take place February 12-February 20 2025. Canada’s captain and Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby will play for Team Canada. The teams playing in the 4 Nation’s Face-Off tournament are Canada, the United States, Finland, and Sweden. The games will be played in Montreal, Canada, and Boston, Massachusetts.
Sidney Crosby Ready For 4 Nations
The team captain’s availability for the tournament was in jeopardy due to a left arm injury he suffered last week. Crosby traveled to Montreal on Sunday in the hope of being available for Canada’s first game against Sweden on Wednesday. Crosby skated in Canada’s first practice on Monday and afterward confirmed he would be “good to go” for the opener.
Crosby told reporters he was, “Just trying to see where I was at and get treatment and talk to everybody. It was a busy week but I’m happy to be here and excited to get going.” Crosby had sat out the last two games for the Penguins leading up to the tournament due to the left arm injury. He traveled to Montreal and met with physicians who cleared him to play.
Team Canada’s Head Coach Jon Cooper said, “The guy carries so much weight. There’s so much humility that just bleeds through him and that’s why people follow him. It’s just remarkable the passion he has for playing for his country and it’s probably a reason why he has a whole lot of wins and not a lot of losses when he plays in these events.”
Crosby will be on Canada’s top line with Mark Stone and Nathan MacKinnon. Crosby will also be on the powerplay unit with MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Sam Reinhart, and Cale Makar. That’s a lethal combination featuring five of the NHL’s most potent offensive superstars. Crosby is thrilled to see it become a reality. Having Crosby in the lineup boasts Canada’s odds to win the tournament. He also has two Olympic Gold Medals from the 2010 and 2014 Winter Games and a gold from the 2016 World Cup.
NHL Leading Up To 4 Nations Face-Off
The NHL has not allowed players to play in the Winter Olympics since 2014 in Sochi, Russia where team Canada won gold. The NHL opted out of the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, China due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The NHL also did not play during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first time in 11 years that the best of the best in the NHL and its players get to represent their countries and play in a mini-tournament. However, the NHL will return and play in the 2026 Winter Games.
The 4 Nations Face-Off will begin Wednesday February 12 and Team Canada will open the tournament against Sweden. Each country will play one game against the other three nations during the round robin portion. Teams get three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime/shootout win and one point for an overtime/shootout loss. The two teams with the best records play each other in the championship game.
