NHL Hockey: 4 Nations

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It has been a while since to see NHL players in the Olympics or International competitions. The NHL has announced that starting in 2026 their players can return to the games. Many would consider the gold medal to be the best trophy in all of sports. The last time the players were seen in the Olympics was in 2014. It all started in 1988 but before that, it was amateur hockey players. We all know what happened in 1980 when Team USA defeated the Soviet Union. After that game, they beat Finland to win the Gold Medal which for a long time, was won by the Soviet Union. The last time we had Sidney Crosby score what is considered “The Golden Goal” was when Team Canada defeated Team USA. The tournament will take place in February and will be called “4 Nations”.

The “4 Nations” Tournament will showcase the pure talent that the NHL has to offer. The four teams that will be playing will be Canada, the USA, Sweden, and Finland. Most NHL teams will be represented. The only two teams that will not have players will be the Seattle Kraken and Washington Capitals. Both the league and NHLPA agreed to the tournament with the four power nations against each other. The two venues that will host the tournament will be the Bell Centre in Montreal and the TD Garden in Boston. This will just be spearheaded by the NHL as there will be no collaboration with the International Ice Federation (IIHF). The IIHF is a Zurich-based governing body that presides over the Olympic ice hockey and World Championships.

The requirements for “4 Nations” are very stiff. The countries that will not be a part of the tournament will be Germany, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Russia. Both Germany and Slovakia do not have enough representation to fill out a full roster. On the other hand, for Czech Republic and Russia both have enough to fill out a roster. The reason why they are not part of the tournament is that Russia is out because of the war going on in Ukraine. The tournament will start on Wednesday, February 12th, and will end on Thursday, February 20th. The first game will be between Canada and Sweden. It will be a points tournament and the winning team will get three points for a win during regulation, two points for an overtime shootout win, one point for falling in overtime/shootout, and no points for a regulation loss.

Each team will play three games with the two teams with the most points meeting in the championship game at TD Garden. The four rosters are loaded with talent. The NHL should be proud of what players are participating in. Many will probably say that the United States or Canada are favored to win. We will have to see how the tournament goes. Fans will cheer a team or maybe be pulling for a country. Looking at the rosters the one that could be the strongest is Team USA. They have one of the best goaltenders in all of hockey in Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck plays for the Winnipeg Jets who got off to a great start in 2024. It will be cool no matter who wins the tournament.

Who wins the “4 Nations” tournament? Leave a comment below.

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