It’s almost time for the opening puck drop in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The NHL’s midseason international tournament featuring Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States begins on Wednesday night in Montreal. The first game will see Connor McDavid and the Canadians square off against Victor Hedman and the Swedes.
Team USA will first take the ice Thursday night, with Auston Matthews and Co. battling Aleksander Barkov and Finland.
Tournament play starts with a round robin in which teams play three games, one against each of the other squads in the field. The top two teams in the standings following the round robin will then meet in the championship game.
The 4 Nations Face-Off, which includes only NHL players, will be the first best-on-best international hockey tournament since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. And it will come just one year before the NHL makes its return to the Olympics at the 2026 Milano …