Schedule, players to watch, prediction NECN [Video]

For the first time since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, NHL players will compete in a best-on-best international tournament this week in the new 4 Nations Face-Off.

The tournament includes the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland. It will follow NHL rules and use a round-robin format where each team plays three games. The top two teams will square off in the championship game.

A couple players have pulled out of the tournament due to injury, but many of the world’s top stars will be on the ice in Montreal and Boston over the next two weeks.

Here’s our complete preview for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

Wednesday, Feb. 12: Canada vs. Sweden, 8 p.m. ET at the Bell Centre (Montreal)

Thursday, Feb. 13: United States vs. Finland, 8 p.m. ET at the Bell Centre

Saturday, Feb. 15: Finland vs. Sweden, 1 p.m. ET; United States vs. Canada, 8 p.m. ET at the Bell Centre

Monday, Feb. 17: Canada vs. …