-
Rachel Doerrie
For a tournament that had its fair share of skeptics, the 4 Nations Face-Off has been a smashing success. The viewership has been sky-high, including many who are new to hockey. And for the first time in a long time, the NHL was compared favorably to the NBA by many sports media members on the backdrop of an underwhelming NBA All-Star Weekend.
Part of the reason is that the NHL and the International Olympic Committee have not been able to come to an agreement to let the league’s players participate in the Olympics since 2014, robbing fans of more than a decade of best-on-best hockey. Given the performances of Canada’s three-headed monster, the emotional games between European rivals and the donnybrook that broke out in Canada-United States game, everyone can agree that best on best really is best for the sport. That trend will continue with the Olympics in 2026 and a return of the World Cup of Hockey in 2028.
The stars showed out in this tournament, and the rematch of Saturday’s fight-filled, Mach speed U.S.-Canada game awaits. Social media was wild on Saturday night, and one can only imagine what the temperature will be on Thursday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+/Disney+), when it isn’t a round-robin game, or what the temperature might be at the Olympics when the game really matters.
Here’s a look at the players who stood out the most — for good or bad reasons — from all four teams in the round-robin, using a combination of game score and scouting. We lead off with that aforementioned three-headed monster for Canada:
The standouts
A major reason for the tournament’s success is the sport’s best players have put on a show. Canada’s Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon have been the tourney’s best players alongside Zach Werenski and Connor Hellebuyck from the United States. Sweden’s Erik Karlsson deserves some recognition for his play. And it is no surprise those players led the way in game score.
On the eve of the tournament, it was unclear whether Crosby would play. But with a 1.24 average game score, he has turned back the clock, leading the competition in scoring with five points, including an assist on the overtime game-winning goal against Sweden. Perhaps the most “Crosby” moment of them all was against Finland, when Canada was on its heels in the dying stages of the third period. At 4-3, it was Crosby who laid the hit at center ice, popped up and calmly fired the puck into the empty net. The golden goal scorer in 2010 — beating the U.S. in overtime in the gold medal match during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia — continues to be an enormous presence for Canada in moments where they need him most.
McDavid and MacKinnon have had eye-popping moments of brilliance. MacKinnon’s power-play goal scored in the first minute of tournament play is one hockey fans will remember. McDavid’s dazzling move to open the scoring on Saturday against the United States was typical McDavid magic (1.19 average game score). Mackinnon (1.14) has looked every part an impactful menace from start to finish. This is the first time hockey fans got a glimpse of the three playing together, and they did not disappoint. More of that, please.
Those three will grab the headlines, but Drew Doughty (0.52) has been excellent for Canada on defense, especially after Shea Theodore went down with injury in the first game. When Cale Makar missed Saturday’s game due to illness, Doughty was Canada’s best player as well as the best player overall player by game score. Doughty’s ability to move the puck, play physical and make the simple plays that endear him to coaches has been on full display. For a player who missed 90% of this season with injury — and made this roster as an injury replacement for Alex Pietrangelo — Doughty has been Canada’s most important defenseman.
Werenski (1.47) and Hellebuyck have been tremendous for the United States. As has the pair of Brock Faber (0.04) and Jaccob Slavin (-0.04), keeping the opponents’ best players off the scoresheet. Their game scores might not show it, but the United States gave up almost nothing with those two on the ice.
Werenski is tied for the tournament lead in points, stepping up in the absence of Quinn Hughes, who has been recalled as a potential injury replacement should he be needed Thursday night. Werenski has driven play from the back end and created numerous scoring opportunities while playing defensively sound hockey. Outside of Hellebuyck, Werenski has been the MVP for the United States with his play at both ends of the ice.
Matthew Tkachuk (0.58) and Brady Tkachuk (0.70) put on an absolute masterclass in the first two games of the tournament. (Matthew missed Monday’s loss to Sweden, while Brady left after a few shifts in the first period.) They dictated physical play and owned the net front, and their impact was felt from start to finish. The Finns had no answer for either of them, and both were a handful to deal with against Canada. The Tkachuks have been fun to watch, and they appear ready to return for the final.
The gap between Hellebuyck and every other goalie at this tournament is akin to the Grand Canyon. Each goalie in this tournament has had moments that make coaches wonder if they made the right call and deplete the confidence of their teammates — all except Hellebuyck, that is. He clearly has cemented himself as the best goaltender in the world over the past few seasons. With a win on Thursday, he should quash the narrative he is unable to perform in big games. This has been an MVP-caliber performance from the American goaltender and a strong message that even if Canada has more skater depth, the gap in goaltending is seismic.
It should come as no surprise that Karlsson (1.18) and Victor Hedman (0.46) have been excellent for the Swedes. The two stalwarts of the Swedish blue line were excellent in the tournament.
A lot has been made of Karlsson’s defensive faults in recent NHL seasons, but that was not the case in this tournament. Karlsson had a positive defensive rating and plus-4 goal differential while driving play and putting up points (one goal, two assists).
Hedman didn’t have a loud tournament; he had an effective one, showcasing his strong defensive play in every game. The Swedish captain shouldered the most ice time and the toughest matchups, and he ranked as the third most valuable defenseman by game score in the round-robin.
1:41
USA coach relishing rematch opportunity with Canada in 4 Nations final
Coach Mike Sullivan explains why the USA-Canada matchup in the 4 Nations Face-Off is so special for the sport of hockey.
The disappointments
In an international tournament with superstars on every team, you’re hoping you get the best of the best from every player. While we are grading only on the round-robin — and a few of these players have the chance to change the narrative in the championship game — it is hard to escape the reality that some did not perform up to their capabilities.
Mikko Rantanen (-0.01) had little to no impact on the tournament. He finished with one goal and was hardly noticeable in major moments. Outscored by the likes of Mikael Granlund (0.06), Patrik Laine (-0.03) and a few of the Finnish defensemen, it was a tournament to forget for the typically high-scoring Rantanen. He struggled to get the inside and generate scoring opportunities and was ineffective on the power play. Finland needed him to be a star in the absence of their best defensemen (Miro Heiskanen and Rasmus Ristolainen), and he ghosted the team.
Joining him in that category is Teuvo Teravainen (-0.38). He had a net negative in every game and was Finland’s worst forward in the tournament, leading to a scratch in the final game against Canada. Teravainen was unable to create anything offensively and was poor defensively. Perhaps pairing him with Sebastian Aho might have made a difference given their previous chemistry with the Carolina Hurricanes; but ultimately, the coaches decided Teravainen wasn’t a fit in the lineup, and you can’t blame them.
Outside of his overtime winner, which was a beauty, Mitch Marner (0.03) was very quiet through the round-robin. Along the same lines as his playoff performances for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Marner has been excellent defensively but has struggled to have any meaningful offensive impact. His penalty killing has been a plus for the Canadians, but a player of his caliber being reduced to a checking role is all too familiar for fans who have watched him fail to produce when the stakes are the highest. His Maple Leafs teammates Auston Matthews (0.05) and William Nylander (0.13) also struggled to produce through the round-robin. Matthews missed the Americans’ final game against Sweden with injury. But all three are unlikely to be pleased with their performance, barring significant impact in the championship game for Marner or Matthews. Nylander and Sweden won’t get a chance for impact in the championship game.
Sweden’s Elias Pettersson (-0.08) and Filip Forsberg (0.05) can’t be pleased with their tournament play, either, especially given Pettersson saw the least ice time among forwards in the final game. On the other hand, Forsberg played a premier role for Sweden throughout and was held pointless through the tournament. Forsberg generated more opportunities than Pettersson but was unable to capitalize. Adrian Kempe (0.03) was a net negative in the two games following a decent performance against Canada. Ultimately, Sweden needed all three to be much better in the pivotal game against Finland. Pettersson will stand out because of his ice time, but Kempe, Forsberg and Nylander performed well below expectations.
The United States left some significant talent off the roster, and while their gritty, role-playing style might yet pay off, J.T. Miller (0.02), Vincent Trocheck (-0.22) and Brock Nelson (-0.13) have struggled to impact this tournament in any meaningful way. Zero points and six shots combined falls below the expectations, and the only noteworthy moment any of them had was when Miller punched himself in the face while fighting Colton Parayko. Sure, it’s a viral moment — but not exactly the one you want. They had an opportunity to step up in the absence of Matthews and the Tkachuks against Sweden on Monday, and Miller, Trocheck and Nelson were the worst forwards by game score, outside of Kyle Connor, who inexplicably is not getting a bigger opportunity despite having the most goals by any American in the NHL this season.
What to expect in the final
Thursday night’s 4 Nations Face-Off final between Canada and the United States will be supercharged after Saturday’s matchup. The players care, the coaches care, the fans care — and for better or worse, the politicians care. Part of the reason is the United States has not beaten Canada in a best-on-best final since the turn of the millennium. (The Americans’ previous win was at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.)
If Canada prevails, it will feel like the 2010 Olympics, when the Americans beat Canada in the round-robin only to lose to Canada in the gold medal game. No one remembers the round-robin victory when you lose the final. If Canada wins the rematch, the only thing anyone will recollect about Saturday’s game will be how the game started.
The Americans would have some well-earned swagger heading into the 2026 Olympics if they best Canada on Thursday night. They clearly have the edge in goal, but injuries to the Tkachuk brothers, Matthews and Charlie McAvoy are concerning; McAvoy already has been declared out.
Regardless of who plays and who doesn’t, bragging rights are on the line, and we might be in for a barn burner. If we’re being intellectually honest, the gold medals that everyone wants are the ones in Italy next year. This is the appetizer, but it’s a Michelin star appetizer given the attention.