Captains Announced for 4 Nations Face-Off as NHL Stars Prepare for First Best-on-Best Tournament Since 2016

Sidney Crosby will lead Canada, Auston Matthews captains the U.S., with Finland and Sweden also naming leaders for the February competition in Montreal and Boston.

The 4 Nations Face-Off, a round-robin tournament featuring Canada, the U.S., Finland, and Sweden, will take place from February 12 to 20, marking the NHL's first best-on-best international competition since 2016.
Sidney Crosby, a veteran of international hockey success, was named captain for Team Canada, with Connor McDavid and Cale Makar serving as alternates.
Auston Matthews, captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, will lead Team USA, supported by alternates Matthew Tkachuk and Charlie McAvoy, as the team seeks its first major international victory since 1996.
Finland's Aleksander Barkov and Sweden's Victor Hedman, both NHL team captains, were named to lead their respective national teams, though both squads face injury challenges with key players unavailable.
The tournament will serve as a precursor to the NHL's return to the Winter Olympics in 2026, with games broadcast across major networks including ESPN, ABC, and TNT.