* A nine-day tournament that captured the attention of the hockey world and beyond culminated in dramatic fashion at TD Garden in Boston as USA and Canada both scored tying goals before reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Connor McDavid scored in overtime to secure a Canadian championship at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
* The reigning Hart Memorial Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award winner Nathan MacKinnon secured another top honor as he was voted tournament MVP of the 4 Nations Face-Off. He led all players with four goals at the event and became the third Canadian all-time to average a goal-per-game at an NHL International Tournament.
* The NHL regular-season schedule resumes Saturday with a 24-game weekend that includes doubleheaders on ABC/ESPN+ and TNT/Max/truTV – both featuring the resumption of The Gr8 Chase – along with a four-game Hockey Night in Canada slate on Sportsnet.
McDAVID’S OT WINNER DELIVERS THE CHAMPIONSHIP
In front of a sellout crowd of 17,850 at TD Garden in Boston, a tightly contested game between Canada and the USA saw each team even the score to set the stage for Connor McDavid’s overtime winner. The triumph avenged Canada’s loss in the round-robin portion of the tournament and gave the country its seventh championship in nine NHL International Tournaments (third in a row).
* McDavid (3-2—5 in 4 GP), who was representing Canada in best-on-best for the first time, notched a point in all four games and scored in each of the last three to help clinch the championship.
* McDavid became the eighth player to record a point in all of his team’s games at an NHL International Tournament (min. 4 GP) and second to do so at the 4 Nations Face-Off (also Zach Werenski). The others: Vladimir Krutov (9 GP at 1987 CC), Mike Bossy (7 GP at 1981 CC), Sergei Makarov (6 GP at 1984 CC), Mats Sundin (4 GP at 1996 WCH), Calle Johansson (4 GP at 1996 WCH) and Tomas Holmstrom (4 GP at 2004 WCH).
MacKINNON NAMED MVP AFTER SCORING AGAIN IN FINAL
Nathan MacKinnon (4-0—4 in 4 GP) led the tournament with four goals, with most of his production coming when facing elimination in Canada’s last two games. He potted the tournament’s first goal just 0:56 into the opener, netted two (including the game-winner) when facing elimination in a round-robin game versus Finland and then opened the scoring in the championship game to help Canada hoist the trophy.
* MacKinnon is the 11th player to average 1.00 goals per game at an NHL International Tournament (min. 4 GP) and first since the 2004 World Cup of Hockey when USA’s Keith Tkachuk (5 in 5 GP) and Sweden’s Freddy Modin (4 in 4 GP) achieved the feat. The only other Canadians to do so (no min. GP required) are Mario Lemieux at the 1987 Canada Cup (11 in 9 GP) and Mike Bossy at the 1981 Canada Cup (8 in 7 GP).
CAPTAIN CANADA DELIVERS ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP
Sidney Crosby (1-4—5 in 4 GP), Canada’s 37-year-old veteran leader, finished the tournament tied for second in points. Crosby has now captained Canada to international wins at the Winter Olympic Games (2014), World Championship (2015) and at two NHL International Tournaments: 2016 World Cup of Hockey and the 4 Nations Face-Off.
* Crosby, Brad Marchand and Drew Doughty all won their second NHL International Tournament, boosting the number of players who have won multiple championships to 19 (18 skaters, 1 goaltender). Crosby and Doughty also have won two Olympic gold medals together (2010 & 2014).
MORE NOTES FROM THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
* Jordan Binnington, the only goaltender to play every second for a country in the 4 Nations Face-Off, stopped 31 of 33 shots in the championship game including multiple highlight reel saves in overtime, a period where Canada was outshot 6-4 before Connor McDavid’s winner. Binnington (3-1-0) finished as the tournament wins leader with a 2.37 goals-against average and .907 save percentage.
* Binnington and Colton Parayko claimed the 4 Nations Face-Off championship on the same ice where they won the Stanley Cup in 2019. The only other player to win the Cup as a visitor and claim an NHL International Tournament on the same ice is Lanny McDonald, who did so at the Montreal Forum (Canada Cup in 1976, Stanley Cup in 1989 w/ Calgary). Binnington and Parayko claimed both via victories in winner-take-all games.
* Mitch Marner, who scored Canada’s overtime winner in the tournament opener against Sweden, secured primary assists on the tying and overtime goals in the championship game. Marner became the third player to record multiple overtime points at a single NHL International Tournament, following Mats Zuccarello (0-2—2 at 2016 WCH w/ Europe) and Theo Fleury (1-1—2 at 1996 WCH w/ Canada). The only other player with multiple overtime points in their career at these events is Paul Coffey (0-1—1 at both the 1984 CC and 1996 WCH w/ Canada).
* USA defenseman Zach Werenski (0-6—6 in 4 GP), who found the score sheet in all four games he played, finished as the tournament leader in assists and points. He became the first defenseman in NHL International Tournament history to lead all players outright in points – Canadian blueliners Bobby Orr and Denis Potvin were part of a three-way tie at the 1976 Canada Cup.
A CELEBRATION OF INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY
The championship game started with an honorary captain for each team stepping on the ice for a pre-game ceremony with three-time NHL International Tournament champion Wayne Gretzky representing Canada and ‘Miracle on Ice’ captain Mike Eruzione joining the USA team.
* Eruzione came out wearing a Johnny Gaudreau USA jersey. USA had been remembering their fallen friend by presenting their player of the game with a Gaudreau jersey after every win. They also had his father, Guy, join the team in Montreal at the start of the tournament. Fans spontaneously erupted in “Johnny Hockey” chants throughout the third period and into overtime as a tribute.
A TOURNAMENT FOR THE AGES
Hockey’s first best-on-best tournament in nearly a decade produced high drama, memorable moments and put nearly 100 of the League’s top players on the same ice for seven games over nine days. A look back at each of the round-robin games that led into the unforgettable championship game witnessed Thursday.
Montreal’s own Mario Lemieux got the tournament going on a couple of fronts, by reading out the lineup in the Canada dressing room and then joining other international hockey legends Mike Richter, Teemu Selanne and Daniel Alfredsson on the ice for a pre-game ceremony to the loud roar of the Montreal crowd. Canada’s power play clicked less than a minute into the first game as they built a 3-1 lead through two periods, but Sweden rallied to send the game into overtime with two third-period tallies. Mitch Marner ended it in extra time off Sidney Crosby’s third primary assist of the game. Crosby (age 37) became the oldest player with a three-assist game in an NHL International Tournament.
Round Robin Game 2: USA 6 – Finland 1
Clinging to a close one-goal lead entering the third period, USA rattled off four goals in the final frame – including twice in a span of 11 seconds and three within the first 3:00 of the third period – to take a commanding lead and win their tournament opener. USA also set NHL International Tournament records for fastest two goals (0:26) and fastest three goals (3:00) by one team from the start of any period while Matthew Tkachuk (2-1—3) and Brady Tkachuk (2-0—2) finished the contest as the only set of brothers in NHL International Tournament history to score multiple goals in the same game.
The 4 Nations Face-Off's rivalry Saturday started with the second overtime contest in three games, closing with Finland’s captain Aleksander Barkov scoring a game-tying goal with 2:55 remaining in regulation – the third tying goal between the teams in the contest – to set the stage for Mikael Granlund’s overtime winner. Granlund’s tally ensured the Finns would avoid elimination and was the first overtime goal ever by Finland at an NHL International Tournament.
Round *Robin Game 4: USA 3 – Canada 1*
In a game that included an intense, emotional start that captured the eyes of the sporting world, Connor McDavid gave Canada a 1-0 lead just 5:31 into the opening frame but the USA rallied with three unanswered goals – including two by Jake Guentzel – to win their second straight in regulation and clinch a spot in the championship game. Dylan Larkin scored the game winner for USA, with his only other point at that time in an NHL International Tournament an assist on Johnny Gaudreau’s game-winning goal for Team North America vs. Finland at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. USA presented a Gaudreau jersey to its team-selected player of the game throughout the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Round Robin Game 5: Canada 5 – Finland 3
As the tournament shifted to TD Garden in Boston, the first time the historic hockey city has hosted NHL International Tournament games, both Canada and Finland had the opportunity to advance to the championship game against the USA with a regulation win in the opener of the Presidents’ Day doubleheader. Canada bolted out to a 4-0 lead by early in the second period on the back of Connor McDavid’s second game-opening goal in as many contests and a pair of markers from Nathan MacKinnon. Trailing by four goals entering the final frame, Finland scored three times to move within one, including two from tournament standout and overtime hero from the previous game Mikael Granlund, before Canada captain Sidney Crosby delivered a hit to halt a Finland rush, grabbed the puck and shot it into the empty net to seal a trip to the championship game. The newly formed Canadian line of Crosby (1-1—2), MacKinnon (2-0—2) and Sam Reinhart (0-3—3) combined for seven points in the victory.
Round Robin Game 6: Sweden 2 – USA 1
The championship matchup had already been decided, but USA was playing on home ice for the first time and Sweden was still looking for their first win of the tournament after falling in overtime in each of their previous two matchups. All the scoring in this contest happened in the first period, starting with Boxford, Mass., native Chris Kreider scoring in front of friends and family 35 seconds into his tournament debut. Sweden rallied with two goals of their own, by veteran forwards Gustav Nyquist and Jesper Bratt, then held on for the victory. Sweden finished the tournament as the only team without a regulation loss.
QUICK CLICKS
* Brad Marchand gives Travis Konecny boost during 4 Nations Face-Off medal ceremony
* Charlie McAvoy reads U.S. starting lineup before 4 Nations Face-Off championship game
* Charles Barkley, Jalen Brunson show love for U.S. before 4 Nations Face-Off championship
* NHL gets ready to build the rink at Ohio Stadium
* Top storylines for remainder of 2024-25 NHL regular season
NHL SEASON RETURNS SATURDAY WITH THE GR8 CHASE ON ABC
Alex Ovechkin and the Eastern Conference-leading Capitals will resume The Gr8 Chase and their pursuit of a playoff spot across two doubleheaders this weekend, part of a 24-game slate over two days. Ovechkin and the Capitals face their long-time rivals, the Penguins, Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN+, SN360 and TVAS, then close out the weekend hosting Connor McDavid and the Oilers on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on TNT, Max, truTV, SN and TVAS.
* Saturday’s 14-game schedule will see approximately 12 hours of continuous games, starting with the Wild visiting the Red Wings (12:30 p.m. on ABC, ESPN+) in the first half of an ABC doubleheader that is followed by the aforementioned Capitals-Penguins game, and closing with the Canucks visiting the Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET on SN, CBC, CITY, SCRIPPS) which caps a four-game Hockey Night in Canada broadcast. A full preview of Saturday’s return to action will be part of the Morning Skate released on Saturday morning.
