How to Bet on the 4 Nations Face-Off Hockey Tournament

4 nations face off

With four powerhouse teams—Canada, the U.S., Sweden, and Finland—loaded with NHL talent, this event is set to deliver some of the most competitive international hockey we’ve seen in years.

If you’ve bet on hockey before, a lot of the basics still apply—but with a short, high-stakes tournament like this, there are unique angles you’ll want to consider. Let’s break it all down, from how the tournament works to the best ways to bet on it.

What is the 4 Nations Face-Off?

This brand-new international tournament features best-on-best competition, meaning every team is stacked with NHL stars. It replaces the NHL All-Star Game for 2025 and serves as a preview of what’s to come at the 2026 Winter Olympics, making it a must-watch for fans and bettors alike.

Tournament Dates: February 12-20, 2025 Host Cities: Montreal (round-robin) & Boston (final)

This is a short, intense tournament, meaning teams don’t have time to “ease into it.” Every game is high-stakes, which creates great betting opportunities.

How the Tournament Works

The format is simple but ruthless:

  • Round-robin play: Each team plays three games.
  • Points system:
    • 3 points for a regulation win
    • 2 points for an OT/shootout win
    • 1 point for an OT/shootout loss
    • 0 points for a regulation loss
  • Final game: The top two teams after the round-robin play in a winner-takes-all championship game on Feb. 20 in Boston.

This means no semifinals, no second chances—every game is a must-win.

Team Rosters: Who’s Playing?

These are the official rosters as announced by the NHL:

🇨🇦 Canada

Forwards:

  • Sidney Crosby (C), Connor McDavid (A), Nathan MacKinnon, Brad Marchand, Mitch Marner, Brayden Point, Sam Reinhart, Mark Stone, Sam Bennett, Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel, Seth Jarvis, Travis Konecny

Defensemen:

  • Cale Makar (A), Drew Doughty, Josh Morrissey, Colton Parayko, Travis Sanheim, Shea Theodore, Devon Toews

Goalies:

  • Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, Sam Montembeault

🇺🇸 USA

Forwards:

  • Auston Matthews (C), Matthew Tkachuk (A), Brady Tkachuk, Jack Eichel, Jack Hughes, Kyle Connor, Dylan Larkin, J.T. Miller, Brock Nelson, Jake Guentzel, Vincent Trocheck, Chris Kreider, Matt Boldy

Defensemen:

  • Charlie McAvoy (A), Adam Fox, Brock Faber, Noah Hanifin, Zach Werenski, Jake Sanderson, Jaccob Slavin

Goalies:

  • Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, Jeremy Swayman

🇸🇪 Sweden

Forwards:

  • Mika Zibanejad, William Nylander (A), Elias Pettersson, Filip Forsberg, Joel Eriksson Ek, Viktor Arvidsson, Jesper Bratt, Elias Lindholm, Gustav Nyquist, Leo Carlsson, Lucas Raymond, Rickard Rakell, Adrian Kempe

Defensemen:

  • Victor Hedman (C), Erik Karlsson (A), Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Ekholm, Gustav Forsling, Rasmus Andersson, Jonas Brodin

Goalies:

  • Linus Ullmark, Filip Gustavsson, Samuel Ersson

🇫🇮 Finland

Forwards:

  • Aleksander Barkov (C), Sebastian Aho (A), Mikko Rantanen, Patrik Laine, Roope Hintz, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, Kaapo Kakko, Teuvo Teravainen, Mikael Granlund, Erik Haula, Artturi Lehkonen, Joel Armia

Defensemen:

  • Esa Lindell, Olli Maatta, Henri Jokiharju, Niko Mikkola, Juuso Valimaki, Urho Vaakanainen, Nikolas Matinpalo

Goalies:

  • Juuse Saros, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Kevin Lankinen

How to Bet on the 4 Nations Face-Off

Now let’s talk betting.

Moneyline Betting (Picking the Winner)

The moneyline is the simplest way to bet—just pick who wins. Because these teams are stacked, odds won’t be as lopsided as an NHL regular-season game.

Canada (-250) vs. Sweden (+200)

Bet $250 on Canada to win $100

Bet $100 on Sweden to win $200

If you think an underdog can steal a game, this is where you find value.

Puck Line Betting (The Spread)

The puck line is hockey’s version of the point spread, usually set at -1.5 goals for the favourite.

Sweden -1.5 (+140) vs. Finland +1.5 (-165)

Sweden must win by 2+ goals for your bet to win.

Finland can win or lose by 1 goal, and you still win your bet.

Short tournaments mean close games—betting the +1.5 underdog is often the smarter move.

Over/Under Betting (Total Goals)

Bet on the total number of goals scored by both teams.

Example:

Over/Under set at 5.5 goals

Betting Over → Need 6+ goals

Betting Under → Need 5 or fewer goals

If Saros and Ullmark are in net, the Under might be a good play. If it’s McDavid vs. Matthews, you might want the Over.

Futures Betting (Who Wins the Tournament?)

Before the tournament starts, you can bet on which team will win it all.

Canada is the favourite, but one upset can shift everything—if you like an underdog, bet them early.