The 4 Nations Face-Off in February will mark the first best-on-best men’s hockey tournament since 2016 and the first ever held one year before an Olympics.
With NHL players expected to return to the Olympics in 2026 for the first time since 2014, the 4 Nations Face-Off should provide an early look at the medal favorites for the Milan Cortina Games.
The 4 Nations Face-Off is made up of the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland — the nations that combined to win the last six medals at Olympics with NHL participation.
The 4 Nations Face-Off rosters of 23 NHL players each — announced Wednesday — were chosen by the same national federations that will determine 2026 Olympic rosters of 25 players.
So 4 Nations Face-Off teams are in essence early blueprints for Olympic teams, though Sweden and Finland have regularly included some players on their Olympic rosters from European leagues.
USA 4 Nations Face-Off Roster
Goaltenders
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars
Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins
Defensemen
Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild (2022 Olympian)
Adam Fox, New York Rangers
Noah Hanifin, Vegas Golden Knights
Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins
Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
Forwards
Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild
Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets
Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights
Jake Guentzel, Tampa Bay Lightning
Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
Chris Kreider, New York Rangers
Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
J.T. Miller, Vancouver Canucks
Brock Nelson, New York Islanders
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers
Vincent Trocheck, New York Rangers
Hellebuyck won the Vezina Trophy last season as the NHL’s top goalie. ... Faber, the youngest player on this roster, led all skaters on the 2022 Olympic team in ice time. ... Two of the three Hughes brothers made the team, with the youngest, Luke, omitted after missing the first nine games of the season due to a shoulder injury. The last set of two brothers to make the same U.S. Olympic team were Derian and Kevin Hatcher in 1998. If all three Hughes make the Olympic team, they will be the second set of three brothers to play for one Olympic hockey team after Anton, Marian and Peter Stastny for Czechoslovakia in 1980. Once in history have three siblings competed on the same U.S. Winter Olympic team in any sport: bobsledders Curtis, Hubert and Paul Stevens in 1932, according to Olympic historian Bill Mallon. ... Larkin is tied for the most World Championship games played of any American who hasn’t played in an Olympics (45, Aaron Broten). ... Matthews scored 69 goals last season, the most by any player since Mario Lemieux had 69 in 1995-96. ... Nelson hails from Warroad, Minnesota — Hockeytown, USA — with a population of about 2,000 that has already produced at least seven Olympic hockey players (Bill, Dave, Gordon and Roger Christian; Henry Boucha; Gigi Marvin and T.J. Oshie). Dave Christian, a member of the 1980 Miracle on Ice team, is Nelson’s uncle. Bill Christian, a member of the 1960 Olympic champion team, is Nelson’s grandfather. ... The Tkachuk family can be the first to have a father and son on U.S. Olympic hockey teams in the NHL participation era. Keith Tkachuk played in the first three Olympics with NHL players in 1998, 2002 and 2006.
Canada 4 Nations Face-Off Roster
Goaltenders
Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
Adin Hill, Vegas Golden Knights
Sam Montembeault, Montreal Canadiens
Defensemen
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets
Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues
Alex Pietrangelo, Vegas Golden Knights (2014 Olympian)
Travis Sanheim, Philadephia Flyers
Shea Theodore, Vegas Golden Knights
Devon Toews, Colorado Avalanche
Forwards
Sam Bennett, Florida Panthers
Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay Lightning
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins (2010, 2014 Olympian)
Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay Lightning
Seth Jarvis, Carolina Hurricanes
Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins
Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning
Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers
Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights
Crosby, who turns 38 next August, would be the third-oldest Canadian man to play Olympic hockey in the NHL participation era after Martin St. Louis (2014) and Al MacInnis (2002). He can become the second Canadian man to have an Olympic career span 16 years after Terry O’Malley (1964-80), according to the OlyMADMen. In 2006, the last time Italy hosted the Winter Olympics, an 18-year-old Crosby was notably left off the Canadian roster. When the Canadian team was named in December 2005, Crosby was tied for 14th in the NHL in points among Canadian skaters.
Sweden 4 Nations Face-Off Roster
Goaltenders
Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota Wild
Jacob Markström, New Jersey Devils
Linus Ullmark, Ottawa Senators
Defensemen
Rasmus Andersson, Calgary Flames
Jonas Brodin, Minnesota Wild
Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabers (2018 Olympian)
Mattias Ekholm, Edmonton Oilers
Gustav Forsling, Florida Panthers
Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Erik Karlsson, Pittsburgh Penguins (2014 Olympian)
Forwards
Viktor Arvidsson, Edmonton Oilers
Jesper Bratt, New Jersey Devils
Leo Carlsson, Anaheim Ducks
Joel Eriksson Ek, Minnesota Wild
Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators
William Karlsson, Vegas Golden Knights
Adrian Kempe, Los Angeles Kings
Elias Lindholm, Boston Bruins
Gustav Nyquist, Nashville Predators (2014 Olympian)
William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs
Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings
Mika Zibanejad New York Rangers
Gustavsson leads the NHL this season in goals-against average (2.04) and save percentage (.929) among goalies with at least 10 games played. ... Ullmark won the 2023 Vezina. ... Dahlin is the youngest Olympic men’s hockey player of the last 40 years, playing at age 17 in PyeongChang before being the No. 1 NHL Draft pick in 2018. ... Hedman and Erik Karlsson own a combined four Norris Trophies as the NHL’s top defenseman.
Finland 4 Nations Face-Off Roster
Goaltenders
Kevin Lankinen, Vancouver Canucks
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Buffalo Sabres
Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators
Defensemen
Jani Hakanpää, Toronto Maple Leafs
Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars (2018 Olympian)
Esa Lindell, Dallas Stars
Niko Mikkola, Florida Panthers
Olli Määttä, Utah Hockey Club (2014 Olympian)
Rasmus Ristolainen, Philadelphia Flyers
Juuso Välimäki, Utah Hockey Club
Forwards
Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes
Joel Armia, Montreal Canadiens
Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers (2014 Olympian)
Mikael Granlund, San Jose Sharks (2014 Olympian)
Erik Haula, New Jersey Devils
Roope Hintz, Carolina Hurricanes
Kaapo Kakko, New York Rangers
Patrik Laine, Montreal Canadiens
Artturi Lehkonen, Colorado Avalanche
Anton Lundell, Florida Panthers
Eetu Luostarinen, Florida Panthers
Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche
Teuvo Teräväinen, Chicago Blackhawks
Saros led the NHL in starts last season and is so far this season, too, playing in 21 of Nashville’s 25 games. ... Barkov captained Florida to the Stanley Cup last season. ... Barkov (18 in 2014) and Heiskanen (18 in 2018) are the two youngest Olympic men’s hockey players in Finland’s history, according to the OlyMADMen. Barkov, Määttä and Granlund were Finland’s three youngest players on its 2014 Olympic men’s team. ... None of the members of Finland’s 2022 Olympic champion team are currently in the NHL.
2026 Olympic men’s hockey tournament: Which teams are qualified?
The 12-team Olympic men’s hockey field is nearly set. All that’s left to decide is whether Russia will be part of it.
Russia has been banned from international hockey since shortly after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But it has a provisional place in the Olympic field if the ban gets lifted. The IIHF has not set a deadline for a final decision on Russia’s Olympic spot. If Russia remains banned, France will move into the Olympic field.
2026 Winter Olympics men’s hockey groups:
Group A: Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy
Group B: Finland, Germany, Czechia, Denmark
Group C: Russia (if suspension is lifted), U.S., Slovakia, Latvia
Groups if Russia’s suspension is not lifted:
Group A: Canada, Switzerland, Czechia, France
Group B: Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy
Group C: U.S., Germany, Latvia, Denmark
