If you were watching the TD Garden ice on February 20, 2025, you saw exactly why the hockey world was so obsessed with the nations face off standings. It wasn't just another mid-season tournament. It was the first time in over a decade we saw the absolute best-on-best talent from the NHL. Honestly, it felt less like a revamped All-Star game and more like a preview of the upcoming 2026 Olympics.
The vibe was electric. Canada and the United States were the heavy favorites going in, but the round-robin stage turned the leaderboard into a total mess.
Breaking Down the 4 Nations Face Off Standings
The tournament format was basically a pressure cooker. Four teams: Canada, USA, Sweden, and Finland. Everyone played each other once. That’s it. One bad night, and your championship hopes were essentially toast.
The points system was also a bit different from the standard NHL regular season.
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- 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.
Canada ended up sitting at the top of the nations face off standings after the round-robin, but they didn't exactly cruise there. They barely escaped their opener against Sweden with a 4-3 overtime win thanks to Mitch Marner. Then they got handled by Team USA 3-1 at the Bell Centre. Dylan Larkin and the Tkachuk brothers were playing like men possessed.
By the time the teams moved from Montreal to Boston, the standings were tight. Team USA looked like the team to beat until a shocking 2-1 loss to Sweden on the final day of the round-robin. Jesper Bratt scored the go-ahead goal, and suddenly, the Americans were sweating their spot in the final.
Fortunately for them, Finland struggled. They managed an OT win against Sweden but couldn't keep up with the depth of the North American squads.
The Final Standing and That Heartbreaking OT
When the dust settled, the two-way tie-breaker favored the Americans and Canadians. They met in the final on a Thursday night in Boston.
It was a slugfest.
Jordan Binnington, who had some shaky moments early in the tournament, turned into a brick wall for Canada. He robbed Jake Guentzel and Auston Matthews in the dying minutes of regulation. On the other side, Connor Hellebuyck was doing Hellebuyck things.
The game went to overtime tied at 2-2.
Then it happened. Connor McDavid, the guy everyone was waiting to see on this stage, took the puck in the neutral zone. He did that thing where he looks like he’s skating twice as fast as everyone else without even trying. He beat a defender, cut to the middle, and tucked it home.
Standings at the end of the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off:
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- Canada (Champions - 3-2 OT win in final)
- United States (Runner-up)
- Sweden (Eliminated in round-robin)
- Finland (Eliminated in round-robin)
Nathan MacKinnon walked away with the MVP trophy, and honestly, it was well-deserved. He was the most consistent engine for Canada through all four games.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Results
A lot of folks look at the final standings and think Sweden and Finland were pushovers. That's just wrong. Sweden’s defense, led by Victor Hedman and Rasmus Dahlin, was probably the most "organized" unit in the whole tournament. They just couldn't find enough scoring when it counted.
Also, the "home ice" advantage was weirdly split. Montreal was incredibly loud for the Canada games, but they also showed a ton of respect for the American stars like Matthews. By the time we got to Boston, the TD Garden was a sea of red, white, and blue, yet the Canadian fans traveled in droves.
It wasn't a "fake" tournament. The intensity in that final Canada-USA game was higher than most Stanley Cup playoff games I've seen. These guys actually care about playing for their country.
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Actionable Insights for Hockey Fans
If you're tracking the aftermath of these standings, here is what you need to keep an eye on:
- Olympic Rosters: The 2025 standings basically served as the primary audition for the 2026 Winter Olympics. You can bet the guys who performed—like Binnington and Larkin—locked in their spots.
- Goalie Battles: Team USA has a "problem" of having too many good goalies (Hellebuyck, Swayman, Oettinger). The tournament didn't really settle who the true #1 is, so watch their NHL stats the rest of this season.
- International Rivalries: The Sweden-Finland rivalry is as heated as ever. Even though they finished 3rd and 4th, their head-to-head game was a highlight of the round-robin.
Check the official NHL records site if you want the granular box scores, but the big picture is simple: Canada is still the king of the hill, but the gap is smaller than it's ever been.
Next Steps for You:
Compare the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off rosters with the projected 2026 Olympic lineups. Several "bubble" players from this tournament are now leading their respective NHL teams in scoring, which might flip the standings the next time these four nations meet on the ice.