What is the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off? Here's what you need to know

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The 2025 4 Nations Face-Off begins on Feb. 12 and ends on Feb 20, but what is the tournament, and how did it come to fruition?

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the international tournament at a press conference at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game. 

In the NHL’s announcement, the league said they view the 4 Nations event as a "building block to a larger World Cup."

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NHL commissioner Gary Bettman speaks to the media prior to a game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. (Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images)

Bettman said in addition to players competing in the 2026 Olympics, they will play in a World Cup in 2028, go back to the Olympics in 2030, and then two years after that, have another World Cup to set the cycle of international play. 

Bettman called the 4 Nations Face-Off an "appetizer" for what looks to be a packed international slate for the sport of hockey in the coming years.

The tournament will be the first time since 2016 that NHL players were in a best-on-best international tournament. It was the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, and there were eight teams in that tournament. 

Because of the 4 Nations Face-Off, there will not be an All-Star Game this season. 

Here is what you need to know about the upcoming tournament.

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Actor Will Arnett, left, and Team McDavid captain Connor McDavid look on during the NHL All-Star Player Draft on NHL All-Star Thursday at Scotiabank Arena. (John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports)

The tournament is a round-robin tournament, and each team will play three