All you need to know about the international tournament, to be held in Montreal and Boston

Gary Bettman addressed the media early this afternoon as part of the NHL All-Star Weekend.

What did he have to say?

Well… Right off the bat, the commissioner confirmed the news that so many had been waiting for: NHL players will be eligible to compete in the next Olympic Games, to be held in Milan in 2026. The league also confirmed the players’ participation in the 2030 Olympic Games.

But developments were also being monitored in connection with the new international tournament.

Yesterday, there were whispers that the tournament might be held in Montreal…

And this news has also been confirmed by the National League:

The event will take place in February 2025, replacing the NHL All-Star Game.

Some games will be played in Montreal… but there will also be matches presented in Boston.

Four countries will take part in the tournament, which will be called the “Four Nations Faceoff”.

We’re talking about Canada, the United States, Finland and Sweden, four powerhouses in the world of international hockey.

All games will be played under NHL rules.

That said, each country will play three games in a Round Robin format, and the points system will look like this:

• 3 points for a regular win
• 2 points for an overtime win (10-minute overtime at 3-3 or shootout)
• 1 point for an overtime loss (10-minute overtime at 3-3 or shootout)
• No points for a defeat in regular play

Following the mini-qualifying phase, the two teams with the best records advance to the final.

Note also that if overtime is necessary in the final match, it will be as in the playoffs, i.e. 20-minute periods.

The first to score wins the match.

The players have been asking the NHL for a new competition for a long time… Because it’s been a long time since the best players faced each other in an international tournament.

The last World Cup was in 2016, after all… And the last time the players took part in the Olympics was in 2014.

It’s fun for the players, but it’s just as much fun for the fans.

It’s often said that the NHL needs to find a way to better promote its sport, and this is the way to do it.

On the other hand… I think it’s a shame for guys like Leon Draisaitl, David Pastrnak or Nikita Kucherov, for example, who won’t have the opportunity to take part in the tournament because their respective countries won’t be there.

In gusts

– I hope so.

– Of note:

– Really?