# 4 Nations Face-Off: Canada vs. Sweden — Game Thread, Rosters, Lines & How to Watch
Canada Takes on Sweden in Montreal to Kick Off the 4 Nations Face-Off
The mid-season best-on-best tournament is finally here, and it all starts in Montreal with Team Canada facing off against Team Sweden in what promises to be an intense battle on the ice.
4 Nations Face-Off Game 1: Canada vs. Sweden
🏒 Start Time: 8:00 PM EST / 5:00 PM PST
📍 Venue: Bell Centre, Montreal
📺 In Canada: Sportsnet (English), TVA Sports (French)
📺 In the United States: TNT, truTV
📡 Streaming: MAX (USA), Sportsnet+ (CAN)
Game Preview: Stars Align in Montreal
With Samuel Montembeault not on the roster, Montreal Canadiens fans won’t have a hometown player to root for tonight. But that doesn’t mean the ice won’t be packed with elite talent. The Bell Centre is set to showcase some of the NHL’s biggest superstars, including the dynamic duo of Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, both suiting up for Team Canada.
However, they won’t be sharing the same line, as Canada’s coaching staff has spread out the offensive firepower. McDavid will be centering Sam Reinhart and Mitch Marner, while Crosby shifts to the wing to play alongside fellow Cole Harbour native Nathan MacKinnon.
Sweden’s Game Plan: Defense & Goaltending Are Key
While Canada boasts a high-powered offensive attack, Team Sweden brings an elite defensive unit and strong goaltending to the table. If the Swedes want to pull off an upset against the tournament favorites, their blue line and netminders will have to shine.
Can Sweden’s defense contain McDavid’s speed and Crosby’s experience? Or will Canada’s depth prove to be too much to handle? Scroll down to find out the final results!
Team Canada projected lineup
| Forwards | Defencemen | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing | Left Defence | Right Defence | |
| Sam Reinhart | Connor McDavid | Mitch Marner | Devon Toews | Cale Makar | |
| Sidney Crosby | Nathan MacKinnon | Mark Stone | Shea Theodore | Drew Doughty | |
| Brad Marchand | Brayden Point | Seth Jarvis | Josh Morrissey | Colton Parayko | |
| Brandon Hagel | Anthony Cirelli | Travis Konecny | |||
| Goalies | |||||
| Scratched | Starter | Backup | |||
| San Bennett | Travis Sanheim | Samuel Montembeault | Jordan Binnington | Adin Hill | |
Team Sweden projected lineup
| Forwards | Defencemen | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing | Left Defence | Right Defence | |
| Filip Forsberg | Elias Pettersson | Adrian Kempe | Victor Hedman | Jonas Brodin | |
| Rickard Rakell | Mika Zibanejad | William Nylander | Mattias Ekholm | Erik Karlsson | |
| Jesper Bratt | Joel Eriksson Ek | Lucas Raymond | Gustav Forsling | Rasmus Dahlin | |
| Viktor Arvidsson | Elias Lindholm | Gustav Nyquist | |||
| Goalies | |||||
| Scratched | Starter | Backup | |||
| Leo Carlsson | Rasmus Andersson | Sam Ersson | Filip Gustavsson | Linus Ullmark | |
Canada vs Sweden Final Score
Marner Lifts Canada Over Sweden in 4 Nations Face-Off Opener
MONTREAL – Mitch Marner sealed the deal in dramatic fashion, scoring at 6:06 of 3-on-3 overtime to lift Canada to a thrilling 4-3 victory over Sweden in the opening game of the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament on Wednesday.
The Toronto Maple Leafs winger capitalized on a fast-paced extra frame, rifling a shot past Filip Gustavsson to secure the win. Both teams traded high-quality chances before Marner’s decisive finish.
Nathan MacKinnon, Brad Marchand, and Mark Stone also found the net for Canada, while goaltender Jordan Binnington made 23 saves. Sidney Crosby, making his return to high-level international competition, played the role of playmaker with three assists.
Jonas Brodin, Adrian Kempe, and Joel Eriksson Ek responded for Sweden, with Gustavsson stopping 24 shots. Lucas Raymond chipped in two assists.
Canada picked up two points in the standings for the overtime victory, while Sweden earned one for pushing the game beyond regulation.
The tournament continues Thursday as the United States faces Finland, setting the stage for what’s expected to be a competitive round-robin event leading up to the NHL’s return to Olympic competition in 2026.
A Long-Awaited Best-on-Best Tournament
The 4 Nations Face-Off is the closest men’s hockey has come to a true best-on-best event since the 2016 World Cup. After participating in five consecutive Olympics from 1998 to 2014, the NHL skipped the 2018 Games due to financial concerns and withdrew from 2022 over COVID-19 complications.
Notably absent from this tournament are Russia—excluded due to its ongoing war in Ukraine—and reigning world champion Czechia, which was left out due to scheduling constraints.
The tournament features four games at Montreal’s Bell Centre before shifting to Boston for two more matchups, culminating in the championship game on February 20.
Fast Start for Canada
The game began with a thunderous ovation for Crosby and Mario Lemieux, followed by a passionate rendition of O Canada that set the tone for an electrifying night.
Canada wasted no time asserting dominance, scoring just 56 seconds into the opening period. Connor McDavid threaded a slick pass to Crosby, who found MacKinnon in front with a no-look feed, finishing a lethal power play unit that also featured Sam Reinhart and Cale Makar.
Marchand doubled the lead at 13:15, finishing a 2-on-1 rush with Brayden Point. The Boston Bruins captain, often a villain in Montreal, received a mixed reaction of cheers and boos when his goal was announced.
Sweden finally registered its first shot on goal more than 15 minutes into the period, as Gustav Forsling’s attempt was calmly gloved by Binnington.
Brodin got the Swedes on the board at 9:33 of the second period, sniping a shot past Binnington’s ear. Sweden pressed hard as the period continued, but Crosby once again took charge, setting up Stone for a five-hole finish to restore Canada’s two-goal cushion.
Sweden’s Comeback Push
Kempe cut the deficit to 3-2 just 1:54 into the third, blasting a shot past Binnington on the rush. Questions surrounding Canada’s goaltending loomed ahead of the tournament, with Binnington, Adin Hill, and Sam Montembeault all having inconsistent NHL seasons.
Sweden found the equalizer at 8:59 when Eriksson Ek buried a close-range feed from Jesper Bratt.
With momentum shifting, Gustavsson came up with clutch saves on Devon Toews and Makar before Canada was forced to kill off a late penalty to Josh Morrissey for high-sticking. That set the stage for Marner’s game-winning heroics in overtime.
Game Notes
THEODORE INJURED
Canada’s Shea Theodore exited in the second period and did not return after absorbing a clean hit from Kempe.
WORLD CUP ANNOUNCEMENT
Prior to the game, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA chief Marty Walsh confirmed plans for a 2028 World Cup of Hockey. The goal is to hold the event every even-numbered year without an Olympics, ensuring a best-on-best tournament every 24 months.
MATTHEWS BOOED
U.S. captain Auston Matthews received a chorus of boos during the pre-game ceremony, which also featured Finnish captain Aleksander Barkov and hockey legends Lemieux, Teemu Selanne, Daniel Alfredsson, and Mike Richter.
CROSBY SOAKS IN THE ATMOSPHERE
Ahead of the game, Crosby reflected on the Bell Centre’s electric atmosphere, a familiar setting from his battles against the Montreal Canadiens.
“There’s a certain feel to it,” Crosby said. “So much history and just the hockey feel you get being here. It’s a special place.”
Canada now looks ahead to its next matchup as the tournament unfolds, with the team aiming to build on its strong start.
Stay tuned for live updates and reaction as the 4 Nations Face-Off gets underway in Montreal!