• USA Faces Canada in 4 Nations Face-Off Championship Game

  • Feb 20 2025
  • Length: 3 mins
  • Podcast

USA Faces Canada in 4 Nations Face-Off Championship Game

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  • Summary

  • The NHL and professional hockey have seen several significant developments recently. The 4 Nations Face-Off, a new international tournament featuring NHL players from Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States, has concluded its round-robin phase and is set to culminate in a championship game between the United States and Canada on February 20 at Boston's TD Garden. The United States previously defeated Canada 3-1 during their round-robin game last Saturday at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

    In team news, Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy remains in a Boston hospital after undergoing an irrigation and debridement procedure due to an infection in his right shoulder. He is listed as week-to-week and will miss the championship game. The Bruins have expressed dissatisfaction with how McAvoy's condition was handled by Team USA, feeling he did not receive proper care.

    Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington will start against Team USA in the championship game. Despite criticism of his performance, Binnington has the support of his teammates and Team Canada coach Jon Cooper. A win in the championship game could silence his critics.

    On other fronts, Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin has stated he has no plans to play anywhere except Pittsburgh, ending speculation about a potential return to Russia to finish his career in the KHL. Malkin has one season left on his contract with a full no-movement clause.

    In injury updates, San Jose Sharks players Alex Wennberg (upper body) and Nico Sturm (right ankle) could be ready for Saturday's game against the Calgary Flames.

    The NHL has also been exploring expansion possibilities. The league recently met with a group interested in bringing an expansion franchise to New Orleans. Prospective ownership groups from Atlanta and Houston have also expressed interest in landing NHL expansion franchises. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has indicated that expansion is not a "front-burner issue" but expects the league to add two more franchises before the end of the decade.

    In a somber note, it was revealed that NHL Hall-of-Famer Bobby Hull had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) when he died two years ago. Researchers at Boston University's CTE Center found that Hull had stage 2 CTE, which contributed to his short-term memory loss and impaired judgment during the final decade of his life. Hull had donated his brain for research after witnessing the decline of former teammate and fellow Hall-of-Famer Stan Mikita.

    Lastly, the NHL has announced that NHL All-Star Weekend will not be held in the 2024-25 season, with the 4 Nations Face-Off taking its place. The tournament has been well-received, offering fans a unique international best-on-best competition featuring NHL players.
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