The NHL's inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off tournament will replace the All-Star Weekend in February 2024, featuring elite players from Canada, United States, Sweden, and Finland competing in a high-stakes international format.

Team rosters include standout players like Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby (Canada), Auston Matthews and the Tkachuk brothers (USA), Rasmus Dahlin and Elias Pettersson (Sweden), and Patrik Laine and Juuse Saros (Finland). Many analysts consider the US team the strongest on paper.

The tournament begins February 12 at Montreal's Bell Centre with Canada facing Sweden. The highly anticipated Canada-US matchup takes place Saturday night in Montreal, while Boston's TD Garden hosts the championship game on February 20.

Betting odds currently show:

• Canada: +135
• United States: +175
• Sweden: +500
• Finland: +700

While NHL typically ranks fourth in betting volume among major sports (behind NFL, NBA, and MLB), bookmakers expect this tournament to generate significantly more interest than the All-Star Weekend. Trading experts predict up to four times the regular NHL game turnover, with even higher volumes for the championship match.

Sportsbooks compare potential betting interest to the World Baseball Classic, though final engagement levels remain uncertain until the tournament begins. The success of betting activity may largely depend on Team USA's performance and the competitive nature of the matches.

The tournament aims to recapture the intensity of historical international hockey competitions, though it's unclear if it will match the fierce rivalry displayed in events like the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.

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