USA vs Canada 4 Nations: Preview and Betting Tips

It’s been a great start to the 4 Nations for Team Canada as they picked up victory in their first game against Sweden 4 – 3 with Mitch Marner scoring in overtime to seal it for the North American team. However, their toughest test will likely come this weekend when they face off against Team USA inside The Bell Centre in Montreal.

On this page, we take a look at the 4 Nations Tournament itself, preview the clash between the USA and Canada, and share our hockey betting tips for the match!

What You Need to Know About the 4 Nations Tournament

• Dates: February 12th – February 20th 2025

• Location: Montreal and Boston

• How to Watch: Sportsnet

The NHL 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament features teams from the United States, Canada, Finland, and Sweden. These countries stand out in international ice hockey competitions. Players from these nations often compete in the NHL and bring a high level of skill to their national teams.

Fans will first gather at the Bell Centre in Montreal for the round-robin games, before the excitement moves to TD Garden in Boston for the final two matches, including the Championship game.

Here’s a look at all games that will occur between now and the 20th of February 2025:

• Wednesday 12th of February:  Canada vs. Sweden (8:00 pm EDT)

• Thursday 13th of February: USA vs. Finland (8:00 pm EDT)

• Saturday 15th of February: Finland vs. Sweden (1:00 pm EDT)

• Saturday 15th of February: USA vs. Canada (8:00 pm EDT)

• Monday 17th of February: Canada vs. Finland (1:00 pm EDT)

• Monday 17th of February: Sweden vs. USA (8:00 pm EDT)

• Thursday 20th of February: Championship Game (8:00 pm EDT)

4 Nations Tournament Format

The tournament adopts a round-robin format where each team faces off against each other once. Teams earn points based on their performance in each game: securing three points for winning within regulation time stands as the most desirable outcome.

Victories attained through overtime or shootout bring two points to the victor’s tally while suffering a loss during these extended periods still results in a game of a single point. After all six games have been played, the two teams with the most points will progress to the Championship game to battle it out for the title!

USA vs Canada: The Big Match

• Date: Saturday the 15th of February 2025  

• Time: 8:00 pm EDT  

• Location: The Bell Centre in Montreal  

• How to Watch: Sportsnet  

When it comes to international hockey matches, there are none that offer the same level of rivalry as USA vs Canada. These two countries sit at the very top of the sport, being represented in the most prestigious hockey league in the world, the NHL. While only 7 teams in this league belong to franchises in Canada, compared to the 25 in the United States, about 40% of all NHL players have Canadian nationality.

In addition to the intense rivalry between the two nations, this clash is always so anticipated due to the high-quality plays and creative tactics. It’s also interesting to watch the dynamics of some of the best players in the world who rarely link up together on the ice.

USA vs Canada Rosters

When you look at the roasters for these two teams, it makes sense why many are calling the 2025 4 Nations tournament a two-horse race. Here’s a look at the teams representing each country, both of which are completely stacked with top NHL talent:

Canada

First up are the players representing Canada, alongside their current NHL teams:

Goalkeepers

50. Jordan Binnington (St. Louis Blues)
33. Adin Hill (Vegas Golden Knights)
35. Sam Montembeault (Montreal Canadiens)

Defensemen

89. Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings)
8. Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche)
44. Josh Morrissey (Winnipeg Jets)
55. Colton Parayko (St. Louis Blues)
6. Travis Sanheim (Philadelphia Flyers)
27. Shea Theodore (Vegas Golden Knights)
5. Devon Toews (Colorado Avalanche)

Forwards

9. Sam Bennett (Florida Panthers)
71. Anthony Cirelli (Tampa Bay Lightning)
87. Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
38. Brandon Hagel (Tampa Bay Lightning)
24. Seth Jarvis (Carolina Hurricanes)
11. Travis Konecny (Philadelphia Flyers)
29. Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche)
63. Brad Marchand (Boston Bruins)
16. Mitch Marner (Toronto Maple Leafs)
97. Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
21. Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning)
13. Sam Reinhart (Florida Panthers)
61. Mark Stone (Vegas Golden Knights)

United States

The named squad for the United States is as follows:

Goalkeepers

37. Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets)
30. Jake Oettinger (Dallas Stars)
1. Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins)

Defensemen

14. Brock Faber (Minnesota Wild)
23. Adam Fox (New York Rangers)
15. Noah Hanifin (Vegas Golden Knights)
25. Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins)
85. Jake Sanderson (Ottawa Senators)
74. Jaccob Slavin (Carolina Hurricanes)
8. Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Forwards

12. Matt Boldy (Minnesota Wild)
81. Kyle Connor (Winnipeg Jets)
9. Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights)
59. Jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay Lightning)
86. Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils)
20. Chris Kreider (New York Rangers)
21. Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings)
34. Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs)
10. JT Miller (New York Rangers)
29. Brock Nelson (New York Islanders)
7. Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators)
19. Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers)
16. Vincent Trocheck (New York Rangers)

Betting Predictions for USA vs Canada

• Betting Tip 1: Canada to Win

While Canada used to have a huge skill advantage over the USA, this has started to shrink in recent years and arguably, this is a game that is relatively even on paper. However, the Canadian team features three key players who could easily swing the tide in their favour. These are of course Connor McDavid of the Oilers, Nathan MacKinnon of the Avalanche, and his teammate Cale Makar.

Due to playing on the same NHL team, Makinnon and Makar have great chemistry and are almost bound to link up at some point to get Canada moving forward. In addition to this, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will have a lot to prove, as he’s finally playing in a major tournament in what feels like forever.

We think the Canadian team will want it more, which could make all the difference in a tightly contested game. They will also have the crowd behind them from the off as soon as things get underway inside the Bell Centre in Montreal.

• Betting Tip 2: Over 5.5 Goals

There are a couple of reasons as to why we’re backing the over in this one, the first of which revolves around the bearpit atmosphere that will likely be associated with this game. More often than not, this can lead to adrenaline across both rosters, fueling them in what has the makings of an end-to-end game.

Another thing to look at is the head-to-head records between the two teams. Over 5.5 goals would have been a successful wager in all four of their last encounters, with their encounters typically being much higher scoring than other international matches.

Bet on the 4 Nations Hockey Online

If you want to bet on the 4 Nations, look no further than BetVictor. We have a huge range of markets available, covering all games that are played throughout the tournament. As soon as each match gets underway, you can also find it immediately on the in-play betting page, allowing you to see hockey odds and statistics in real time.

Before placing a bet, be sure to check out the BetVictor offers page, too. Here you can find an assortment of sports betting bonuses that are available to both new and existing customers!

Frequently Asked Questions About USA vs Canada