Instead of an NHL All-Star Game, top stars from four nations will face off for a midseason international tournament starting Wednesday in Boston and Montreal. Why it matters: The 4 Nations Face-Off is meant to herald the NHL's return to the Winter Olympics — but,

The NHL is hitting pause on the 2024-25 regular season, but it's not for an All-Star break — it's for the 4 Nations Face-Off. The USA, Canada, Sweden and Finland are bringing 23 players from the NHL to a week-long competition starting in Montreal and ending in Boston.

New for this year, the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off live streams will see the US, Canada, Finland and Sweden face each other in a round-robin tournament, before competing for the win in the Championship game. It starts on Wednesday, February 12 with games taking place in Montreal and Boston in what will be a big pre-Winter Olympics competition.