Five things to look out for at the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off

The inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off will be the first "best-on-best" men's international hockey tournament since 2016. The NHL-run event will have plenty of star power, headlined by Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Auston Matthews (center). Here's everything you need to watch for.

1. Can the U.S. unseat Canada as the world's best?

The United States has been waiting nine years for a chance to show it has caught up to Canada when it comes to hockey. And a star-studded roster led by Matthews, Jack Hughes, and Jack Eichel certainly gives the U.S. a chance.
Will the U.S. program's recent advancements and victories at underage levels translate to a best-on-best tourney? The Stars and Stripes' biggest advantage is in goal with Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, and Jeremy Swayman. Hellebuyck or Oettinger going full 1996 Mike Richter could be a great equalizer vs. the Canadians.

2. Canada's ridiculous power play

Canada's first power-play unit will be something to behold at this tournament with four generational players in Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, and Cale Makar. The fifth guy, Sam Reinhart, scored 57 goals last season.
Flyers sniper Travis Konecny will begin the tournament on Canada's No. 2 unit but joked that he doesn't expect to get too many opportunities given the talent on the top group.

3. Now we've got bad blood?

Much has been said about how J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson didn't get along in Vancouver, ultimately leading to Miller's trade to New York on Jan. 31. Now, the two will play each other when the U.S. takes on Sweden on Feb. 17.
Both players are sure to have some extra motivation and maybe some pent-up aggression to release as foes. This will be a big tournament for Pettersson, whose no-trade clause kicks in July 1. There's still a chance Vancouver deals him before then, so center-seeking teams like the Flyers will be watching intently.

4. Anthems controversy

The one dark cloud lingering on the eve of the 4 Nations Face-Off is the recent anthem controversy between the United States and Canada. Both nations' anthems have been booed in the other country since the election of Donald Trump.
Why the boos? Canadians aren't happy about the import tariffs that will be imposed by President Trump on Canada. On the other side, Americans aren't happy with their anthem being booed and have responded by booing Canada's. Saturday's game between the U.S. and Canada will take place with this controversy as a backdrop.

5. Rivalries renewed

On the ice, the United States and Canada have had some classic matchups over the years, from the 1996 World Cup of Hockey through the 2010 Winter Olympics. Saturday's 4 Nations Face-Off tilt will be the latest in the terrific rivalry.
If U.S.-Canada is the headliner, Sweden vs. Finland is a pretty darn good undercard. The European neighbors don't like each other and Saturday will face off at full strength for the first time since 2016. "We hate them, that's pretty much it," Finnish winger Patrik Laine said last month. Get your popcorn ready.
