Canada vs USA: 4 Nations Face-Off overtime rules: What happens if the game ends in a tie?
The United States narrowly defeated Canada in the round-robin and another close encounter is expected in the championship game.
The United States face Canada in the hotly-anticipated championship game in the inaugural 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, which has proved to be a big success as an alternative to the NHL All-Star Game.
The North American nations qualified for the final by finishing in the top two spots in the round-robin: the USA were the group winners, while the Canadians pipped Sweden to second place by virtue of their superior head-to-head record.
That essentially meant the States got the better of their northern neighbors in two different ways, as they also came out on top in what was, at times, a violent meeting between the bitter rivals at Bell Centre in Montreal on February 13. After the opening period finished level, Mike Sullivan’s team narrowly triumphed in the second and third for a 3-1 win.
History tells us the United States very rarely get the better of Canada in men’s ice hockey, with the Canadians having won 12 of 19 meetings in the Olympics and 10 of 14 in the Canada Cup/World Cup of Hockey. So what are the chances of it happening three times in eight days?
Overtime rules in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game
The first clash between the teams in Montreal suggests there might not be much to separate them, which could bring overtime into play. The rules for the championship game are different to those used earlier in the tournament.
In the round-robin, overtime took the form of a 10-minute, 3-on-3 sudden-death period, with a three-round shootout following if no goals were scored. Two matches required overtime (but none a shootout), with Sweden pipped by both Canada and Finland.
In the championship game, however, the overtime rules are the same as in the NHL playoffs: teams will play 20-minutes periods of 5-on-5 play until one of the two scores to win in sudden death.
Canada vs USA 4 Nations Face-Off championship game: date, time, how to watch
The game between Canada and the United States will be played at TD Garden in Boston on Thursday, February 20, starting at 8pm ET. Viewers in the United States can watch the game on ESPN and ESPN+.
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