For 2025, however, the NHL is doing something a bit different. The All-Star Game is taking a back seat to the 4 Nations Face-Off.

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 will return to the global sporting spectacle in 12 months at the Milan-Cortina Olympics in Italy. The 4 Nations — the United States, Sweden and Finland are also in the field — is the closest thing men's hockey has come to best-on-best since the 2016 World Cup.