Canada Beats Sweden 4-3 in 4 Nations Opener on Marner OT Goal – The Hockey Writers 4 Nations Face-off Latest News, Analysis & More

Canada Beats Sweden 4-3 in 4 Nations Opener on Marner OT Goal

Team Canada forward Mitch Marner scored the game-winning goal in overtime in the 4 Nations Face-Off opener on Wednesday to beat Sweden. Canada had led 2-0 and 3-1 only to let Sweden take charge of the game, until the extra frame when the home side dictated the play.

Game Recap

It didn’t take long for Canada to start setting the tone initially. Nathan MacKinnon scored under a minute in, William Nylander off for high-sticking MacKinnon himself. MacKinnon took a behind-the-back feed from Sidney Crosby, with Connor McDavid getting the second assist, the home side exercising its “nuclear option” on the man advantage, with the trio having combined for six Hart Memorial Trophy wins. Crosby also assisted on Marner’s game-winner, his third point of the game.

“The building was rocking,” said Marner. “It was nice to have them cheering for me instead of against me. It was a great play by Sid to carry the puck up the whole ice.”

Before Sweden even got its first shot on net with less than three minutes left in the opening frame, Canada had made it 2-0 after Brad Marchand converted on a two-on-one rush with Brayden Point.

Related: Guide to the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off 

Down a man, with Shea Theodore having gotten injured (without returning), Canada allowed Sweden to get back on track in the second, defenseman Jonas Brodin scoring off a shot that eluded a screened Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington midway through the period to cut the deficit in half. Crosby helped restore the two-goal lead with 2:30 to go in the frame, when he made a great individual effort to find a streaking Mark Stone in the slot for the 3-1 score.

“That Stone goal what he did on that play was insane. That’s why he’s a top player in the world,” Marner said of Crosby.

Adrian Kempe cut the deficit to one again early in the third and Joel Eriksson-Ek tied it before the midway mark off a nifty cross-crease pass from Jesper Bratt. Overall Binnington made 23 saves on 26 shots, coming up big with four in overtime. Up until Marner’s winner, Swedish starter Filip Gustavsson had been the star, with seven saves in the extra frame.

Ahead of the Canada-Sweden opening game, the NHL and NHLPA announced the return of the World Cup of Hockey in February 2028. The best-on-best event, which last took place in 2016, featured eight teams (including a 23-and-under squad of North American players), with the 4 Nations Face-Off featuring just Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States.

NHL players will also participate at the next two Winter Olympic Games in 2026 (Milan & Cortina) and 2030 (Nice & French Alps), the NHL and NHLPA announced. The 4 Nations Face-Off meanwhile continues Thursday night, as the U.S. takes on Finland, also at the Bell Centre.