"That’s stupid" - Anonymous NHLer turns heads with 4 Nations Face-Off admission, speaks out on Russia's exclusion

The 4 Nations Face-Off is just around the corner and most of the NHL players will have a 10-day break. However, some NHL players from the USA, Canada, Sweden and Finland will face each other in a round-robin tournament held in place of the all-star game from Feb. 12-20. While there is a healthy buzz of anticipation about the event and most players are looking forward to it, there were some who criticized the format while others pointed to its exclusionary nature.

The Athletic published an article on Tuesday where they asked 110 active players if they were interested in the tournament, allowing them to provide anonymous responses. An overwhelming majority of respondents were in favor of it, with some notable exceptions.

“I’d rather go back home to (my home country),” a player said.. “I’d rather (have) a two-week break. It sucks you miss the two-week break, but it’s cool you’re playing against the best players right now. Except the Russians aren’t allowed to be in there. That’s stupid. They’re the best players right now.”

15 of the 16 players who will take part in the tournament are highly invested. However, there was a sharp drop in enthusiasm among players from other countries who will not be part of it, like Czechia or Germany.

"(My country) is not in it, so not really (interested),” a German player said. “I will enjoy my break and get my body ready for the home stretch and hopefully a good playoff run.”

However, almost all the players agreed that national-level and best-on-best hockey has been scarce for a long time and this tournament is something they all look forward to.

Players see 4 Nations Face-Off as practice for the 2026 Olympics

Many of the players The Athletic interviewed said they felt the 4 Nations Face-Off could serve as an unofficial curtain raiser for the 2026 Olympics in Italy. They also called for similar tournaments to be added to the calendar.

“The last time we had a full international, best-on-best tournament was the World Cup, and that was a week before I made the NHL,” a Team Canada player said. “In my entire career, we haven’t had this. … With the Olympics next year, you want to perform well — to obviously win the 4 Nations and hopefully be a part of more of these events in the next few seasons.”

Most players also preferred the new tournament instead of another all-star weekend, claiming that it has become dull.