Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon wins 4 Nations Face-Off MVP

Canada forward Nathan MacKinnon has won the MVP award for the 4 Nations Face-Off in the wake of a 3-2 overtime win over the United States in the championship game.

MacKinnon wins the award after stepping up in the championship game like he has all tournament, scoring the opening goal for Canada en route to their win.

Canada wins the game in a nail-biting overtime matchup against the United States, with Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid scoring the game-winner 8:18 into overtime. After Canada opened the scoring with the MacKinnon goal, the United States scored two unanswered goals from Ottawa Senators players Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson, Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett tied the game later in the second period to tie it.

The award was voted on by a panel of 12 members of the four broadcasts in the tournament: ESPN, TNT, TVA, and Sportsnet. Much like the Conn Smythe Trophy in the Stanley Cup Final, the votes are submitted before the conclusion of the game, with some stipulations for game-winning goals and any other last minute events.

MacKinnon finished the tournament with five goals in four games, including one in the championship game, and also led the tournament in goal-scoring.

MacKinnon has also had another excellent season for the Avalanche coming off of his Hart Trophy win in 2023-24, as he has 21 goals and 66 assists for 87 points in 57 games this season. That puts him on pace to be about 20 points shy of his career high of 140 points, which he achieved last season.

MacKinnon will return to action with the Colorado Avalanche when they visit the Nashville Predators on Saturday at 4 p.m. MST. The Avalanche currently sit in fourth in the Central Division with a 33-22-2 record, and are two points behind the Minnesota Wild for third in the division.