McDavid as Crosby? Matthews as Ovechkin? Matching the 4 Nations superstar storylines to past international legends
After a nearly nine-year wait, best-on-best international hockey returns tonight in Montreal.
Having the world’s best slip on their country’s colors in mid-season form is a wonderful thing. There’s no shortage of talent or thrilling storylines ahead for the 4 Nations Faceoff. And speaking of talent, we’re counting down the event’s 10 biggest superstars… with a twist.
Each star is getting matched to a comparable player from the past.
Based on their personal narrative heading into 4 Nations – age, role, reputation, and country’s expectations – we’re finding an iconic player who was once in their skates at a best-on-best event. It’s a fun exercise that lets us immortalize past tournaments and superstars while turning up the heat on this year’s version.
Best-on-Best Background
Starting with the 1976 Canada Cup, this is the 14th edition of best-on-best international hockey. Canada has won nine of 13 titles – including the last three. Sweden (2006), the Czech Republic (1998), the U.S.A. (1996), and the former Soviet Union (1981) have earned a single gold medal or championship along the way.
Today’s player matches were taken from the last eight best-on-best events spanning 29 years: 2016, 2004, and 1996 World Cups; and 2014, 2010, 2006, 2002, and 1998 Olympic Games.
Let the countdown begin…
#10. Mikko Rantanen
Team: Finland; Age: 28
Best Match: Teemu Selanne (1998 Nagano Olympics)
The Narrative: Only all-world scorer on underdog Finland
Rantanen’s best-on-best debut comes at a tumultuous time. After his shocking exit from Colorado in January, he’s stumbled early in Carolina and missed his last game due to injury. While Rantanen has some help from elite teammates Sebastian Aho and Alexander Barkov, he’s Finland’s top scorer by 11 points. Selanne can relate… he was the go-to Suomi sniper for two decades internationally.
How it Turned Out: In what would become a trend for 16 years, Selanne led a scrappy team to improbable success. After a 1-2 round-robin record, Finland pulled off a bronze medal, stunning Canada 3-2. Selanne led the Nagano Olympics in scoring (10 points in 5 games). No pressure, Mikko!
#9. Victor Hedman
Team: Sweden; Age: 34
Best Match: Nicklas Lidstrom (2006 Turin Olympics)
The Narrative: Future Hall of Fame workhorse anchoring Swedish blueline
In February 2006, Lidstrom was a six-time Norris finalist that had played in four Stanley Cup Finals. Hedman, Sweden’s captain, has those exact same lines on his résumé right now. But no one will confuse Hedman’s Tre Kronor with Lidstrom’s. The 2006 Olympic team had seven Hall of Famers — Alfredsson, Forsberg, Lidstrom, Lundqvist, the Sedin twins, and Sundin. Hedman and Erik Karlsson are this squad’s only locks.
How it Turned Out: Lidstrom was named to the Olympic all-star team, a central figure in what remains Sweden’s only best-on-best championship.
#8. Jack Hughes
Team: U.S.A.; Age: 23
Best Match: Zach Parise (2010 Vancouver Olympics)
The Narrative: Talented, New Jersey forward ready to explode for U.S.A.
After winning just once in six games in 2006 (against Kazakhstan), the United States badly needed a young star to take charge in 2010. Fortunately, it had a wealth of 25-and-under forwards, including Parise, Kane, Kessel, Ryan, Pavelski, Kesler, Backes, and Stastny. U.S.A.’s core at the 4 Nations, meanwhile, is mostly in its prime. Hughes is the team’s youngest forward — the perfect player to showcase the Americans’ present and future at a time his country is equally hungry to usurp Canada.
How it Turned Out: Parise tied the championship game with 25 seconds left and made the Olympic all-star team. While U.S.A. lost in overtime on Sidney Crosby’s Golden Goal, Parise was their breakout star.
#7. Aleksander Barkov
Team: Finland; Age: 29
Best Match: Pavel Datsyuk (2010 Vancouver Olympics)
The Narrative: Two-way force heavily relied on by country
Finland only had a few dozen NHL players to choose from to build its roster. But having the world’s most complete forward at his pinnacle sure helps boost your odds in a short event. How’s this for symmetry? Like Datsyuk in 2010, Barkov in 2025 is a two-time Selke winner that played in the last two Cup finals (winning once) and the pillar of a European team lacking forward depth.
How it Turned Out: While Datsyuk played 20 minutes with a +1 rating in the 2010 quarter-finals, Russia’s Olympic hopes were squashed by a Canadian freight train that waxed its long-time rivals 7-3.
#6. Cale Makar
Team: Canada; Age: 26
Best Match: Brian Leetch (1996 World Cup)
The Narrative: Smythe and Norris winner taking over country’s blueline
While Drew Doughty slipped onto Team Canada’s roster last week, let’s be honest: this is Makar’s defense. Brian Leetch knows the feeling. While Chris Chelios brought the intensity, Leetch was the young captain of that fateful American team 29 years ago. Like Leetch back then, Makar has dominated a Stanley Cup run and is a perennial Norris candidate. But he’s facing a new challenge: be the #1 defenseman for your country.
How it Turned Out: Leetch co-led all defenders in scoring (7 points) and had two primary assists in the deciding game in what remains U.S.A.’s solo best-on-best belt in 13 tries.
#5. Sidney Crosby
Team: Canada; Age: 37
Best Match: Steve Yzerman (2002 Salt Lake City Olympics)
The Narrative: All-time great battling injury in twilight of career
Yzerman, in what proved to be his last chance to play for Canada, battled through debilitating knee pain in 2002. While Crosby won’t reveal the extent of his injury – and he very much plans to be on the 2026 Olympic team – this narrative oozes nostalgia. Sid declared himself good enough to pursue his fourth straight best-on-best title, but the intergenerational storyline with his childhood idol is worth buying into.
How it Turned Out: Yzerman put up six points in six games — including an assist on Jarome Iginla’s insurance marker in the gold medal game — to land Canada its first Olympic gold in 50 years.
#4. Auston Matthews
Team: U.S.A.; Age: 27
Best Match: Alex Ovechkin (2014 Sochi Olympics)
The Narrative: NHL’s greatest sniper seeking team success on home soil
While the Four Nations Faceoff won’t be confused with Olympic-level prestige, how’s this for chills?
- Ovechkin, 2014: age 28; three-time Rocket winner; former MVP; 411 career goals; in ninth NHL season; NHL team had never been past second round of playoffs; event played in home country
- Matthews, 2025: age 27; three-time Rocket winner; former MVP; 388 career goals; in ninth NHL season; NHL team has never been past second round of playoffs; event played in home country
How it Turned Out: Embarrassment for Ovechkin and Russia. The Great Eight was held pointless in his final four games and Russia was bounced in the quarters by Finland.
#3. Connor Hellebuyck
Team: U.S.A.; Age: 31
Best Match: Ryan Miller (2010 Vancouver Olympics)
The Narrative: Hottest goalie on planet expected to be the difference for U.S.A.
Stop me if you’ve heard this story before. Workhorse American goalie… the star of a small market team… dominating the NHL season… on his way to the Vezina Trophy. Connor, meet Ryan — the 2010 version of you right now. Armed with a franchise goalie peaking at the right time and a huge injection of talent since its last best-on-best flop, the 2025 American entry is buzzing with 2010 vibes and ready to take down Canada.
How it Turned Out: While U.S.A. was dealt an overtime loss, it was an exceptional showing for a young roster restoring its credibility internationally. Miller was tournament MVP and fully lived up to the hype.
#2. Nathan MacKinnon
Team: Canada; Age: 29
Best Match: Patrick Kane (2016 World Cup)
The Narrative: MVP at peak of his powers primed for first international title
MacKinnon is a former #1 pick and Stanley Cup winner riding the high of his first Hart Trophy. He’s among a handful of the consensus best players on Earth, equipped with a skillset that’s the envy of, well, everyone. The ultra-competitive MacKinnon’s drooling for his first best-on-best international title. Sound familiar? While he wore stars and stripes and not a maple leaf, this bio is a dead ringer for Patrick Kane in 2016.
How it Turned Out: Very badly. Kane’s crew was there in body but not in spirit at hockey’s last best-on-best event. U.S.A. was outscored 11-5 in a quick exit, losing to Europe, Canada, and Czechia.
#1. Connor McDavid
Team: Canada; Age: 28
Best Match: Sidney Crosby (2016 World Cup)
The Narrative: Generational talent expected to dominate the event
The NHL’s inability to make best-on-best action happen over the last 9 years is best illustrated through McDavid. Before turning 30, Crosby had lived a full international hockey life: left off the Turin team that bombed (age: 18); scored the biggest goal in a generation in Vancouver (age: 22); captained Olympic gold in Sochi (age: 26); and won MVP at the World Cup (age: 29). Already 28 years old, this is McDavid’s first chance to play for Canada best-on-best. It’s what everyone wants to see — the world’s best player with all-world linemates against all-world opposition with the hockey world watching. Enjoy the show.
How it Turned Out: Perfect, really. Crosby led the event with 10 points. Canada went 6-0 in Toronto, capping a 3-for-3 title run of the Crosby/Toews/Price/Bergeron/Doughty/Weber/Getzlaf/Perry era.
Visit adjustedhockey.com; data from Hockey-Reference, QuantHockey.com
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