Need to spice up your hockey season a bit?

Have we got an event for you.

The inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off, an all-star tournament consisting solely of NHL players, begins Wednesday in Montreal with teams from Canada, Sweden, the United States and Finland. They'll compete in a three-game round robin at the Bell Centre and later at TD Garden in Boston before a one-game championship on February 20.

Each roster has 13 forwards, seven defensemen and three goalies and it's the first NHL-centric best-on-best event since the World Cup of Hockey in 2016.

Not surprisingly, the B/R hockey staff is revved up at the prospect of such a novel, star-studded event and we scoured the rosters to come up with a ranking of the top 25 players who'll be participating, regardless of country or position. Take a look at what we came up with and drop a thought or two of your own in the app comments.

25. Linus Ullmark, Ottawa Senators (Sweden)

It took a while for Ullmark, chosen in the sixth round by Buffalo in the 2012 draft, to establish himself among the best in the league at his position. But he's done it, and more.

The 6'4", 215-pound Swede didn't play as many as half his team's games until the 2021-22 season, by which time he had signed with Boston as a free agent. Ullmark was 26-10-2 with a 2.45 goals-against average in that first season with the Bruins, and he climbed into the penthouse the following year with 40 wins and a 1.89 goals-against in 49 games.

That performance earned him both the Vezina Trophy and a first-team All-Star selection.

He made 40 starts with Boston last season before a summertime trade to Ottawa for two players and a draft pick. Injuries have limited him to just 25 appearances in this season's first four months, but he's already posted a career-high three shutouts.

Internationally, he's suited up for Sweden at two world championship tournaments, earning a bronze medal in 2014 before a sixth-place finish in 2022.

24. Patrik Laine, Montreal Canadiens (Finland)

Somehow still just 26 years old, the second overall pick behind Auston Matthews in 2016 scored 110 goals in his first three NHL seasons with Winnipeg from 2016 through 2019 but stagnated after a trade to Columbus early in 2021.

Laine requested a trade from the Blue Jackets last summer and was dealt to Montreal, where he has scored 12 goals in 27 games since recovering from a preseason knee sprain. When healthy, his production comes as a result of a hard shot, good speed and a varied skill set that's augmented by a powerful 6'4", 206-pound frame.

He has 23 goals in 30 games for Finnish national teams at five events from 2014 to 2016.

23. Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings (Sweden)

Picked fourth overall as an 18-year-old in 2020, Raymond has been a consistent producer and an NHL regular since debuting the following year at age 19.

He made the league's All-Rookie team in 2022 after a 57-point first season and upped his totals to 31 goals and 72 points across 82 games in 2023-24. He's ratcheted up to point-per-game status so far in 2024-25, with 21 goals and 59 points through 55 games.

Though not terribly big at 5'11" and 188 pounds, he has an above-average sense for the game alongside good hands and speed. He gets time on Detroit's power play and penalty-killing units and is a 200-foot player with fore-checking and two-way ability.

Raymond is a veteran of seven international events with Sweden and was a gold medalist at the Under-18 championships in 2019.

22. Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets (united States)

A 28-year-old Michigan native who's developed into one of the league's most consistent snipers, Connor has scored 30 or more goals in every NHL season in which he's played 65 or more games.

He became a point-per-game player with 38 goals and 73 points in 71 games in 2019-20 and posted career-bests with 47 goals and 93 points in 79 games in 2021-22.

He's on track to do it again with the league-leading Jets this season after producing 30 goals and 69 points through 56 pre-tournament games, and his 271 goals since the start of the 2017-18 season are eighth in the NHL.

Connor thrives thanks to high-end skating speed and a quick, accurate shot and has represented the U.S. in three international events, producing 10 points in 17 games.

21. Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators (United States)

The fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft has quietly become one of the league's most consistent performers and has scored 20 or more goals six times, including a career-high 37 last season and 35 on the way to an 83-point season in 2022-23.

So, he's certainly a gifted scorer and playmaker, but the younger brother of Florida's Matthew Tkachuk is also a physical presence and a leader in the Senators' locker room.

He played for the U.S. at the Under-17 and Under-18 world championships in 2015 and 2017, the world junior championship in 2018, and the IIHF world championship in 2024.

20. Jesper Bratt, New Jersey Devils (Sweden)

It took a few seasons for Bratt, a 5'10", 175-pound Swedish winger, to find his game on the NHL level but he's developed into an all-around player for the Devils, who plucked him in the sixth round (162nd overall) in the 2016 draft.

The 26-year-old is strong on the puck and has quick, creative hands, which have enabled him to generate 293 points in his last 297 games across parts of four seasons, after he'd posted 130 points in 231 games across his first four.

Bratt has medaled three times in four international competitions with Sweden, including silvers at both the Hlinka Cup in 2015 and the world juniors in 2016.

19. Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes (Finland)

Just the second of our first six players who were not drafted in the first round, Aho, a second-round choice by the Hurricanes in 2015, was a 24-goal scorer as a rookie in 2016-17 and has subsequently reached or surpassed 30 goals in five full seasons.

He's on pace to hit 30 again in 2024-25 and has also produced 21 special teams points—17 on the power play, four while shorthanded—while logging a career-high average ice time of 20:11 through 55 games.

The 27-year-old is a favorite of Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour thanks to his work ethic and commitment to a complete game with skill at both ends of the rink.

He's represented Finland in 10 international tournaments since 2013 and was a gold medalist at the world juniors in 2016 after producing five goals and 14 points in seven games.

18. Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets (United States)

Perhaps the most emergent player in the league this season, the 27-year-old Werenski has gone from receiving zero votes in Norris Trophy balloting in 2023-24 to becoming one of the dark horse favorites for the award in 2024-25.

An imposing presence at 6'2", 211 pounds, the eighth overall pick in the 2015 draft is a smooth skater with an elite understanding of the game and an ability to move the puck out of the defensive zone, particularly in pressure situations.

The 59 points he's produced through 55 games this season are already a career high and he's on pace to become a rare point-per-game blue-liner with 25 goals and 88 points.

He's a two-time medalist with the U.S. in international competition, including a gold at the Under-17 championships in 2014 and a bronze at the world juniors in 2016.

17. Adam Fox, New York Rangers (United States)

To suggest Adam Fox has already outplayed his third-round, 66th overall draft position from 2016 is an all-star-level understatement.

The childhood fan of the New York Rangers was drafted by Calgary and traded to Carolina before making his way to the Rangers' organization via another trade in 2019.

He debuted with the team later that year and was among the elites a season later, becoming the first defenseman since Bobby Orr to win the Norris Trophy in his second NHL season.

Fox was a first-team NHL All-Star in 2021 and 2023, played in the All-Star Game in 2023, and was a second-team All-Star in 2024. He's hardly a giant at 5'11" and 180 pounds but thinks the game at a particularly high level and is able to trigger transitions with smart stick work.

He has earned four medals with the U.S. internationally, including a gold at the 2017 world juniors.

16. Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers (United States)

The second of the two Tkachuk brothers who'll represent the U.S., Matthew Tkachuk is also a son of longtime NHL stalwart Keith Tkachuk, who played 18 seasons from 1992 to 2010.

Matthew began his run as the sixth overall pick by the Calgary Flames in 2016 and he helped the Flames to a Pacific Division title in 2021-22 with a career-high 42 goals and 104 points.

He was dealt to the Florida Panthers the following summer and has continued to thrive in south Florida, producing 109 points in his initial season there and helping the franchise to its first Stanley Cup with 22 points in 24 postseason games.

The scoring is augmented by a healthy mean streak and high-end work ethic, which make him among the league's most difficult players to play against.

Tkachuk is a three-time medalist in international competition, including golds at the Under-17 championships in 2014 and the Under-18 event in 2015.

15. Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning (Sweden)

The most-tenured NHL'er so far, Hedman has been among the league's best at his position since debuting in the 2009-10 season and has won every award a defenseman can win.

He won the Norris Trophy as the league's top blue-liner in 2017-18, was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner during Tampa Bay's first championship run in 2019-20 and hoisted the chalice once again the following season.

A towering figure at 6'7" and 245 pounds, the now-34-year-old has played in three All-Star Games and has made the league's first or second All-Star team six times. His puck skills are elite and he skates well in traffic, and a heavy slap shot that's enabled him to reach double digits in goals nine times–including a career-best 20 in 2021-22.

Hedman has won medals seven times in nine international tournaments with Sweden, including a gold at the 2017 world championships.

14. William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs (Sweden)

Like Swedish teammate Bratt before him, Toronto's Nylander is a player who's gotten better as his NHL tenure has lengthened.

The eighth pick in the 2014 draft had 55 goals in 239 games across his first four seasons with the Maple Leafs before exploding for 31 in 68 games in 2019-20. In fact, his 195 goals in 419 games since the start of the 2019-20 season are 14th overall in the league.

He's among the most agile players in the sport and is able to maneuver his 6-foot, 202-pound frame with elite skating and shiftiness, which complement his puck control and strong shot.

Nylander's international highlight with Sweden came at the 2017 world championships, which he led in scoring with 14 points and was named most valuable player.

13. Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres (Sweden)

The first of a handful of No. 1 overall picks on our list, Dahlin's skating, puck-handling, vision, hockey intelligence and shot have made him an impact player since his inaugural season with Buffalo in 2018-19, after which he was named to the league's All-Rookie team.

His 46 goals and 187 assists through his initial five seasons with the Sabres made him one of 12 defensemen to reach 200 NHL points prior to turning 23 years old.

Dahlin has played in three NHL All-Star Games and has been a top-15 vote-getter for the Norris Trophy in each of the last two seasons. He's represented Sweden at six international events and emerged with a silver at the world juniors in 2018 and a bronze at the 2024 worlds.

12. Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils (United States)

The second of three straight first-overall picks, the Florida-born Hughes is a speedy, shifty center who's particularly elusive and effective in the transition game.

Still, he was also underwhelming in his first two NHL seasons in New Jersey before breaking through with 56 points in 49 games in year three. A career-high 43-goal, 99-point season followed in 2022-23, and his 1.2-point-per-game average (294 points in 246 games) since the start of 2021-22 is 12th-best in the league.

He is a two-time participant in the NHL's All-Star Game and was particularly prolific with U.S. teams in international junior competition, including a gold, two silvers and a bronze across three tournaments during which he scored 51 points in 24 games.

11. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins (Canada)

Oh, so you want to talk No. 1 picks, eh?

Few players have entered the league with more of a spotlight than Crosby and nearly no one has delivered as well in its glare, filling a trophy case with two MVPs, two scoring titles and two Conn Smythes alongside three Stanley Cup rings since 2005.

He's still a point-per-game player (58 points in 55 games) as a 37-year-old so far in 2024-25 and possesses a hockey IQ on a level that few in the game's history have reached.

Crosby's international career has been stellar as well, including one of the most memorable goals in Olympic history, his overtime game-winner to beat the United States in the 2010 gold-medal game in Vancouver. In fact, Sportsnet's Emily Sadler labeled it in 2017 as Canada's most iconic sports moment.

"There are many other Canadian triumphs that have united us, whether it's on the ice, the baseball field, the track or the soccer field," Sadler wrote. "But as for the most iconic moment, it has to be hockey—and it has to be Sid."

10. Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers (Canada)

Sometimes, a change of scenery is all that's needed.

Sam Reinhart was drafted second overall by Buffalo in 2014 and was a quality player for the Sabres through his first six full-time seasons, but he blossomed to the elite level when he was traded to Florida for a player and a draft pick in the summer of 2021.

Four seasons with the Panthers have yielded 152 total goals (eighth-best in the league) and a career-best 57 in a 2023-24 season that also ended with a personal high of 94 points.

And it got even better at the end of the 2024 playoffs when Reinhart's second-period goal proved to be the game- and series-winner to clinch the franchise's first Stanley Cup.

Six of his eight international competitions with Canada have ended in medals, including golds at the Hlinka Cup in 2012, the Under-18 championships in 2013, the world juniors in 2015 and the world championships in 2016.

9. Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs (Canada)

One of the league's lightning-rod players, Marner has also been one of its most prolific since he was chosen fourth overall by the Maple Leafs in 2015.

As sublimely skilled as they come, the 6-foot, 180-pound winger is another with a particularly high hockey IQ and a variety of moves that complement his play-making ability.

He went from 61 to 69 to 94 points across his first three seasons and has never failed to reach point-per-game production since, including high watermarks of 35 goals in 2021-22 and 99 points in 2022-23.

His 71 points through 54 games this season would yield 108 points across 82 games.

Marner was a gold medalist with Canada in the Hlinka Cup in 2014 and picked up a silver at the 2017 world championships after producing 12 points in 10 games.

8. Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights (United States)

Like former Buffalo teammate Reinhart, Eichel was a productive player with the Sabres after they made him the No. 2 overall pick behind Connor McDavid in 2015.

He spent five full seasons in Western New York and topped out at 82 points in 2018-19 and 36 goals in 2019-20, but fell out of favor with the franchise after a neck injury and was dealt to Vegas for two players and two picks in November 2021.

He's not surpassed the statistical career highs from Buffalo but he did achieve the ultimate team success following the 2022-23 season when he hoisted the Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights after producing 26 points in 22 playoff games.

Eichel has earned four international medals with the U.S., including a gold at the Under-18 championships in 2014.

7. Mikko Rantanen, Carolina Hurricanes (Finland)

No player on the list has gotten more attention lately than Finnish winger Rantanen, who'd produced two straight 100-point seasons with Colorado but was dealt from the Avalanche to Carolina in a rare in-season blockbuster on January 24.

The 6'4", 215-pounder has blended smooth skating, good hands and elite hockey sense to become one of the league's most productive players, and his 301 points across three seasons from 2021-22 through 2023-24 were tied for sixth in the league.

The 28-year-old's international highlight came at the world juniors in 2016, when he scored in the final against Russia to help the Finns win the gold medal.

6. Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers (Finland)

One of the league's most underappreciated players since he arrived after the Panthers picked him second overall in 2013, Barkov has won a pair of Selke trophies and a Lady Byng, too, while perfecting a lethal 200-foot game.

He does all the little things well, including winning better than 50 percent of his face-offs in each of the last seven seasons and a career-best, so far, 59.4 percent this season.

He's been a 30-goal man twice and exceeded 20 on seven other occasions while becoming the leading scorer in Florida history, but he reached a high watermark in the 2024 postseason with 22 points in 24 games on the way to the franchise's first Stanley Cup.

Barkov was a silver medalist with Finland at the 2016 world championships and also participated in the World Cup of Hockey that year.

5. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (United States)

Though it's Alex Ovechkin who's making the modern-day chase for the NHL's all-time goal-scoring record, don't be surprised if it's Matthews who chases the "Great 8's" mark a few years down the line.

Now 27, the California-born center was drafted first overall in 2016 and was voted the league's top rookie after scoring 40 goals in his initial NHL season. He's finished in the 40s in three other seasons and has gotten to 60 or more twice, including a career-best 69 goals and 107 points in an MVP season in 2021-22.

His 388 goals since the start of the 2016-17 season are the best in the league by 22 over Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl and 34 over Ovechkin, though he's played 23 fewer games.

Matthews will be the captain of the U.S. team at the 4 Nations event and has won gold at three international events, most recently the Under-18 championships in 2015.

4. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets (United States)

One of the biggest draft prizes in recent NHL history, Hellebuyck was chosen with the ninth pick in the fifth round (130th overall) in 2012 and was already among the league's best by his third season when he won 44 games and posted a 2.36 goals-against average.

That production yielded an All-Star Game appearance and a slot on the league's second All-Star team, which he surpassed two seasons later with a Vezina Trophy after he won 31 games with a .922 save percentage and six shutouts.

Another Vezina followed after last season and he'll be on a short list for a third in 2024-25 presuming he maintains a pace that's got him a 34-7-2 in his first 43 starts.

Hellebuyck was 7-1 in eight games with a 1.37 goals-against average while playing for the U.S. and earning bronze at the 2015 world championships.

3. Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche (Canada)

Makar was the fourth pick of the 2017 draft and made his initial strides toward elite status in Colorado when he joined the team in the 2019 playoffs and netted a goal that made him just the seventh player to score a playoff goal in his NHL debut.

He followed up with a Calder Trophy upon making the full-time roster the following season, then upped the ante in his third year with a Norris Trophy, a Stanley Cup and a Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Avalanche's tournament run.

The 6-foot, 187-pounder reads plays and reacts quickly, understands the game exceedingly well and has become an offensive weapon thanks to his stick-handling prowess and ability to protect the puck.

His international highlight came at the world juniors in 2018, where he won gold with Canada after producing eight points in the tournament's seven games.

2. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche (Canada)

The penultimate player and No. 1 overall pick on our list, MacKinnon was selected by Colorado in 2013 but didn't hit his top NHL gear until his fifth season in 2017-18.

He spiked from 53 points to 97 that year and has been firmly among the league's elites since, including a career-high 140 points in 2023-24 that yielded his first career MVP award.

MacKinnon's 780 points over the last seven-plus seasons are third overall in the league and he had 24 points in 20 games on the run that produced a Stanley Cup in 2022.

His 6-foot, 200-pound frame and elite-level skating speed make him a particularly effective weapon on the forward line and his conditioning level separates him from a lot of rivals.

Internationally, MacKinnon's last two appearances for Canada have resulted in medals, including a gold at the world championships in 2015 and a silver at the same event two years later.

1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (Canada)

Already the league's best active player, McDavid, who turned 28 last month, is rapidly climbing lists of the sport's all-time greats.

He's won five scoring titles and three MVPs in 10 NHL seasons and added more hardware last spring when he earned a Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in spite of Edmonton's seven-game loss to Florida in the Stanley Cup Final.

His speed and stick-handling are otherworldly in nature and allow him to make intricate plays with a higher degree of difficulty than most observers have ever seen. His 1,053 points since his NHL debut are 129 more than the next-highest scorer, in 43 fewer games.

Internationally, McDavid has helped Canada to gold medals at the Under-18 championships in 2013, the world juniors in 2016, and the world championships in 2016.