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What Happens If USA vs. Canada Goes to Overtime? 4 Nations Face-Off Rules

A quick look at the rules for the NHL's new tournament.
Michael Kadlick|
USA vs. Canada is coming down to the wire.
USA vs. Canada is coming down to the wire. | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

It's coming down to the wire in Thursday night's 4 Nations Face-Off final between Team USA and Canada, as the game is tied 2–2 following three periods of play.

So what happens now with the championship heading to overtime? Here's a look at the rules.

4 Nations Face-Off Overtime Rules

The 4 Nations Face-Off started with a round-robin tournament between the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Finland. If any of those first-round games were tied following regulation, the contest went to a three-on-three, sudden-death 10-minute period—followed by a three-round shootout if a goal was not scored.

The rules for the final, however, are different. If the championship match between Team USA and Canada is tied after 60 minutes, the contest heads to full-strength, sudden-death hockey through successive 20-minute periods until one team scores.

Both Team USA and Team Canada have tallied two goals through two periods—with Nathan MacKinnon and Sam Bennett scoring for the team up north, and Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson finding the back of the net for the red, white, and blue.

May the best team win.

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Mike Kadlick
MICHAEL KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is an NFL writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.

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