A new tournament is pitting some of the biggest stars in the NHL against each other. Here’s everything you need to know about the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The Washington Capitals are the top team in the NHL more than halfway through the season. Yet they’re also one of just two teams not represented at the 4 Nations Face-Off international tournament that begins next week.

One player: "I think it's sick. Best-on-best. That's what everybody wants." Another point of view? “I’d rather (have) a two-week break."

It was a close, hard-fought game between the United States and Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal...for two periods. In a tournament featuring the best of the best, you would expect the closeness of the contest to carry over into the final stanza.

Instead of an All-Star Game, the NHL and the NHLPA are holding the 4 Nations Face-Off, which runs from February 1