There have been 14 full international tournaments where it was possible for all NHL players to participate since the 1976 Canada Cup, dubbed as the first real World Championship.
In the 1972 Summit Series, the Canadian team was made up of NHL hockey players.
Two years later, Canadian WHA players competed in the 1974 Summit Series and were defeated by the Soviets.
The 2009 edition of the tournament featured the ZSC Lions, the 2008–09 Champions Hockey League winners, and the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL.
In 2025, the NHL will host the 4 Nations Face-Off: a total of seven games played from February 12–20.
The tournament will be held in Montreal at Bell Centre, and in Boston at TD Garden.
The countries participating in the tournament are Canada, Finland, Sweden and United States.