The NHL is officially going on pause for the next two weeks to host the 4 Nations Face-Off, an international tournament between the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Finland featuring NHL players. It is taking the place of the All-Star Game, which has gone stale in the opinion of many, with multiple players in the last few years opting to skip it. Related: Bruins Organization Would Benefit From a Reported Chara Return The 4 Nations Face-Off is an attempt to satiate the NHL players who haven’t had much of a chance to compete internationally. The NHL stopped pausing and allowing players to compete in the Olympics after the 2014 games in Sochi. Of course, some NHL players have had the chance to compete in the World Championships, which are held in May every year. But due to the timing, many players aren’t able to participate because of the Stanley Cup Playoffs or are just exhausted after a full 82-game season, and aren’t able to immediately jump from that to playing internationally. The start of the 2025 calendar year to now has been a real mixed bag for the Boston Bruins. Since Jan. 1, they have a record of 7-9-2 and currently are sixth in the Atlantic Division, on the outside looking in of a playoff spot. While they could still make it into the playoffs, the roster continues to look less and less likely to make a deep run. But the Bruins haven’t been without bright spots in the last few weeks, and the biggest one is David Pastrnak. The NHL even gifted him First Star of the Month honors for January. Pastrnak has been playing out of this world as of late, so it’s a shame, for him, the fans, and especially the NHL, that he won’t be participating in the 4 Nations Face-Off due to the limited number of teams selected to participate in the tournament. Pastrnak’s Bounce Back Things were not looking so hot for Pastrnak at the start of the season. Of course, he was not the only one, as outside of the fourth liners (Cole Koepke, Johnny Beecher, and Mark Kastelic), everyone was vastly underperforming. But it was one of the worst starts to Pastrnak’s career. In the first 20 games of the season, he only had eight goals and 17 points. He even had a seven-game stretch without a single goal. Now, in comparison, Pastrnak led the NHL in scoring in the month of January with 11 goals and 24 points in 14 games. He had points in 12 of those games and four three-point games. He’s currently sitting at 28 goals and 68 points in 57 games this season and is on pace to finish with right around 100 points. Pastrnak has played himself back into the Hart Trophy conversation, something that seemed impossible back in November with the state of the team and his own play on the ice. But he has, and if the Bruins do make it into the playoffs, it will be in large part due to him. That is something the voters will really have to consider. After being nowhere near the top 10 in points and goals in the NHL earlier in the season, he’s currently in seventh for both. Pastrnak Won’t Participate in 4 Nations Face-Off While I’m sure Pastrnak will enjoy the break to rest and spend time with his family, it is disappointing that he has to take a pause in the middle of such a fantastic stretch of games due to the 4 Nations Face-Off not including Czechia. While it’s understandable why the NHL would want to do a tournament with limited teams (so it doesn’t extend too long and cause too much of a disruption to the season), the tournament has always struck me as a bit of an odd choice since its announcement. For one thing, only having four teams is very limiting, especially if the goal is to replace the All-Star Game and provide a showcase of the best of the NHL. Now again, the All-Star Game has always been far from perfect and there have been a number of players snubbed over the years. But the very structure of the 4 Nations Face-Off excludes top talent. Three out of the NHL’s top ten point scorers at the moment will not be included in the tournament – Leon Draisaitl (Germany), Nikita Kucherov (Russia), and Pastrnak (Czechia). While the four teams chosen are all obviously very talented and there will certainly be some great hockey played, one of the most exciting parts of international tournaments is seeing the underdog pull off the surprise win. There is no underdog in the 4 Nations Face-Off, just four hockey powerhouses. It’s also an interesting decision to do this tournament this season when at the moment, the NHL is planning to allow players to participate in the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortino, which starts a year from now. Most of the same 4 Nations Face-Off guys will be playing in next year’s Olympics, along with guys like Pastrnak. Two Weeks with No Pasta The debate about the 4 Nations Face-Off format and timing aside, the reality is that the NHL is about to host an international tournament without the guy who just led the NHL in scoring for the month of January and received First Star of the Month honors. Pastrnak has been one of the most exciting players to watch in recent weeks, so it’s disappointing to not see if his hot streak would transfer into an international tournament. Related: Bruins Should Move Matthew Poitras to Top Line The last time the NHL sanctioned an international tournament, the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, they had eight participating teams, including a Team Europe and a Team North America composed of American and Canadian players 23 and under. Personally, I think the NHL should have included both of those teams, having a six-team tournament, and then guys like Pastrnak, Kucherov, and Draisaitl, could have all suited up for a Team Europe. Then, the NHL wouldn’t be missing a chance to market some of their top players on a larger, international scale. In a television landscape that is making it increasingly hard to watch teams out of the market, these tournaments are an opportunity for fans to watch players that they normally don’t have as much access to. But, that is not what the NHL decided to do. Hopefully, Pastrnak and the rest of the Bruins not participating get a nice break, and return at the end of February ready to make a push back into a playoff spot.