The general opinion surrounding the 4 Nations Face-Off has changed drastically over the past two weeks.
Watching Canada and Sweden on opening night reminded fans of what has been absent in their lives since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. The skill, the pace and the passion have brought hockey to another level. It’s fair to say the 4 Nations Face-Off is one of the most influential events in the history of the sport.
Over 10 million people across North America tuned into Saturday night’s matchup between Canada and the United States. Word spreads like wildfire when three fights occur within the opening nine seconds. By the time people had found the channel after seeing those fights online, Connor McDavid was bursting past Charlie McAvoy to give the Canadians the lead. The final result didn’t go in Canada’s favour. However, a US win was probably the best thing to happen for the NHL.
Now, the conversation has flipped and the belief in the US after that win has brought today’s final to the top of everyone’s to-do list.
“I can barely contain my excitement,” said Frank Seravalli on Oilersnation Everyday. “This might be, in the end, the biggest game I’ve ever covered. I’ve covered multiple Game 7s of Stanley Cup Finals, I’ve been to Super Bowls, World Series, or whatever it might be, but this is totally different. It’s not necessarily just for the political vortex that the NHL has found themselves in. It’s really because I believe this could be the watershed moment for this sport in this country (the USA).”“This is an opportunity for the US, which has always been multiple steps behind (Canada),” continued Seravalli. “With respect to the US in 2002, they weren’t ready to take the mantle from Canada. Now, the program has been built up that they have firepower, which is close to being on par with Canada, they’ve got a goalie and the talent to state an authentic claim. Yes, it’s not the Olympics or World Cup of Hockey, but (winning) this would go a long way in terms of doing that and, with this audience, there’s some real power in doing that.”
While the event has sparked conversation within the hockey community it also brought in an influential crowd. Typically known for their commentary on other sports, Bill Simmons was tweeting about the event and now Barstool Sports is hosting a live watch along. Pardon My Take, which is one of the most streamed podcasts in the world, opened up the show this week by talking about the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The impact of the event couldn’t come at a better time for the NHL. The trade deadline is less than two weeks away and the beginning of the Stanley Cup playoffs starts in two months. While an event like this can’t happen every year, it was great to slot this in the year before the 2026 Olympics in Italy.
“There’s no pressure on the NHL,” continued Seravalli. “You’ve these people on the boat. Now how do you keep them? We’ve had other hockey successes like the 2010 Olympics, which was one of the most watched events on both sides of the border. We are talking about that level of attention tonight. I think, at a bare minimum, viewership comes in at 10 million in the US.”“You see JJ Watt’s tweet. You see President (Donald) Trump calling the players. You see all these didn’t people who don’t care about hockey who are now talking about hockey. Everyone’s interested. This has become an event. The ticket prices bear that out, the people waiting for merchandise, and people simply wearing Canada or USA gear. This has transcended from one random tournament into a battle for two really proud countries.”
No matter what happens tonight, the NHL has done a great job. The marketing was questionable heading into the event but once the puck dropped no doubt was left about if the tournament would be competitive. It’s been exciting and it’ll be disappointing when it’s concluded.
Hopefully, the event can also influence great games in the NHL as we head down the stretch and into the postseason.
