The NHL will take a 12-day break after Sunday, to allow for the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal and Boston. There has been plenty of hype and debate discussing the value of this short tournament, and there are plenty of ways to analyze what and why the tournament is happening.
First of all, remember what it is replacing. For the past 20 years, the NHL has tried to create some level of relevancy for the NHL all-star game. In my time at the NHL, we tried constantly to prod the players to be more invested in the game and the skills competition, to no avail.
Solid TV ratings and corporate sponsorship allowed the league to justify the event. But like most all-star events in any sport, it fell short. It is realistic to think that the 92 players involved in 4 Nations will bring a much higher level of competition to this tourney, with the hope it rivals the world junior hockey championship.
Also keep in mind, 12 months from now the Olympic Winter Games in Italy will be just days away. That will include the return of the NHL players to the Olympics for the first time since 2014. The tournament, even if the Russians aren’t allowed to compete, will create massive interest around the globe. The aura of the Olympics makes games between every country that much more entertaining.
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Engaging so many more hockey countries in 2026 will truly reflect the growth of the game worldwide. Competitive, patriotic, intense. That’s what the Olympics will be.
There is little doubt that the 4 Nations Face-Off is a placeholder for the Olympics and the regularly scheduled World Cup of Hockey. And you have to hope, for the Finns, Swedes, Americans and Canadians, we will see a glimpse of that starting next Wednesday in Montreal.
It’s not going to be perfect, but it will be a heck of a lot better than watching players skate through pylons. In the simplest of terms, the 4 Nations Face-Off will create interest for fans, if and only if the players are invested.
And history tells us, once they play for a flag, everything changes.