2 reasons 4 Nations Face-Off was rousing success for NHL

Hockey fans were treated to one of the greatest games in recent memory on Thursday night. Team Canada star Connor McDavid scored the Golden Goal of the 4 Nations Face-Off Final to defeat Team USA in the winner-take-all contest. His goal capped off what ended up being a massive success for the NHL. Canada, the US, Team Finland, and Team Sweden all put on a show.

It was a bit surprising to see, in a way. Hockey fans certainly looked forward to a shake-up in the NHL schedule. Fans and media pundits had panned the NHL All-Star Game for years. There seemed to be a bit of fatigue setting in for an uncompetitive event that made for less-than-ideal TV viewing.

Some expected a similar uncompetitive environment for the 4 Nations. While the players were representing their country, they also had an entire second half of the regular season to think about. Putting it all on the line for a streamlined international was not something many expected.

However, this expectation was quickly shattered. The 4 Nations provided some of the best in-season hockey fans had seen in years. From the moment the puck dropped for Team Canada and Team Sweden on February 12, fans knew this was different.

The 4 Nations broke viewership records a few times over the course of the last week. There are a few reasons for this success. However, there are two specific reasons why the NHL hit a home run here. And they are reasons that, in hindsight, fans should have noticed from the beginning.

4 Nations raised the on-ice competitive level

As mentioned, the on-ice competitiveness was on a different level than anything we’ve seen in recent years. The 4 Nations brought together the best players from each respective nation for a week-long showcase. And it brought out sides of them we rarely see as consistent viewers of the sport.

One player this particularly rings true for is Team USA captain Auston Matthews. Matthews is known for his game-changing offensive ability. In fact, no player has flirted more with the 70-goal mark in a single season than the Toronto Maple Leafs star in recent memory.

However, his offense was not on display in this tournament. The Team USA captain did record two points in the 4 Nations Final against Team Canada. However, he failed to score a single goal all tournament long.

In saying this, he remained possibly the Americans’ best player. And he did this through a level of defensive dominance most fans don’t see when watching him with the Maple Leafs. Matthews made just one mistake defensively during this entire tournament. Granted, that mistake led to Canada’s win in the Final. However, he was a massive reason the Americans went that far to begin with.

There were other players who had a similar story. They showcased a different set of skills in this tournament than we are accustomed to seeing from them in the NHL. With the league’s return to international best-on-best play set to continue for years, this likely won’t be the last time we see campaigns like this moving forward.

4 Nations meant more than NHL All-Star Game ever would

There is a sort of taboo around politics in general, but especially in sports. Politics is one of the three things you’re not supposed to talk about at the dinner table — alongside money and religion. However, for an event like the 4 Nations, this is hard to ignore.

This event was covered in political undertones. United States President Donald Trump ramped up rhetoric around making Canada his country’s 51st state in the lead-up to the 4 Nations, for instance. And at the beginning of February, Trump threatened to place significant tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

This is not an attempt to make a political statement. What this is, however, is important context for this event. Team Canada and Team USA were representing two countries that were facing significantly rising tensions. And this political climate almost inherently finds its way into the sporting world during international events. Both countries had a stake in this that went beyond the game on the ice.

Even if politics is not your thing, there’s an apolitical aspect to all of this. NHL players have not been able to compete at the Olympics since 2014. The last international best-on-best tournament run by the league was the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. That event featured two made-up teams — Team North America and Team Europe.

Under the rules of that event, Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber would have played for Team North America. The 22-year-old would have missed the age cut-off to make Team USA by two years. The 4 Nations allowed players like Faber to represent his country no matter his age.

All of this raises the stakes for the players involved. There is more on the line because it simply means more. Even for Team Sweden and Team Finland, who didn’t necessarily have the political aspect attached to them. There was a lot on the line for all involved, and it’s something the NHL All-Star Game can never replicate, no matter what changes to its format are made.

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