This year, the NHL canceled its All-Star Game and brought back best-on-best international hockey for the first time since 2016. Since then, a mixture of the pandemic and disagreements between the NHL and the Olympics has blocked the best hockey players in the world from representing their country. But this year, finally, the NHL gave the people back what they wanted. The first-ever 4 Nations Face-Off between the United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden. The first games were played in Montreal, Canada and the second half in Boston.
And it was awesome.
Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and Nathan Mackinnon all playing on the same line for Team Canada was a hockey fan’s dream. Both Matthew Tkachuk and his brother Brady Tkachuk playing together for Team USA was insanity as well. As a hockey fan, I could see how cool this was going to be from a mile away. A whole generation of stars who had never represented their home country before, finally getting the chance to do so. A Team USA as stacked as ever and truly capable of challenging Canada.
But I would be lying if I said I predicted what would happen in the first USA-Canada game. Off the opening faceoff, reigning Stanley Cup champion Matthew Tkachuk dropped the gloves with Brandon Hagel and had a full-on old-school hockey tilt. Then, just a couple seconds after the play resumed, another fight broke out. And then a few more seconds after this one, another. It was the kind of moment that would go viral online and make non-hockey fans realize, “Woah, this is a must-watch.”
While the NBA was busy twiddling its thumbs with one of the worst All-Star weekends ever, the NHL was growing its game and had one of its biggest success stories in recent years. Although the United States won the opening matchup — the cool one with all the fights — Team Canada ended up winning the final championship game off of a Connor McDavid walk-off overtime goal. The best player in the world scoring a goal to cap off the start of this amazing tournament — how poetic.
My recommendation? Watch the Stanley Cup playoffs this April and June. That same energy from the 4 Nations Face-Off is there — from round one until the end. Hopefully, the success of this tournament will turn more people on to how awesome the National Hockey League is. In an era where the NFL has been defined by ultra-soft roughing-the-passer calls and the NBA has become centered around foul-baiting scorers like Trae Young and James Harden, the NHL is still a hard-hitting game that actually allows its players to fight. It’s “can’t-miss” television. Get in before it becomes too mainstream.
The NHL players will return to the Olympics next February in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
