The 4 Nations Face-Off has been a huge success for the NHL, with Saturday’s showdown between the U.S. and Canada drawing massive ratings.
And NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman knows that the recipe for success has been a mix of both national pride and a love for hockey.
Players and fans stand for the U.S. national anthem before 4 Nations Face-Off game between Canada and the United States in Montreal on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
During an appearance on FOX Sports’ « Breakfast Ball » on Wednesday morning, Bettman praised the success of the tournament, which has brought the league’s biggest stars back to center stage with an early look at what’s to come during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
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« The amount of excitement and attention that 4 Nations has gotten has been phenomenal, » he said. « And I think lots and lots of people – not just hockey fans – are looking forward to seeing the rematch between Canada and the U.S. tomorrow night. »
Team USA and Canada will have a rematch of Saturday’s round-robin game that saw the Americans put on a 3-1 victory with a backdrop of heightened political tensions between the two nations. Those rifts were highlighted when Canadian fans booed during the national anthem before two of America’s games.
In reaction to the crowd’s boos and the passion of the players on the ice, which resulted in several brawls, Bettman said Wednesday he didn’t expect otherwise.
United States’ Dylan Larkin celebrates his goal over Canada with teammate Matt Boldy during 4 Nations Face-Off action in Montreal on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
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« Our players were playing to play. Hockey players are like that – even if they’re playing shinny on a pond, they love playing the game, they love going all out. And again, this ability to now again represent their countries – and remember, the team’s are incredibly stocked with the world’s best hockey players from most countries. »
The 4 Nations Face-Off tournament is the precursor to two of hockey’s most anticipated events – the return of hockey in the Olympics and the World Cup of Hockey.
« The fact of the matter is, we haven’t had best-on-best for about 10 years and there are a lot of reasons for that, » Bettman said. « A lot of people were critical saying ‘This is ridiculous, no one’s gonna watch it, players aren’t going to be intense about it.’ There’s no doubt about how our players love to play the game and represent their countries. »
Commissioner Gary Bettman during a press conference prior to the Stanley Cup Final game between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, on June 8, 2024. (Sam Navarro-USA Today Sports)
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According to the league, Saturday’s game between the U.S. and Canada drew in over 10.1 million viewers across North America – topping any non-Stanley Cup Final Game in over a decade.
The two teams will meet again in the championship game on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.
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