The NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament begins tonight, with Canada taking on Sweden at Montréal’s Bell Centre.
What happened: Over the next nine days, NHLers from Canada, the U.S., Sweden, and Finland will fight for hockey supremacy with matches held in Montréal and Boston. It marks the NHL’s return to international hockey competitions after a nearly decade-long absence.
- The last such tournament, the World Cup of Hockey, was in September 2016. Even further away is Sochi 2014, the last time NHLers went to the Olympics.
- Unlike the Olympics, the league and players’ union will see direct money from this tourney, which is expected to create up to five times more revenue than All-Star Weekend.
Why it matters: After the NHL notched record revenue last season, the tourney is meant to launch a new era of involvement in international hockey as the league plots a global expansion. It also serves as a prelude to the NHL’s Olympic return, which players and fans have craved.
- Stopping the regular season with the risk of losing star players to injury, a top factor that initially led the league to back out of global play, remains a concern.
Bottom line: If the tourney is a hit, it should lead to the return of regular international competitions. If it flops, Milan 2026 could be the last time we see best-on-best international hockey for some time.—QH