BOSTON – So this is what can be accomplished when the NHL and the NHLPA are on the same page and working together. A true partnership between the league and its players creating hockey moments we’ll remember forever while growing the game in a global manner.
The 4Nations Face-Off was called a made up tournament with a made up trophy. Maybe. But when posted up against the NBA’s all-star game and weekend it was easy choice for sports fans. Real hockey is better than fake basketball. The next question consumers will start to ask as a result of the attention hockey attracted over the last two weeks is whether hockey is worth a deeper look.
The NHL, in no small part due to its partnership with the NHLPA on international best-on-best hockey, has created momentum for itself. Next winter there will be best-on-best hockey at the Olympics. And in the winter of 2028 the World Cup of Hockey will return with games potentially being played in both Europe and North America. It’s hard to remember when hockey had more steam. Major markets lobbying the league for expansion, new media deals on the horizon which are expected to grow revenue and distribution and effective leadership at both the league and union level.
The picture of NHLPA leader Marty Walsh and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman sitting side-by-side and smiling their way through a media conference in Montreal early in the tournament spoke volumes to longtime observers of the game.
Bettman has always said strong leadership at both the league and union was key to growth. Insiders say Walsh and Bettman share a vision and their relationship is excellent. They bargain and look for what’s best for everyone on a consistent basis.
Press box reflections: Team Canada may have won the tournament by virtue of Thursday’s 3-2 OT championship game victory but Team USA is every bit its equal. The final could easily have gone the other way.
We went nine years between best-on-best tournaments but those interminable lags are over. The NHL and NHLPA have committed to a schedule which will provide a best-on-best event every second years. Olympics then World Cup.
“This was one of the best experiences of my life, getting to play with all these guys. The Olympics would probably be another level, but I'm going to celebrate this one. I enjoyed it and what this event was. It was some of the most fun hockey games I've ever been a part of,” said Vegas captain and Team Canada forward Mark Stone. “It just shows how competitive this sport is becoming. It's becoming globally recognized. So, you look at how good these four teams were that were assembled, and it's a lot of hard work still ahead to show that you deserve to be on the team in 2026.”
Canada has won 10 of the 14 best-on-best tournaments since NHL players began participating. The U.S. won the World Cup in 1996 while Sweden and Czechia have won gold at the Olympics.
Canada has won six of the last seven best-on-best events and the last four in a row. But it’s hard to imagine that dominance continuing. The U.S. has closed the gap and this rivalry should only get better as the two teams go back and forth into the future.
Jack Eichel is the best two-way center the U.S.A. has to offer. He was excellent throughout the tournament collecting four assists and making life miserable for offensive talents from the three other nations.
“We won a game in overtime. I could be sitting here on the other end of it, but those guys (Eichel and Noah Hanifin) did the VGK proud. They played amazingly throughout the whole tournament,” said Stone. “I think it was not a coming out party for Jack, but I think Jack Eichel proved how big of a superstar he is on a national stage, a world stage. He showed what we already know in Vegas about how special a player he is. They had some injuries on their back end, and Hanny (Hanfin) played incredible. Those are my best friends. They share the same pride for their country as I do for mine. We’ll be ready to go on Saturday night together.”
Golden Knights head coach and Team Canada assistant Bruce Cassidy agreed with Stone on the subject of Eichel and Hanifin growing their games and reputations at this event. Both will be near locks for Team USA next winter.
“Every time I looked up, Jack was taking a D-zone draw. The coach trusts him to play against top players, take face-offs, and win. They’re disappointed over there, him and Hanny. I get it, but he should have a lot of positives from this tournament,” said Cassidy. “Hanifin too played very well against us. So, hopefully, they take that and apply it as we go forward here. You know how I feel about Jack. I can't say enough about him.”
All of the Golden Knights players and Cassidy were scheduled to fly back to Vegas today. The team plays at home against Vancouver on Saturday and then in LA on Monday.
“Reality kicks in in six hours,” Cassidy said just around midnight on Thursday. “We start preparing for the Canucks. John Stevens has been skating the guys and Dom (Ducharme) and Joel (Ward) are back home. I know the guys have been working. We'll enjoy this, honestly, for a few hours. Not like you can enjoy it for three months. Right? It's a couple of hours, which should be great, and you'll have it in the back of your mind. You'll have great memories from here. Tomorrow, you're starting to work on Vancouver because I did want to put it aside for a while. You do need a bit of a break and focus on your job here, but it'll be right back to work tomorrow and get our team up and running. We finished well going into the break. So, I feel good about our team, and I hope that they feel good about themselves.”
