OPINION | Four Nations Face-off returns the excitement the NHL and its fans have been waiting for

After the success of the Four Nations Face-Off, the NHL must look into replacing their All-Star Weekend permanently

The Sports Reporter Collective

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

By Caden Zimlich | Contributor

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – For the first time since 2016, the National Hockey League and its fans were gifted an alternative to the traditional All-Star Weekend, the Four Nations Face-Off. The Face-Off consisted of All-Star caliber players playing in the NHL who competed for the country in which they are from. The countries included Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the United States of America. Team Canada would ultimately claim the championship after defeating Team USA in a thrilling overtime win. The game was electric, the stadium was sold-out, and the viewership was outstanding.

In 2016, the NHL opted to replace their All-Star Weekend with the World Cup of Hockey Tournament, another display of international best-on-best, similar to that of the Olympics. The ratings for the World Cup of Hockey were not eye-popping, hence why the NHL opted to return back to its annual All-Star Weekend for the next nine years; but this year changed everything.

The championship game between Team Canada and Team USA, totaled in roughly 10.4 million viewers on ESPN+, the most ever for a non-football event. Sportsnet, the broadcast network covering the event in Canada, roped in 10.7 million viewers as well. The viewership stats across all seven games, would amount to an average of 6.5 million viewers across North America alone. With viewership numbers so high, and fans of all over the world so engaged, is there any point of returning back to the All-Star Weekend format?

We’ve been hearing this dialogue about terminating “All-Star Weekends/Pro Bowl Games” across the NFL, NBA, and NHL. All for good reasons. Players amongst all three leagues have openly shared their distaste for their sport’s approach towards these games. Current NHL players have expressed their passion towards the Four Nations Face-Off, and how much it means to them.

“It’s more meaningful. It’s more emotional. Stuff like this is what you dream of as a kid. So, coming to a tournament like this is something that you’ll never forget. You can’t match it.” – New York Rangers’ Center, Vincent Trocheck

The ratings and statements from the players speak for themselves. Many fans would love to see this style of tournament annually. But will showcasing it every year diminish the tournament’s specialty? I would tend to think so. With the Olympics coming next year, it will be interesting to see what the NHL opts to do.

-30-

REPORTER’S BIO | Caden Zimlich is a junior majoring in Recreation and Sports Management in the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation at the University of Arkansas.

Caden Zimlich