4 Nations Face-Off already a success with instant classics, ratings

BOSTON — The 4 Nations Face-Off is giving the NHL its moment.

As the Montreal portion of the best-on-best tournament concluded with an instant classic in Team USA’s 3-1 win over Canada, which secured their spot in Thursday’s final, it’s all anybody in the sports world seems to be talking about with the final three games set to wrap up at TD Garden in Beantown this week.

New fans are tuning in.

Everybody seems to be invested.

Did you even know it was just the NBA All-Star weekend?

This is part of what it’s all about: Growing the game.

“People were marveling at the game,” Canada head coach Jon Cooper said of Saturday’s USA-Canada clash. “I have no idea what the TV ratings were, but from the group of people that were either texting me or talking about this game, the audience had to be vast. I think it had a combination of everything. The naysayers, you can say whatever you want about fighting, that was what ignited the game. Then when both teams flexed and nobody backed down, then a hockey game broke out and it was a fantastic hockey game. I said [Saturday] night, when you have the best hockey players in the world not only trying to score, but checking, this is what you get.

“So you’re holding your breath every time there’s a potential scoring chance because you don’t know if it’s going to be the last one. The game is in a better place because [Saturday] night’s game existed.”

The NHL announced that Opening Night of the tournament delivered the most-watched hockey telecast on TNT sports this season.

Sports Media Watch reported Thursday’s game between the United States and Finland drew the largest audience so far this season, averaging 1.55 million viewers on ESPN.

It was also the most-watched non-playoff NHL-affiliated game on any network since the 2023 Winter Classic.

And it’s easy to see why.

Each game has been its own unique masterpiece of competition.

Storylines like the timeless Sidney Crosby, the theater that is a Tkachuk brother news conference, the history of the Finland-Sweden rivalry, and then there’s the actual hockey.

It’s kind of funny thinking back to when there was genuine concern NHL players wouldn’t care about this.

And then you see Charlie McAvoy obliterate Connor McDavid into the boards, hear Patrik Laine assert that Finland is the “big brother” over Sweden now, and watch Cale Makar battle through sickness for just a chance to play.

Saturday’s Finland-Sweden game was also the first NHL International tournament contest with three tying goals since Game 1 of the 1996 World Cup of Hockey final between Canada and the USA.

This generation of hockey superstars have been deprived of representing their countries for way too long — but they’re making the most of it now.

Bell Centre was a special backdrop, but the tournament itself has been a riveting spectacle.

Not only have three of the four games so far been comeback wins, including both Team USA victories, but the three remaining countries are all still in contention for a spot in the final.

Canada will clinch if they defeat Finland in regulation, or if they win in overtime/shootout combined with any result of the USA-Sweden other than a Sweden regulation win.

It would give fans on this side of the globe the USA-Canada final they’ve undoubtedly been dreaming of.

“This thing’s far from over,” McDavid said after Canada’s stinging loss to the USA.

On the other side of the day card on Monday, Finland can also clinch under the same circumstances, just reversed.

Finland, coming off their first win over Sweden at an NHL International tournament since the 1991 Canada Cup round robin, would be the surprise of the tournament after their blue line was decimated by injuries beforehand.

The only way Sweden, losers of two games in overtime, can clinch is if they defeat the USA in regulation and the Canada-Finland game is decided in overtime or shootout.

“It’s the same kind of feelings you have after the Canada game as well, felt like we were right there, likely deserved to win,” Sweden captain Victor Hedman said after the 4-3 loss to Finland. “I feel we played a better game overall, but at the end of the day, it’s all about scoring more goals than the opponents and we didn’t.”