NHL, US must capitalize on momentum following 4 Nations Face-Off

Hockey has never broken through as a cultural product south of the Canadian border the way it has over the last week.

ESPN, even after becoming a rights-holder for the NHL three seasons ago, has never devoted the sort of wall-to-wall coverage to the sport as it did ahead of the 4 Nations final. There was P.K. Subban going viral for bashing the NBA, which is in the midst of a weeklong therapy session over the deterioration of its product. There was Charles Barkley on TNT wearing a Team USA sweater. There was President Donald Trump inserting himself into things by calling Team USA ahead of Thursday’s game. That does not usually happen for this sport, in this country.

Team USA coach Mike Sullivan said before Thursday’s final, a 3-2 loss to Canada, that he had heard about this tournament from so many people who don’t usually call him, and everyone in the media was nodding along. If you are the hockey fan in your friend group, you have gotten the same texts and calls over the last week.

Now, it is on the NHL to retain all those new fans. Now, it is on Team USA to do what it could not Thursday and win gold a year from now at the Olympics.