NHL

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman Unsure if 4 Nations Tournament Will Return

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By
Colin Lynch
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Colin Lynch Sports Editor

Colin Lynch covers the NFL, MLB and WNBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the New England Patriots. His sports coverage has been featured on The Sports Daily and Basketball Insiders, as well as FanSided's Chowder & Champions. A New Hampshire native and former D1 baseball player at St. John's University, Colin was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2008 and enjoyed a four-year professional baseball career.

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Published24 Feb 2025

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NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman Unsure if 4 Nations Tournament Will Return

NHL Basks in 4 Nations Success—But Its Future Remains Uncertain

The NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off delivered everything the league could have hoped for—thrilling competition, fierce rivalries, and record-breaking viewership. But despite its overwhelming success, the tournament’s future remains uncertain.

On The Rich Eisen Show Monday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman acknowledged the event’s massive impact but was noncommittal about whether the league would bring it back anytime soon.

“The success has been so quick and overwhelming,” Bettman said. “We’ve got a lot of things to consider and sort out, including what our All-Star Game looks like going forward. But, look, it was all good.”

 

A Resounding Success—But Is It Sustainable?

The 4 Nations Face-Off was a much-needed jolt for the NHL’s international showcase. With the league’s top players representing Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland, the tournament captured attention in a way that traditional All-Star Games had failed to do.

The event culminated in a USA-Canada final that drew 9.3 million viewers—more than any NHL broadcast in recent memory. The tournament’s passion-filled, fight-fueled group stage only added to the intrigue, sparking intensity rarely seen in midseason play.

For years, the NHL has struggled to generate excitement around its All-Star Game, experimenting with different formats to reignite fan interest. The 4 Nations Face-Off proved that elite competition, national pride, and real stakes create an event fans want to see.

Bettman confirmed that other sports leagues had reached out to congratulate the NHL on the tournament’s success.

“We’ve experimented over the years,” he said. “This just took things to a new level.”

But despite the excitement, Bettman cautioned that the NHL’s international calendar is already packed, making it unclear where 4 Nations would fit moving forward.

A New Era of International Hockey

The NHL is preparing for a structured cycle of international play, alternating between the Winter Olympics and the return of the World Cup of Hockey.

  • 2026: NHL players will return to the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina (Italy) after being absent in 2018 and 2022.
  • 2028: The NHL will bring back the World Cup of Hockey, with the event taking place every four years thereafter.
  • The World Cup will be a full-scale event, similar to FIFA’s format in soccer, with games played in both North America and Europe.

Given this packed schedule, Bettman admitted he wasn’t sure if 4 Nations would return.

“I don’t have all the right answers yet,” Bettman said when asked if the tournament was a one-off. “But you’re asking the absolute right question.”

A Historic Rivalry Rekindled

The 4 Nations Face-Off was the first time in a decade that the United States and Canada faced off with full NHL rosters.

Since 1998, NHL players had been allowed to compete in five consecutive Olympics, but the league pulled out in 2018 and 2022, frustrating fans and players alike. This tournament marked a long-awaited return for international best-on-best competition.

Bettman pointed out that many players have been representing their countries since their teenage years at events like the World Juniors and past Olympic Games. That built-in national pride, he said, made the tournament an easy sell.

“When it comes to representing their countries, our players frankly have been doing that since they were teenagers,” Bettman said. “So we knew they would all be up for this event.”

That passion was evident on and off the ice. The tournament was fueled by:

  • An intense USA-Canada rivalry, complete with a heated pregame standoff during the national anthem.
  • Physical, high-stakes hockey, including multiple fights between players unwilling to back down.
  • A final game that delivered the highest level of competition the NHL has seen in years.

“There wasn’t any doubt that the passions were high. People came to play,” Bettman said. “And while we try to stay out of those geopolitical issues, there was a little bit of an overlay on that between the great neighbors and allies of Canada and the U.S. I think it all came together.”

What’s Next for 4 Nations?

While the 4 Nations Face-Off was an undeniable success, its future remains uncertain. With the Olympics and World Cup set to alternate every two years, Bettman and the NHL must decide whether this new tournament has a place on the calendar.

What’s clear is that fans want more high-stakes international hockey, and the NHL now knows how to deliver it.

For now, the league celebrates a tournament that exceeded expectations. But the bigger question looms: Will the NHL find a way to keep the 4 Nations Face-Off alive?