Something felt different.
As the national anthems reverberated through the sold-out TD Garden last week in Boston, members of both Team USA and Canada looked around at the crowd.
As cliché as it may sound, you could feel the energy vibrating around the building, through the varying rowdy fan sections filled with kids in bald eagle costumes, a gaggle of men dressed like the founding fathers, a woman in a Statue of Liberty getup and, of course, jerseys representing USA, Canada and other NHL teams.
It was the 4 Nations Face-Off Championship. A meeting between historied rivals. A game that became — unexpectedly to some — bigger than itself.
In the league’s first best-on-best, international tournament, fans witnessed hockey at its highest level. And for the Utah Hockey Club audience, it was an energizing display of the sport it has quickly grown to love and the heights its own team and players in Salt Lake City can reach.
Skyrocketing viewership
Canada’s 3-2 overtime win to secure the 4 Nations Face-Off championship had a staggering reach.
According to the NHL, the game garnered 16.1 million viewers across North America (9.3 in the U.S. and 6.8 in Canada.) It was the second-most watched hockey game in North America in the last decade. The 9.3 million U.S. viewers marked ESPN’s largest-ever hockey audience on the network; it was the most-viewed non-NFL event ever on ESPN+, too.
During the round-robin portion of the tournament — which included games between the USA, Canada, Finland and Sweden at Bell Centre in Montreal — 4.6 million viewers tuned in across North America which was a 226% increase to the 2016 World Cup which was the last international tournament NHL players participated in.
While some were unsure of the purpose and intensity of the NHL’s new international competition this season, opinions quickly changed and fans got pulled in.
Kelley Godbold, who lives in Orem and is a season-ticket holder for Utah Hockey Club, purposefully booked her family’s cruise vacation during the 4 Nations break so they wouldn’t miss any regular-season games. However, after watching Finland’s opening matchup to support Utah defenseman Olli Määttä, things changed.
Canada's Connor McDavid (97) takes a shot against Finland's Olli Maatta during the first period of a 4 Nations Face-Off hockey game, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
“Heading into it, part of me was like, ‘Man, if I’m an owner I don’t want my players to be playing any of this in the middle of the season.’ So I thought it would be more like an All-Star game where it’s sort of soft, nobody is really invested,” Godbold said. “It just ended up being such an electric atmosphere and you knew within the first couple of minutes that the players did care.”
Godbold and her family found a sports bar on the cruise for the rest of the trip and were part of the historic viewership, even from the sea. Godbold’s oldest son, Landon, who is currently serving a Korean-speaking mission in Seattle has not been able to watch the 4 Nations or Utah games in real-time, but his mom has kept him updated through texts and calls.
This sport is something he, and many others, want to be a part of.
“The team was announced right when he decided to leave and serve a mission,” Godbold said. “He was leaving for two years and he was really bummed to miss out on the start of the team but we wanted to make sure we really stayed involved so when he came back he was a part of it too.”
The 4 Nations Face-Off replaced the NHL All-Star Game and events that usually take place in mid-February. Fewer than 1.4 million people watched the 2024 All-Star Game, by the way. It also acted as a primer for the 2026 Milan Olympics which open on Feb. 6.
It could, and likely will, be a one-and-done tournament. But the league has sports fans’ attention right now and must run with it.
“It’s a great idea because All-Star games just suck everywhere, no matter the league,” said Matthew Harayda who has become a die-hard Utah fan after growing up with the Colorado Avalanche. “There’s something special — particularly with hockey players — about representing your country in any kind of game. I think there’s a certain level of dedication that they have.”
That sentiment showed in players and fans alike.
Importance of the tournament for the players
Matthew Tkachuk won the Stanley Cup last season with the Florida Panthers. His brother, Brady Tkachuk, is the captain of the Ottawa Senators trying to make a playoff push. Zach Werenski is the No. 1 defenseman for the Columbus Blue Jackets striving for that same postseason success. Noah Hanifin has been part of four playoff runs.
And yet, no other game stacked up to the two Team USA played against Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off. They were, the athletes said, the biggest games of their hockey careers.
“Last Saturday was probably the most fun I’ve ever had in a hockey game,” Hanifin said of USA’s 3-1 win at Bell Centre.“I think this is a great opportunity for the players and obviously, the fans to see it. Best-on-best is something that the world had been missing and the players for sure. It’s been a lot of fun to be a part of — the speed, intensity, the pace of the game has been incredible.”
(Charles Krupa | AP) United States' Chris Kreider, center, is congratulated after his goal against Sweden during the first period of a 4 Nations Face-Off hockey game, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Boston.
NHL players have not been allowed to participate in the Olympics since the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia. The 4 Nations Face-Off opened space for the league’s top talent to shine in a way fans have not recently seen. It showcased the best the sport has to offer because the players cared.
“I knew how badly I wanted to be here and how much this meant to me. I was thrilled to see that every single other guy was just as excited as I was,” said Canada, and Florida Panthers forward, Sam Bennett. “There’s a lot of guys that are willing to lower or lesser roles just to be a part of this team and help this team win. Just shows how important this is for everyone.”
For pride. For glory. For legacy. For country. Those words flashed on the TD Garden jumbotron as Team USA and Canada skated onto the ice. And it was exactly what they were battling for. Even amid the NHL season. Even while some of their teammates were sipping on cocktails on the beach during the break.
Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan stands behind his bench during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers in Pittsburgh, Saturday, March 11, 2023. The Penguins won 5-1. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
“I had lots of conversations with our players leading up to this the last few months and in those conversations, I could hear in their voices how important this tournament was for them on a personal note,” said USA head coach Mike Sullivan.
“I think this tournament has had a huge impact on hockey certainly in the United States, without a question in North America, but maybe the world. These best-on-best tournaments bring out the best of the best. The commitment, the investment that all of these teams have displayed every night, in my mind, has been an unbelievable celebration of hockey.”
Pulling in new fans – including Utahns
The 4 Nations Face-Off — and the high-flying games that accompanied it — got people outside of the NHL fandom wanting more. It also dragged new Utah Hockey Club devotees further into the sport.
Harayda watched the first USA vs. Canada game at The Break in downtown Salt Lake City with his dad and friend. Before the matchup started — which soon broke into three fights in nine seconds — Harayda sent a message to his group chat of guys he mostly talks basketball and football with.
“I texted them and was like, ‘Hey guys, this is going to be an electric game. Check this out,’” Harayda said. “They’re now getting sucked in. We’re already talking about getting all the boys together to go to one of these hockey games coming up soon. It has just captured their interest and they want to know more about hockey now.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Fans watch during the second period of the game between the Utah Hockey Club and the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025.
The tournament is, evidently, directly correlating to Utahns buying into the Club as their new form of learning and loving hockey.
“It has definitely exceeded my expectations,” Harayda said. “I think when you have best-on-best like this it shows the potential of what Utah can grow into as one of the top teams in the league.”
Ben Schauerhamer, who is a new fan of the Club and hockey as a whole, had a similar experience. Unsure of how he would connect to the team and the sport, Schauerhamer purchased a 10-game bundle of tickets at Delta Center. That soon turned into full-season tickets after he got a taste of the NHL.
Schauerhamer was at TD Garden for the 4 Nations Face-Off Championship with his 16-year-old daughter who he is trying to convert into a Utah fan, too. It is slowly working, he said.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The fans cheer on Utah Hockey Club and the New York Rangers before the start of their game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025.
“The beginning of the season I didn’t even know what icing was. For me, it was good seeing the best of the best play. It was just amazing. Really the game was a coin toss with who would’ve won,” Schauerhamer said. “I think the intensity of the fans when Utah is actually winning is louder at the Delta Center than it was at TD Garden.”
It will not be long until Schauerhamer and hockey followers alike will get to see that type of play again. The NHL is returning to the Olympics for the first time in over 10 years at the 2026 Milan Games.
Implications for the Olympics
Brady Tkachuk stood in front of his stall following Team USA’s overtime loss to Canada Thursday night. Dejected, sure. But there was something else there, too. Determination was already sprouting through the disappointment. Tkachuk was ready for more come the Olympics.
“Maybe it will create a nice little storybook for next year,” Tkachuk said, referring to getting revenge over Canada in Milan. “Everything happens for a reason. There’s a reason we did not win tonight. Maybe in a year’s time it goes the other way.”
Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) celebrates with goaltender Anton Forsberg (31) after the team's win over the New York Rangers in an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, in Ottawa, Ontario. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
Team USA has faced repeated heartbreak to Canada on the international stage. The 4 Nations loss added to that. Canada clinched the gold medal during the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City with a 5-2 win over the USA. Canada then went on to beat the USA 3-2 in overtime during the 2010 Olympics for gold and also won gold at the 2014 Olympics after beating the USA in the semifinals.
As NHL players return to the Olympics, the desire for a gold medal has never been higher for Tkachuk and his USA counterparts.
“Of course focusing on our own individual teams but it’s hard not to focus on the Olympics and having that opportunity again,” Tkachuk said. “For a lot of us, it will be our first Olympics. That’s something that is going to be on my mind for a year’s time.”
The Olympics, obviously, will feature more than the four teams that played in the NHL’s mini-tournament. But, the 4 Nations Face-Off rosters are a good indication of what the Olympic lineups could look like. It gave general managers a clearer idea of what worked, what didn’t, what to add and what to take away.
Utah Hockey Club fans will get to see another iteration of the Olympic rosters up close in 2034 when the Winter Games return to Salt Lake City.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) State officials announce the formation of the organizing committee for the 2034 Olympics during a news conference at the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.
“I’m so hyped for the Olympics coming up and especially for when it is in Salt Lake,” Harayda said. “Bring in our big three — [Clayton] Keller, [Logan] Cooley and [Dylan] Guenther. Get them on some teams. Send all three in and let’s show off our boys.”
The 2002 gold medal final in Salt Lake City between Team USA and Canada was the first-ever hockey game Schauerhamer attended growing up. Now, as a rejuvenated hockey follower, he will be tuning back in.
“It will probably be the only thing I really watch during the Olympics next year is the hockey,” Schauerhamer said.
