Was it 4 the best?
Despite the short-term entertainment value, was the 4 Nations Face-off truly a win for all? |
Truman Bartman, Staff Writer |
The 4 Nations Face-Off was one of the most successful events hosted by the NHL in years. It reintroduced the best-on-best format that hockey fans have yearned for since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Despite only five total games being played, each matchup captivated audiences, including a championship final where 16.1 million tuned in, making it the second most-watched hockey game of the last decade.
It doesn’t take a lot of digging to see all of the positives that this tournament brought forth. But it implores the question, was it for the best? Do the positives outweigh the negatives?
For many, this may be a confusing proposition to stomach, as from a fan’s point of view, this tournament was the complete package. But in hindsight, the damage done over a four-to-five-game span could impact NHL franchises and players for far longer.
At the conclusion of the tournament, a laundry list of superstar players were sent to injury reserve, many with questionable and lengthy return timelines. The likes of Adam Fox, Matthew Tkachuk, Shea Theodore, and Charlie McAvoy all limped away from the 4 Nations with injuries.
That list doesn’t include players who entered the event with pre-existing injuries like Sidney Crosby or those who suffered from an in-tournament illness such as players like Auston Matthews, Juuse Saros, Josh Morrissey, and Cale Makar. The wear and tear that many of these superstars dealt with to play in a short weekend of intense games is drastic. Plus, many players had less than a 48-hour turnaround before making the postseason again.
In a similar situation are both the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers, who will be tasked with making the Stanley Cup playoffs without two of their premier stars—Tkachuk and Fox.
The potential for revenue loss is at an all-time high for these organizations. Long playoff runs can work wonders for these teams. According to Forbes, just last season the Florida Panthers cashed in on an extra $161 million dollars during their Stanley Cup-winning run. The potential of losing out on big dollars is a scary sight for owners who could blame the 4 Nations if their squads do not go far. As great as it was for those from Sweden, Canada, the USA, and Finland, those same fans who now return to their next set of regular season games. There is a clear drawback for those who were able to represent their country.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, stars like David Pastrnak and Leon Draisaitl were given the chance to rest up with an extended holiday due to their countries not being represented.
It may be an even bigger disadvantage for the teams/organizations that have to deal with the consequences that the 4 Nations served up. In the case of the Boston Bruins and the injury to their stalwart defenseman McAvoy, the mismanagement of his injury could end up being dire for their team down the stretch to make the playoffs. McAvoy suffered a right shoulder injury against Finland, which landed him in the hospital. The issue only worsened as McAvoy received further complications after his shoulder developed an infection. He still remains out with this injury and is expected to be out for the foreseeable future. Team Canada and Boston Bruins manager Don Sweeney was not pleased with how his injury was handled and he was reluctant to comment on how Team United States dealt with the situation.
McAvoy has been the Bruins’ best defenseman on both sides of the ice over the last couple of seasons. Widely regarded as one of the best shutdown defenders in the league, McAvoy’s offence has also been stellar, totalling 23 points in 50 games this season. Boston is in a tight Eastern Conference playoff race where they will need to keep pace over the next few months if they dream of cheering for their NHL teams may miss out on viewing their favourite players. This could ultimately deter fans from attending games and, once again, threaten each franchise’s pockets.
Keeping all of these pieces in mind, this now begs the question: Was the 4 Nations Face-Off really worth it? From an entertainment standpoint, no one can question its brilliance. However, in the long term, was it the best option for the NHL, and did it do a disservice to their franchises by having a series of matchups in the middle of a season?
There might not be a concrete answer to this question, but there is an emphatic case that this showcase caused more harm than it did good.
Truman Bartman is a Staff Writer for The Reflector 2024-2025.
