4 Nations Championship Preview
The NHL’s newest idea for their all-star break consists of four teams of the NHL’s best players all representing four nations. That’s why this event is called 4 Nations. USA, Canada, Finland, and Sweden all have teams of their nation’s best NHL players. 4 Nations began on Wednesday with an overtime thriller between Canada and Finland. Canada eventually won 4-3. The championship match is set for Thursday between Canada and the USA. These two teams have played before, on Saturday, with the USA winning 3-1.
Their previous matchup was a classic. With a whopping three fights in the first minute, it set the scene for an incredible matchup between many of the best hockey players in the world. This is regarded in a much different light than the NBA All-Star Break, which was occurring at the same time. Fans largely disliked the new NBA All-Star Break format for the lack of effort between players, silly gimmick events, and an overload of advertisements. In contrast, the NHL’s 4 Nations has had critical success because of the high effort between players and intense fan engagement.
Notable players from Saturday’s matchup in the USA team were Jake Guentzel, Dylan Larkin, and Jack Eichel. Notable players from Saturday’s matchup with the Canada team included Jordan Binnington, Drew Doughty, and Connor McDavid. It will be interesting to see if these players shine again in the championship match, or if others rise to the occasion. Regardless, 4 Nations has been a tremendous success for the NHL and it’s likely we’ll see a repeat of this event next year.
