Why Is Everybody A Hockey Fan All Of A Sudden?
Four Nations Face-Off A Wake Up Call For Other Sports' All-Star Games
I never like to consider myself “old,” and on most days I don’t think I am. However, I’m at that weird age where I remember how things used to be. “Back in the day” and all that jazz. As a casual sports fan growing up, I was a huge supporter of All-Star games. Whether it was baseball, basketball, or Field Days in school, All-Star games were for the best of the best to show the world—or at least the faculty of Public School 119 in Brooklyn, New York—that you were on top of your game. As the years went on, something changed, however. All-Star games in sports started to suck.
(But not that year when the New York Mets hosted the MLB All-Star Game with an intro that ripped off SNL)
Hell yeah, it’s Tuesday Night…
In the NFL, there was the Pro-Bowl. And while it was situated in an odd part on the football calendar (coming in the week before the Super Bowl), it showcased other players not in the championship game in a semi-relaxed environment in Hawaii. The NBA’s All-Star game used to be an EVENT and a half. People would plan their “All-Star Weekend” outfits months in advance. It was the ultimate bragging rights to see and be seen at the dunk contest. Now? The Pro Bowl ‘Games’ are basically pros doing skill drills like they’re hanging out at summer camp. The NBA All-Star game has become a joke. Don’t take my word for it, here’s a Google Search on the subject:
Even Kevin Hart catching strays! Do people not know the man was in JUMANJI?!
So when NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said they were going to change the hockey All-Star game format, most mainstream sports media didn’t bat an eye. In lieu of a traditional East vs. West or divisional contest. The 2025 All-Star Period was to be a weeklong mini tournament, where NHL players would be playing under their flag of nationality to crown a champion. (Essentially this was to showcase NHL players potential future involvement in Olympic competition). This tournament was to be called the 4 Nations Face-Off. Now while that is a cool name on its own, its French name is “Confrontation des 4 nations” which sounds way cooler. USA, Canada, Finland and Sweden made the cut. Here are the unis:
Okay, so why is this such a game-changer? Well for one, as of now it is a one-time deal. The NHL is going to revert to its regular All-Star format next year. Two, because it’s a tournament where people are playing under their flag, there is really intense competition in trying to win the games. This my friends, should be the POINT of any All-Star game, but a lot of other leagues have forgotten that. The nations thing also encourages star players to actually play, instead of turning it down.
So the fresh tournament, mixed with the intense play, the spiffy uniforms, other sports phoning it in on the All-Star tip, and the casual booing on the US National anthem at games:
[But to be fair, it’s because the current President of the United States had imposed tariffs on the land that invented peanut butter while playing with the idea of annexing the whole shebang.]
The 4 Nations Face-Off had, at least temporarily, cracked the code on how we can bring back some excitement to exhibition games and in-season tournaments. And while the NBA had seen its status as 1) the coolest winter sport, 2) the sport of record on Christmas Day, and 3) the sport with its pulse on the next generation all but evaporate, the NHL has moved rather quickly to grab a piece of that particular pie.
All it took was a Confrontation des 4 nations.