The 4 Nations Face-off was a massive success for not only the NHL, but the Hockey game as a whole.
But NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is not sure that the tournament will return in the 2025-26 season.
Bettman appeared at “The Rich Eisen Show,” explained why the league will have to think long and hard on how the tournament would fit into next year’s schedule due to winter -ol and the World Cup with Hockey, which is also playing.
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NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman answers questions from the media ahead of a game between Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche in T-Mobile Arena. (Lucas Peltier-Preferred Pictures)
“The success has been so fast and overwhelming,” Bettman said. “We have a lot of things to consider and sort, including what our All-Star games look like in the future. But look it was all good.”
The 4 Nations Face-off were played instead of the traditional All-Star game this year, and it contained World Teams from the US, Canada, Sweden and Finland.
Bettman called it a “quick starter” for the second international hockey that will be played in the coming years. Winter -Ol in Milan, Italy, starts in 2026, and the World Cup in Hockey returns for the first time since 2016 in 2028 and continues every four years afterwards.
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The NHL previously does not allow its players to participate in the last two winter -ol. But the league will again give its players the opportunity to do so, starting next year in Milan.
As for the World Cup in Hockey, Bettman said the goal is to “make a full World Cup that you see in football.” The tournament will be in Europe as well as North America.
Team USA Forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates with Team USA tip Auston Matthews (34) his goal against Team Finland in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-off Ice Hockey Game at the Bell Center. (David Kirouac-Preferred Pictures)
So while Bettman said he wasn’t sure if the 4 nations that were face-off would be back, he told Eisen he asked “the absolute real question.”
“I don’t have all the right answers yet,” Bettman continued.
The 4 Nations Face-offs were a huge success, especially considering how boring sports fans have found some all-star games, especially in the NHL and NBA in recent years.
There was a true sense of pride from all four countries, including the championship final between Team USA and Team Canada, which ultimately ended up with Connor McDavid scoring the game -winning goal of overtime.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman speaks to the media ahead of the game between Edmonton Oilers and the Ottawa senators in the Canadian Tire Center. (Marc Desrosiers-prescribed images)
Due to success, hockey fans thought it was only sensible for the league to continue to build on the initial tournament.
Bettman and the rest of his senior leaders will work to see if there is a solution that prevents the tournament from being a disposable.
