Connect with us

Published

on

Heading into the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, many expected that the United States and Canada would be the teams to beat and meet in the championship game.

No one expected that the two countries’ opening round matchup would be so intense, or that the final game would be an instant classic, decided in overtime on the stick of Connor McDavid.

Here are grades for the United States and Canada, including the biggest takeaways, the key player to watch for the 2026 Olympics, and lingering questions for each nation in the buildup to the Winter Games.


Grading the teams

Canada: A

Canada had star power to spare in its lineup, but there was no way relying on just the top lines to contribute was going to get them past an equally stacked American team. Kudos to head coach Jon Cooper for recognizing that and tapping into all Canada had to offer.

The addition of Cale Makar on the blue line — after he missed the round-robin matchup between these teams with an illness — was a significant improvement for Canada, but their other elite skaters were still stymied. By midway through the third period, there were no shots on goal from players like Mitch Marner and Sidney Crosby; beating an all-world goalie like Connor Hellebuyck isn’t easy at the best of times, and Canada could have made him more uncomfortable.

In such an evenly matched game, open ice was hard to find. Canada cracked the Vezina Trophy favorite with savvy play that other countries in the event couldn’t manage. That was a win in itself. McDavid producing the overtime game-winner was simply poetic.

play

1:15

Connor McDavid on Canada’s win: ‘It means the world to our group’

Connor McDavid reacts to Canada’s OT win over USA in 4 Nations championship game.

United States: A-

The USA didn’t need a group chat to outline their strategy in this one. The final was no time for fisticuffs; it was more about finesse.

Fortunately, the Americans had that on display, too. Jake Guentzel might have been the most effective forward on both sides of this game, frustrating the Canadian defense with some flashy moves. And anyone who didn’t recognize how good Jaccob Slavin can be got a masterclass in the way he dominated from the back end, with Ray Ferraro referring to him as an “eraser” in the defensive zone.

While both players deserve praise, it was maybe leaning too much on individuals that kept the U.S. from taking over earlier in the game. The team let Canada bring the action to them for the first two periods before turning up the heat in those final 20 minutes. Would the U.S. have run away with a victory had it pressed earlier?


What we learned

Depth makes a difference

The stars showed up on both sides of the final, but depth skaters made their presence felt, too. Jake Sanderson and Sam Bennett pocketed second period goals, showing why certain skaters were targeted by their countries for this short-term opportunity — it’s because they can make an impact.

Bennett was the one who drew Canada’s second period penalty and while his countrymen didn’t capitalize, he gave them a chance. And Sanderson wouldn’t have been in the lineup if it weren’t for an injury to Charlie McAvoy, which just shows why roster construction is such a delicate task in these tournaments.

Given how quickly injuries can happen, teams have to trust whatever skaters are waiting in the wings — same with Thomas Harley stepping in for Josh Morrissey — and in an evenly fought matchup like this one, depth can move the needle.

play

0:49

Sam Bennett’s wrister ties the score for Canada

Sam Bennett speeds to the net and scores on a wrister to bring Canada even with USA at 2-2.

Goaltending hardly a great divide

There were long discussions around how Jordan Binnington would stack up against Hellebuyck in a final game. And it turns out both netminders were excellent.

Most of the game was evenly played in shots on goal, and Binnington came through with just as many clutch stops as Hellebuyck to give his team a chance to win. Earlier concerns about Binnington’s ability to match Hellebuyck now seem silly, particularly as star players at both ends — Auston Matthews and McDavid — couldn’t find twine early on.

The key for Binnington especially was to make the stop that counted, like when he stoned Matthews and Brady Tkachuk in overtime. He was Canada’s OT MVP.

Hellebuyck exceptional too; one of the goalies had to give up a winner, and in the end it wasn’t a knock on either to see that puck cross the line.


Player to watch in the build to the Olympics

Crosby is, by all accounts, the heartbeat of every team he plays for — whether it’s the Pittsburgh Penguins or on the intentional front. Crosby will be 38 when the 2026 Olympic Games roll around. What can Canada reasonably expect from him in that tournament?

Crosby was Canada’s points leader at 4 Nations going into the final, with one goal and four assists, proving that he’s still incredibly effective even when he’s battling an injury (there’s a reason he kept that left hand in a hoodie during every media availability during the 4 Nations event). But will another year of NHL wear and tear allow Crosby to take on key responsibilities again in Italy?

There are a number of up-and-coming forwards in Canada’s system and while Crosby is guaranteed a spot on his country’s Olympic roster, where he slots in will be fascinating.

play

1:31

Crosby after victory: ‘You saw the hockey that was on display’

Sidney Crosby reflects on playing for Canada and winning the 4 Nations Face-Off Championship.

We did not see the best of Matthews in this 4 Nations tournament. He’s battled injuries throughout the NHL season and didn’t register his first shot on goal in the event until the championship.

And yet, Matthews is a generational scoring talent who can be a wicked game-breaker unlike anyone in the USA program. He was named 4 Nations captain for a reason, and if that opportunity didn’t showcase all Matthews has to offer, then a healthy version at the Olympics could tell an entirely different story.

And if it does, what difference does that make for the USA in those Games? Matthews has excelled at every level and whatever he does in the offseason to guard against injury in the coming year will play into how performs in Italy. There’s no doubt what he’s capable of. It’s all about health and ensuring he’s primed to be at his best come next year.


Lingering questions for the Olympics

How will Canada approach it’s goaltending?

Canada came under heavy scrutiny for their goalie choices in this tournament. Logan Thompson wasn’t included among Canada’s trio, and frankly deserved to be. Will he emerge as a starter for Canada when it comes to the Games? Or is what Binnington provided as the only Canadian goalie used at 4 Nations enough to give him the inside track to be Canada’s No.1?

Or does another candidate emerge? Will Stuart Skinner Or Darcy Kuemper push their way into the conversation?

Canada’s top forwards and defensemen haven’t been in question. It comes down to who they think will give them the best chance in net, given that Jon Cooper didn’t give either Adin Hill or Sam Montembeault a sniff at 4 Nations.

play

0:30

Jordan Binnington makes a sprawling save on Brady Tkachuk in OT

Jordan Binnington stands on his head in overtime with a sprawling save for Canada to keep the score tied.

What will a healthy USA blue line look like?

It looked for a moment like the USA might get Quinn Hughes in for the final, after he was originally sidelined by injury for the tournament. That roster addition didn’t come to fruition, but what difference might Hughes have made? Especially if he was on a back end that included a healthy McAvoy, forced out of the tournament by an upper-body ailment?

The U.S. showed time and again it can generate offense, and their goaltending group was arguably the event’s best. It’s not that they lacked defensive prowess without Hughes and McAvoy in the mix, but it’s hard not to wonder how much more dominant this team could be in Italy with all they top skaters available.

Because when they orchestrate a tight, shut-down game they can be as good or better than any opponent.

Continue Reading

Sports

Has international hockey replaced the NHL All-Star Game for good?

Published

on

By

Has international hockey replaced the NHL All-Star Game for good?

BOSTON — The 4 Nations Face-Off has emerged as a transformative moment for the NHL.

“Nothing’s done more for hockey in a decade than what this tournament’s done,” Team Canada coach Jon Cooper said.

What was supposed to be a midseason appetizer for the 2026 Winter Olympics has evolved into a transcendent event for hockey, which has lacked a best-on-best event since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. That was never more apparent than the first U.S. vs Canada showdown in Montreal, which produced three fights in the first nine seconds of the game followed by an elite representation of the sport as played by two bitter rivals.

The audience was massive — with 9.3 million viewers, it was the most-watched non-Olympic hockey game ever in the United States. The hype was something the NHL hadn’t seen in recent memory. People who don’t usually talk about hockey were suddenly talking about hockey.

“The game is in a better place because that game existed,” Cooper said.

Now that the 4 Nations Face-Off was a game-changer, how will the NHL capitalize on it — and what comes next for its midseason events?


THE NHL HAS ANNOUNCED what is on the way in 2026. The All-Star Weekend, which took a hiatus in favor of 4 Nations this year, will return at the New York Islanders‘ UBS Arena next February. That will serve as a bon voyage event ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, which mark the return of NHL players for the first time since 2014.

The 2026 Olympics begin what the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association hope will be a regular cadence of international best-on-best events. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh announced last week the next World Cup of Hockey is scheduled for 2028. Then come the 2030 Winter Olympics, and then potentially another World Cup and so on.

“We couldn’t be more excited about making a reality: Olympics, World Cups, Olympics, World Cups on a regular schedule of the best hockey players in the world representing their countries,” Bettman said. “We know the full-blown World Cup is going to be sensational.”

Sources told ESPN that the future of the NHL All-Star Game beyond next season has yet to be determined.

The NHL All-Star Game isn’t going anywhere — sources said its status as a tentpole event and its history within the league make it an important part of the league’s slate of events. But All-Star Weekend’s cadence and format beyond next season hasn’t been determined. Logically, it could be held in years when there isn’t a best-on-best event. Perhaps the league continues to double up with the All-Star Game and the Olympics, like it is doing in 2026.


ALL-STAR GAMES are in a transient place in the sports world right now — that’s not just a function of the success of the 4 Nations Face-Off.

While the NHL’s midseason tournament was being widely praised, the NBA All-Star Weekend received criticism from fans and players. Draymond Green called the game’s format “absurd” and said it existed “because ratings are down and the game is bad.”

The effort of the NHL’s players in its best-on-best tournament was in stark contrast with basketball’s midseason classic.

“You can go on an NBA court and go through the motions. You can’t do that in hockey,” P.K. Subban said on “Get Up.” “The culture of our sport, you have to play it with passion. That’s what fans are investing in.”

While that’s true, the NHL All-Star Game isn’t exactly USA vs. Canada for the 4 Nations title, either.

“Different event, obviously. I don’t remember any fights in the All-Star Games,” Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey said. “There’s definitely a place to have both. From what I’ve heard, that’s the plan in the future. And I think both can be exciting.”

play

1:34

USA, Canada fight 3 times in the first 9 seconds of game

Three players each from USA and Canada are penalized for three fights in the first nine seconds of the game.


THE ALL-STAR GAME brings some virtues that these international tournaments do not. The World Cup of Hockey will be awarded through a host city bidding process. The All-Star Game brings the world’s best players to markets that may never host a World Cup game. It doesn’t just spread the wealth among NHL cities — it does the same among players.

“The one thing about this tournament is ‘Where’s Leon Draisaitl?’ Or Nikita Kucherov?’ Go down the list of guys that aren’t here that you do get to see in an All-Star Game because those guys are special talents,” Cooper said. “Maybe there’s something down the road where everybody gets to play, and that would be super cool.”

The players at the 4 Nations Face-Off uniformly agreed that there’s room for both best-on-best battles and All-Star games in the NHL.

“Obviously this brings out real emotions when you get to play these meaningful games,” Sweden’s Jesper Bratt said. “The All-Star Game has its cool things to it, too, and I think fans appreciate that part of it: to see the best individual players from each division and each team to participate in a skill competition.”

Team USA’s Jack Hughes, Bratt’s teammate on the New Jersey Devils, said he’s made some great memories at the All-Star Game.

“That’s always fun for me personally, just because it’s not as extreme as this. Obviously, you get to spend more time with your family and your friends and get to enjoy that with them. I think that’s a great event,” he said. “But as a hockey player for sure, [4 Nations] is the elite of the elite. Getting to play against the best players and represent your country. It means something to everyone on the ice.”

Vincent Trocheck said the experience is different for every player at the All-Star Game.

“I’ve only played in two, and they’ve been extremely special to me. Every time I’ve been able to go, sharing that with my family is really cool. So those are … awesome weekends, but something like this is just different,” said the New York Rangers center, who played for Team USA. “It’s more meaningful. It’s more emotional. Stuff like this is what you dream of as a kid. So coming to a tournament like this is something that you’ll never forget. You can’t match it.”


THE NHL PLAYERS deserve credit, having pushed for more best-on-best opportunities since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

“Whether it’s Team Canada, the U.S., Sweden, Finland, the other nations in the future, if there’s more playing in these events when you put on your country’s uniform, it just means something special,” Morrissey said. “It’s a different feeling, and you can’t replicate that in any other way.”

After the success of 4 Nations, everything is on the table. Could the All-Star Game become something that hues a little closer to nation vs. nation? Could those years between the Olympics and World Cup produce more international events, be it a 4 Nations Face-Off or a “summit series” between the U.S. and Canada?

The 4 Nations Face-Off has broadened the possibilities.

“Look to soccer. They have so much international play that gets so much attention. We’re not soccer, as far as a global game, but we’re not that far behind,” Ron Hainsey of the NHLPA said. “That’s the long-term goal here … where fans look forward to these players representing their countries on a regular basis.”

Shutting down the regular season for international events isn’t without its risks or its critics. The 4 Nations Face-Off saw a handful of injuries, most notably to Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who was hospitalized Monday with an infection in his right shoulder and a significant injury to his AC joint.

“I don’t know how the NHL teams feel about it, because guys are going so hard out there and we still have a quarter of the season left,” New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes said. “But I think the guys inside the locker room have extreme care for this and are really, really enjoying this.”

Canada star Connor McDavid agreed less is more for international tournaments.

“I’m not sure you could do this every single year. It’s been pretty taxing. Obviously, we see guys going down and getting hurt.” McDavid said. “But it goes to show how much guys care about playing for the country, how much pride they play with while they’re wearing the jersey.

“I think with the Olympics and the World Cup, I think we’ll get enough.”

The World Cup of Hockey returns in 2028, although its final form has yet to be determined. There will be eight teams representing eight nations, without the “melded” teams from 2016 like Team North America and Team Europe. The NHL will not partner with the International Ice Hockey Federation for the World Cup, instead negotiating with other professional leagues themselves in order to populate teams like Germany and Switzerland with players.

There will be a bidding process for host cities, and that process will be open to European locations.

“The Olympics provides a good model for us in terms of how long the break will be for games in Europe,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said.

Of course, the biggest issue around the 2026 Olympics and 2028 World Cup is whether Russia will be included, as it remains banned from international play through 2026 by the IIHF because of its invasion of Ukraine.

“I’d love to see our Russian players playing in these tournaments. Again, they’re incredible hockey players,” Walsh said. “The issues are political and it is not political as far as the NHLPA, it’s the world politics that we have to get through and I’m hoping that as we get closer to the Olympics, as we get closer to the World Cup, we will start seeing the Russian athletes back in the competition.”


THE 4 NATIONS FACE-OFF showed best-on-best hockey can cross over to the mainstream. But the conditions might not be there to capture lightning in a bottle a second time.

The geopolitical undercurrents to the USA vs. Canada rivalry heightened its passions. The tournament featured the first opportunity for a generation of stars — McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, the Tkachuk brothers and Auston Matthews, among others — to represent their countries in a best-on-best event.

And what, exactly, do they do for an encore? Four fights in eight seconds next time?

“The expectations were high. I think the tournament’s done a good job of setting that bar and going beyond it,” Team USA’s Brock Nelson said.

The 4 Nations Face-Off was meant to be the appetizer for the Olympics. Based on its success, the NHL needs to capitalize on the moment.

Continue Reading

Sports

Nebraska nixes Tennessee home-and-home plan

Published

on

By

Nebraska nixes Tennessee home-and-home plan

The NebraskaTennessee football home-and-home football series scheduled for 2026 and 2027 will not be played after Nebraska opted out of the agreement.

Tennessee athletic director Danny White posted on X that Nebraska called off the series and added that Tennessee is “very disappointed” by the cancellation, especially so close to the initial game in 2026. The teams had been set to play in 2026 at Nebraska and at Tennessee the following year.

In a statement, Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen explained renovations to the team’s stadium, which will temporarily lower seating capacity, ultimately led to the decision.

“We are making plans to embark on major renovations of Memorial Stadium that may impact our seating capacity for the 2027 season,” Dannen said. “The best scenario for us is to have eight home games in 2027 to offset any potential revenue loss from a reduced capacity. The additional home games will also have a tremendous economic benefit on the Lincoln community.”

The Cornhuskers announced they will host Bowling Green in 2026 and Miami (Ohio) in 2027 on the dates when it was originally set to play Tennessee. Nebraska has never faced either school. The team will play eight homes in 2027 for the first time since 2013.

The cancellation ends a nearly two-decade process around a Nebraska-Tennessee series, which was originally agreed upon in 2006 and set for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. In 2013, the two schools agreed to delay the games for a decade. Nebraska will pay $500,000 to get out of the scheduling agreement.

White told Volquest that the “buyout implications need to be much steeper” with an “old contract,” and the cancellation puts Tennessee in a bind. Tennessee, which opens the 2025 season against Syracuse in Atlanta, had its nonleague schedule set through the 2030 season. The school either must find an opponent who can fill the 2026 and 2027 dates for a home-and-home series, or explore neutral-site options.

“You really can’t pull an audible this late in the game,” White told Volquest.

Nebraska’s stadium renovation, the first phase of which had been set to begin after the 2024 season, has been delayed until after the 2025 season, at the earliest.

Tennessee and Nebraska have played only three times before, most recently in the 2016 Music City Bowl, won by the Vols. Nebraska beat Tennessee in the 1998 Orange Bowl to secure a share of the national title that season.

Tennessee has been on the other side of a similar situation. The Vols in 2021 canceled a game against Army for the next season in 2022 and added Akron instead.

Information from ESPN’s Chris Low was used in this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Changing stripes: Yanks OK well-groomed beards

Published

on

By

Changing stripes: Yanks OK well-groomed beards

TAMPA, Fla. — The New York Yankees‘ facial hair and grooming policy, an infamous edict in place for nearly 50 years, was formally amended for the first time Friday.

In a statement, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said the organization will allow “well-groomed beards” effective immediately, changing a rule his father, George, established in 1976.

“In recent weeks I have spoken to a large number of former and current Yankees — spanning several eras — to elicit their perspectives on our longstanding facial hair and grooming policy, and I appreciate their earnest and varied feedback,” Hal Steinbrenner said in the statement. “These most recent conversations are an extension of ongoing internal dialogue that dates back several years.

“Ultimately the final decision rests with me, and after great consideration, we will be amending our expectations to allow our players and uniformed personnel to have well-groomed beards moving forward. It is the appropriate time to move beyond the familiar comfort of our former policy.”

George Steinbrenner implemented the mandate before the 1976 season, leaving players with a choice of being clean-shaven or wearing a mustache. Hal Steinbrenner kept the policy in place after becoming chairman and controlling owner of the franchise in 2008.

Players overwhelmingly obliged with the order over the next five decades, from spring training through October, often before letting themselves go during the offseason, though a few have pushed the limits.

In the 1990s, for example, star first baseman Don Mattingly was fined and benched by manager Stump Merril for refusing to trim his mullet. Four years later, Mattingly wore a goatee for part of his final season in 1995.

This year, All-Star closer Devin Williams, acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in December, reported for his spring training physical with a beard before shaving it down to a mustache for the team’s first workout the next day. On the other end, former Yankees Gleyber Torres and Clay Holmes reported to camp with their new teams sporting full beards.

Continue Reading

Trending