The top stars of the Four Nations Face-Off face off on Feb. 12, delivering a sense of excitement fans have been missing out on for a few years now.
Official rosters for the tournament were revealed on Dec. 4, bringing stars from across the league to the national stage.
Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner, who made the roster for Team Canada, said he’s looking forward to being a part of the tournament.
“You always wanna wear your colours, it's always a great honour when you get to represent your country. Super excited for it, super honoured,” Marner said.
This mid-season tournament replaces the NHL All-Star game, which has been registering low on the fan passion meter for years.
The All-Star game will make a return in 2026 for the 69th edition of the game, but I don’t think this is the right move. The NHL should continue a Four Nations Face-Off style competition moving forward.
The All-Star game has run its course since its introduction in 1934 as a fundraiser for Leafs player Ace Bailey, who was knocked out of playing hockey during a game against the Bruins. It became an annual event in 1947 where the league's best played against the Stanley Cup winner until 1968 to a format we see now.
As a fan of hockey, I rather watch these “NHL All-Stars” represent their countries and show emotion for the game they love instead of a skills competition and three-on-three tournament where they are not exerting any sort of effort.
Fans, some players and coaches have openly criticized the weekend’s festivities.
Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella said he doesn't pay much attention to it after being asked about one of his top players being snubbed from the event in 2023.
“The whole team, the whole weekend, I don’t even watch it. I think it’s turned into a, well, I’ll just leave it at that. I really don’t care,” Tortorella said.
Over the years the All-Star skills competition and three-on-three tournament has gotten very boring and I am sure many others wouldn't lose any sleep over it not continuing in the future.
Injury risk could be a factor in why players might not give a full effort in a useless competition, but fans pay good money to watch these players show off their best skills.
Some NHL stars have even declined the invitation to attend, such as Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin, who had skipped out on back-to-back All-Star games in 2019 and 2020 for reasons such as rest for the second half of the season.
I think instead of moving forward with the NHL All-Star game, the NHL should look to continue a yearly competition such as the Four Nations Face-Off or a style close to it that would represent a small tournament during the season.
Players have always shown a desire and willingness to play for their countries so giving them something more meaningful during the season will possibly reignite their passion for something more than themselves.
Sam McCaig, an editor at The Hockey News, said looking to make a switch away from tradition could be fascinating.
“It probably does trump the All-star game and I think going in that direction down for the future, that's really interesting, I do think there’s something to that,” McCaig said.
As a fan of watching tournaments such as the World Juniors, watching NHL stars suit up and play with passion for their country’s colours is more entertaining than wasting a whole weekend in February watching the NHL All-Star game.
