The 4 Nations tournament, starting tonight in Montreal, has elicited mixed feelings among hockey fans. The excitement is lacking, possibly due to the unfamiliar format and fewer participating teams, leaving some wondering about its merit compared to traditional formats like the Stanley Cup. The NHL has long aimed for a controlled, best-on-best competition similar to the Canada Cup and World Cup, especially following international events. Interestingly, this tournament sets the stage for NHL players' return to the Olympics in 2026, while also confirming a planned 2028 World Cup, showcasing the league's strategic approach to international play.
Part of that is probably just the unfamiliar, discomfort with change, all that.
What they really want is to the national team thing, the Olympic-type thing, though the league has always understandably noted that the IOC gets all the glory.
Tonight begins the first post-Russian-invasion-of-Ukraine step in that effort. And what a coincidence, though this is seen as a precursor to NHL players finally returning to the 2026 Olympics.
The NHL has been aiming to force the issue by creating a tournament it can control.
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