Why The NHL Shouldn't Make The 4 Nations Face-Off An Annual Event
The success of the 4 Nations Face-Off instead of the NHL All-Star Game had some fans asking, "Why not do this every year?" With all-star games and skills competitions becoming less and less popular across all sports, leagues are constantly looking at ways to squeeze excitement out of these low-effort showings.
It seems like the NHL is the first league to crack the code. Want to make all-star weekends more exciting? Scrap them all together. Instead of a breakaway challenge, slam dunk competition or dodgeball game, let players put on their country's colors and play for something they actually want to win.
With the excitement of the 4 Nations, it's hard to imagine a return to another NHL All-Star Game in the coming years. With NHL players participating in the Olympics in 2026, fans will get another taste of best-on-best, but after that, it's likely back to the NHL's old all-star ways.
But maybe that's a good thing. Connor McDavid seems to think so. He said that best-on-best hockey every two years is enough because of the physical toll it takes on the players.
As much fun as the 4 Nations Face-Off has been, Connor, we agree.
While playing high-intensity playoff-style hockey instead of having a week-long vacation takes a toll on the players, having international best-on-best hockey every year would diminish the meaning of these tournaments and dilute the quality of play.
Part of what has made this tournament so exciting was that it was our first taste of men's international best-on-best hockey since the World Cup of Hockey in 2016. It's the rarity that makes it special.
For the first time in their careers, the best players in the world could play for their country at the highest level. The NHL caught magic in a bottle with the 4 Nations Face-Off, but it's a magic they can only capture once. Now it's time to tighten the lid and put that bottle back on the shelf.
Imagine if every best-on-best tournament ended with a "there's always next year" mentality. Not just that, but a "there's always every year" mentality. The fans would be less interested, and the players would treat it as less of a priority.
Take the IIHF's World Championship for example. A tournament of the top hockey countries in the world that sees many NHL players prioritize healing ailments and having a longer off-season over competing for their country.
Although the tournament happens in May and usually overlaps with the second round of the NHL playoffs, players such as Connor Bedard, Cale Makar and Cole Caufield were available by that time last season. Not one of them went.
The tournament is popular in Europe and has seen countries that likely wouldn't medal in true best-on-best competition like Switzerland, Latvia and Germany leave with some hardware. The worlds also give top prospects a chance to play against high-level professional competition.
While the World Championship is great for the game, it should serve as a cautionary tale for the NHL: best-on-best hockey shouldn't be where players go to work on their game or get healthy. It should be the best players in the world playing their best hockey.
With NHL Olympic participation in 2026 and the return of the World Cup of Hockey in 2028, we will see international best-on-best hockey at least every two years. And that should be enough. The 4 Nations Face-Off seems like the odd man out.
While the NHL seemed to have fixed the All-Star Game this year, it is only a one-time fix. There will still be a February opening in the schedule every second season that the NHL will have to fill. But the league will need to flex its creative muscles as more international hockey is not the way to go.
Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
Copyright The Hockey News, Roustan Media Ltd.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
27 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Why Giants' Randy Rodriguez is an All-Star players picked, but don't want to face
ATLANTA — San Francisco Giants reliever Randy Rodríguez doesn't much like talking about himself, even at the All-Star Game media event. He's always polite but provides just the briefest answers to both English and Spanish speaking media alike while flashing his boyish smile, complete with braces. The hitters he faces will do the talking for him. Rodríguez, in just his first full big-league season, made it in off the player ballot because opponents know exactly how good he is. Monday at All-Star interview sessions at the Roxy Theater across from Truist Park, Padres third baseman Manny Machado told the Chronicle that he's a big fan of Rodríguez's and he'd made it a point to go introduce himself to Rodríguez right away. 'He's been awesome,' Machado said. 'He's a very nice kid, very quiet, but man — watching him from the other side? We do not want him to come into games. He's really tough, he's got a quick arm, his leg kick is different and obviously, he can throw 101-102 with an elite breaking ball.' Rodríguez made an impression when Machado hit a 109 mph lineout to left on a two-strike slider in a game against the Giants on April 29. 'When I met him, the first thing he told me was 'Why'd you hit it so hard off of me?' I told him, 'But it was an out!'' Machado said with a laugh. Machado marveled that the only two runs Rodríguez gave up over the first two and a half months of the season came in that same game, on a two-run homer by Xander Bogaerts — and it's only been two more earned runs (and four total) since. 'The fact he's an All-Star and he's not a closer? That tells you a lot,' Machado said. 'That guy is very impressive.' Rodriguez isn't even necessarily a traditional setup man — he comes in whenever needed, no matter the inning, and his role makes him something of an anomaly as an All-Star. This is one reason the players' ballot is so welcome — they know how valuable he is. Plus, that 0.86 ERA, second among MLB relievers, is hard to ignore. 'Am I surprised that he's here? No, absolutely not,' Sacramento A's DH-outfielder Brent Rooker said. 'I think I saw about three pitches from him (before flying out) and I was like, 'All right, that's about as good as it gets from a relief arm.' If you looked at his stuff in a vacuum, the profile, the way, the way he pitches with it, he's very deserving to be here.' A's shortstop Jacob Wilson has had the distinct non-pleasure of facing Rodríguez three times. He was hitting a big-league best .372 in June, but Wilson has yet to crack Rodríguez, going oh-fer. 'It's a tough at-bat,' he said. 'He's got such a great arm, and to be voted in by the players means you have a ton of respect from everyone in the league.' The Dodgers, like the Padres, see a little more of Rodríguez than they'd like. Will Smith actually has success against him (he's 3-for-5) but the Dodgers catcher voted for Rodríguez because he's seen how tough he is on everyone else. 'He throws hard, his fastball touches 100 and he's got a good slider and he's been locating it this year,' Smith said. 'He's just good, and I know we'll be facing him again this year. It's cool to see him being honored.' Cardinals utility player Brendan Donovan faced Rodríguez at Rickwood Field last year and drew a walk back when Rodríguez's arm slot was a bit lower than it is now. 'I'm mostly just excited for him because this is his first time here and it's extremely hard to do that where he pitches,' Donovan said. 'I'm glad I got to first base against him — not a lot of people do.' Fellow Giants All-Star Logan Webb thinks the All-Star Game is just the first of many such honors for Rodríguez. 'I think the way he's pitching, Randy's going to get some Cy Young votes,' Webb said. Rodríguez was in no way overwhelmed by the hoopla of the All-Star events. He's happy his parents, Martin and Yesenia, flew from the Dominican Republic for the game, and he's just trying to meet as many players as possible. He said he'll be ready to pitch if and when National League manager Dave Roberts calls on him. He's not buying any of the hype, though. Being an All-Star is a nice distinction, but even at 25, Rodríguez knows this is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately sport. 'I don't think that being an All-Star says anything,' Rodríguez said, with Erwin Higueros interpreting. 'The way I look at it, I've just got to perform every single game.'
San Francisco Chronicle
27 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F. front-runner for 2028 All-Star Game if MLB players compete in Olympics, source says
ATLANTA — Should Major League Baseball and the Players Association agree to allow players to compete in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, San Francisco might be a major beneficiary. The momentum appears to be in favor of allowing Olympic participation, coinciding with a longer All-Star break — and in that case, one league source told the Chronicle, the San Francisco Giants' Oracle Park would be the front-runner for the All-Star Game. The league and union would want an All-Star location on the West Coast in order to get the sport's stars to Los Angeles easily rather than having to go cross-country, and San Diego, Seattle and Arizona all have played host to the event more recently than San Francisco, while Sacramento is a minor-league park and is not a consideration. MLB held the 2007 event in San Francisco at what was then called AT&T Park. The All-Star Game is a huge money-maker for cities, with Atlanta and its surrounding areas expected to reap $100 million or more during this year's edition. More For You Is A's Brent Rooker, an early out in the Home Run Derby, on Giants' radar? Why Giants' Randy Rodriguez is an All-Star players picked, but don't want to face The Olympics debate was one of the major issues discussed Tuesday morning when union chief Tony Clark and Commissioner Rob Manfred, separately, spoke to the Baseball Writers' Association of America. 'I think that the idea of playing in L.A. in '28 … there's some merit to it,' said Manfred, who met with L.A. Olympic organizers Monday. 'I think it is an opportunity to market the game on a really global stage. I think because it's in the U.S., the logistics of it are easier. 'We're going to have to have some conversations with Tony, but that process continues forward in a positive way. … Obviously, the clubs are going to have to endorse this.' Asked whether scheduling participation in the middle of the season is even possible, Manfred said, 'Yes, it's doable.' Clark said that players are interested, but the details would need to be worked out, especially with the schedule and things such as travel concerns (that's where San Francisco comes into play) and some practical considerations such as insurance, but such matters were worked out for the World Baseball Classic. 'There's just a lot of conversation that needs to be had sooner rather than later to see how viable this is,' Clark said. 'But we're hopeful that we can figure our way through it for the benefit of the game.' Minor-league parks: Sacramento, the A's temporary home as they await their planned stadium in Las Vegas, continues to be an issue for players, Clark said. 'Having our guys, whether it's in Tampa or whether it's in Sacramento, playing in a minor-league ballpark, is less than ideal,' Clark said. 'One was an act of God. One was a decision. In either instance, they are affecting the game and they are affecting the players. Our hope is that the guys find themselves back in a major-league ballpark as soon as humanly possible.' The Rays expect to move back into Tropicana Field, which lost its roof in a hurricane last winter, by the start of next season. The A's could play three or four more seasons in Sacramento. Clark emphasized that the union has no say in teams' locations, only working conditions, but the union continues to get negative feedback. 'This one doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon, but there's still a little hope something comes to fruition before 2028,' Clark said. Manfred has said repeatedly that he expects the A's to remain in Sacramento until the Vegas ballpark opens, and he reiterated that Tuesday. When asked about the most recent problem at Sutter Health Park — the foul poles aren't high enough, nor is the camera coverage adequate to provide accurate replay reviews on balls hit down the line, Manfred said, 'We are getting continual feedback on Sacramento and are doing our very best to address each of those pieces of feedback in real time. You know, it is not perfect. If I had a brand new, gleaming stadium to move them into, we would have done that. We need to get there, and we will continue to work to make it the best from both a competitive perspective and from the perspective of the players' comfort.' Expansion: Manfred was unwilling to discuss potential expansion to the Bay Area when at the A's groundbreaking ceremony in Las Vegas last month, but Tuesday he said that the league will look at every possibility when it comes to expansion, with nothing off the table. During the Las Vegas event, a major-league source told the Chronicle that after A's stadium talks with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao's administration went south, Manfred never would consider Oakland again. Tuesday, Manfred said of the city's previous mayor, 'Honestly, I had a great relationship with Libby Schaaf, we worked very hard with her to try to make it work in Oakland. I don't have any problem with any government official in Oakland.' Of Thao, since indicted and recalled, he said, 'I thought Mayor Thao was not particularly helpful when we got down to brass tacks — but I don't think I'm probably going to have to deal with her going forward.' San Jose is the largest city in Northern California and the highest-income area in the nation without a major-league team, and the Giants' territorial rights extended only to the A's, so it could be an option. 'I think by being wide open, no predeterminations as to where it's going, we're going to end up with the best locations if and when we expand,' Manfred said.
USA Today
32 minutes ago
- USA Today
Why is Cal Raleigh nicknamed 'Big Dumper'?
Kinda wild that Jarred Kelenic's claim to fame is going to be giving Cal Raleigh the nickname of 'Big Dumper.' Monday night was Cal Raleigh's shining moment. By mashing a total of 54 home runs, the All-Star Seattle Mariners catcher won the 2025 Home Run Derby in resounding fashion. But while doing so, Raleigh's perfect (and hilarious) nickname of "Big Dumper" really came to prominence for a national audience. As Raleigh plays in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday, his "Big Dumper" byname is certain to come back into the spotlight. That's why you're here, after all. You're wondering why Raleigh has a nickname as absurd and comical as "Big Dumper." As it turns out, the explanation is simple. He has a, er ... "Big Dumper," a.k.a. his posterior region (this is a family website, remember?). Raleigh's nickname was originally coined by former Mariners teammate Jarred Kelenic, who used it to describe Raleigh's butt whenever he got into his catching stance in the minor leagues. The "cheeky" name gained even more popularity when Raleigh finally reached the majors, and the rest is history, dear readers. Ever since, the nickname has stuck for the now-All-Star. And what a glorious nickname it is. Remember this history whenever you hear announcers referencing one of Raleigh's biggest (pun not intended) claims to fame again.
