This story is part of FanSided’s Fandoms of the Year, a series spotlighting the teams, athletes and cultures that defined sports fandom in 2025.
Professional sports has an All-Star Game problem. Each major league is trying to figure out how to make their All-Star Games more enticing to the viewing audience. Thus far, the results are very mixed.
The NFL turned the Pro Bowl into a flag football game among the top stars. The NBA All-Star Game is a convoluted mess with a format that seems to change every year without making a difference. MLB implemented a Home Run Derby to decide a winner in extra innings — that worked this year, but, historically, only one out of every nine All-Star games has actually gone to extra innings.
But in 2025, the NHL hit a home run, scored a touchdown and had a slam dunk with their All-Star Game replacement, the 4 Nations Face-Off.
International hockey still works
The NHL, much like the NBA, tried to come up with a solution to not only entertain fans, but also to raise the stakes and make the games competitive. They decided on an international All-Stars tournament, as a bit of a preview for their eventual return to the Winter Olympics in 2026. The United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland competed in a round-robin among the four teams, with the top two point-getters earning a spot in the Finals.
The round-robin stage featured a much-anticipated United States vs. Canada matchup. Given the heightening of the political climate between the two countries at the time of the tournament, there was much more juice from the fans in attendance and the viewing audience. In the first nine seconds of the game, there were three fights. Team USA picked up a huge 3-1 win over Canada, their first win in a best-on-best international game since the preliminary round of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
It was only fitting that the Finals featured a rematch between the United States and Canada. The United States looked to win the championship after their round-robin victory. The game went to overtime, and the biggest star in the NHL, Connor McDavid, secured another championship for Canada, scoring the winning goal in overtime. Canada got the last laugh, and the United States was heartbroken once again, much like they were in an eerily similar way to their loss in the 2010 gold medal game.
What this means for the Olympics
The 4 Nations Face-Off was a preview of the Olympics, as the NHL officially announced their participation in July. This is the first time they are competing in the Winter Olympics since 2014. Given the talent pool across men’s hockey, one has to wonder if Canada will once again maintain their throne in international competition, or if Team USA will finally win a gold medal for the first time since 1980.
The NHL found a way to get fans invested in an All-Star Game with incentives. Now, we’ll see if that surge in popularity carries over into the Olympics, where even more big names in the sport will compete. It’s hard not to see the 4 Nations Face-Off as a resounding success.