New York Rangers debate: Will fans care about the 4 Nations Face-off?
Five members of the New York Rangers will take part in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off in February. But will that be enough to keep Rangers fans interested in a mid-season international tournament that creates a two-week break in the NHL schedule?
The 4 Nations Face-Off features the top players from the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland. The games will be played in Montreal and Boston from Feb. 12-20, with the teams playing a round-robin of three games before the top two finishers meet for the championship.
Rangers defenseman Adam Fox, center Vincent Trocheck and forward Chris Kreider will play for the United States, center Mika Zibanejad is on Sweden’s roster and forward Kaapo Kakko will suit up for Finland.
But will fans, especially Rangers fans, care about an event that has nothing to do with the regular season or the chase for the Stanley Cup? Forever Blueshirts Senior Writer John Kreiser and Executive Editor Jim Cerny debate the issue.
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Debating merits of 4 Nations Face-Off from Rangers point of view
John: Friends and former co-workers who live north of the border are already pumped up for the 4 Nations Face-Off. The idea of a best-on-best tournament, even in this limited format, has them excited – especially with the idea of meeting (and defeating) the United States in the championship game, which all of Canada expects. But below the 49th Parallel, I detect a lot less interest, even among fans of teams that are well-represented on the rosters. Rangers fans I’ve talked to are much more interested in seeing their team snap out of its current funk and push for a first-place finish on the way to ending a Stanley Cup drought that’s now into its fourth decade than watching four national teams compete. Will Rangers fans root for Zibanejad and Kakko when they play against the U.S.? Will they even care? Also, the absence of Russia for political reasons makes the 4 Nations event much less than a “best on best” tournament. It’s hard to picture a tournament featuring the best players in the world without Russia. I think the NHL is merely trying to copy the NBA, which instituted its own in-season tournament, the NBA Cup, last season – and at least that event matches teams within the league rather than national teams.
Jim: I get why the NHL and NHLPA want to play this in-season tournament. It will goose revenues, and that means more money for the owners and players. Beyond that slightly cynical — though realistic — take is that NHL players to a man love representing their native countries in best-on-best competition. Having been denied that opportunity the past two Winter Olympics, they’re hungry for this tournament I think these games will be entertaining and hard fought as a result. That 1996 World Cup win for the United States, who were led by Rangers greats Mike Richter and Brian Leetch? Still among my top hockey memories. But, perhaps it’s the Mets fan in me thinking back to Edwin Diaz sustaining a season-ending knee injury in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, that gives me a pause with these tournaments. I can accept players getting hurt in regular-season play. It happens all the time. Part of the season’s grind. But getting hurt in an exhibition — especially one that’s not even the Olympics? That diminishes my appetite for this 4 Nations Face-Off.
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John: Coaches and general managers probably hate this tournament for just that reason — the risk of injury in a tournament that doesn’t matter in the standings. The Edwin Diaz injury is one example; another is how the Islanders season fell apart in 2014 when John Tavares went down with a knee injury at the Olympics. Now picture the Rangers in a race for the playoffs, or the top spot in the division, and Fox, one of the League’s top defensemen and an irreplaceable player on the Rangers roster, is hurt during a game that has nothing to do with the NHL season. There’s no doubt that the players will go all-out and even play hurt when they’re wearing their nation’s colors. But I’ll bet you dollars to doughnuts that while Rangers fans would be delighted to see the United States win gold, they — along with GM Chris Drury and the coaching staff — will be even happier if the five Blueshirts playing in the event come home without any major injuries, ready to resume their pursuit of the Cup.
Jim: Cross those fingers! I will say, as I mentioned before, it was cool to see Richter and Leetch star for the United States in the ’96 World Cup win. And to watch Henrik Lundqvist help Sweden win gold at the 2006 Torino Olympics was awesome. So, yeah, I’m somewhat conflicted here. A big part of me wants no part of it. Another part thinks it’s pretty cool. I’ll tell you what, though. This will be a helluva’ lot more entertaining than the NHL All-Star Game, which is being scrapped this season. And I think it increases interest in the NHL and the sport of hockey much more so than any all-star format the League comes up with.
John: We’ve both covered NHL All-Star Games; the players’ main objective these days often seems to be not to get hurt. They don’t want to lose, but staying in one piece comes first. I agree that the 4 Nations event figures to generate a lot more interest than All-Star Weekend — Canadian friends are already excited, and I can imagine that hockey fans in Sweden and Finland would love nothing more than to show the North Americans how it’s done. Anything that can boost interest in hockey is OK by me, so I’ll be watching — and hoping that the games are good and everyone comes home in one piece.
Jim: This is off the beaten track some, but the one in-season tournament I look forward to every year is right around the corner. That’s the IIHF World Junior Championship. Now that’s something I can get into, and do, every single December-January. I love watching the best U-19 players represent their home countries from all over the world in what is always a great event year after year. It’s a chance to track top prospects from your favorite team or see generational stars like Macklin Celebrini or Connor Bedard or Connor McDavid before they reach the NHL. In a few weeks, Rangers prospects Gabe Perreault, Drew Fortescue and (most likely) EJ Emery will look to help the United States capture gold in consecutive WJC play for the first time ever. The 4 Nations Face-Off? I’m not 100 percent sold. The World Juniors? I’m all in.
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