A 3–2 Canada overtime win capped off the 4 Nations Face-Off, and only a day later, it’s time to focus back on the NHL’s regular season. Initially, the Vancouver Canucks had at least one representative per team in the tournament, with two of their players selected for Team USA. However, J.T. Miller was soon traded, and Quinn Hughes sat out of the tournament due to injury. Elias Pettersson and Kevin Lankinen were the only two Canucks to actually play for their respective nations. Although neither Pettersson nor Lankinen made it to the championship game, this tournament can still be considered a win for the Canucks — here are some reasons why. 

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First, the tournament came at a pretty good time for the Canucks’ injuries (if there could ever be one). Hughes, while having missed four games prior to the start of the break, got an extra cushion of time to rest up and make sure he completely recovered from his ailment before hopping back into play. This also gave Thatcher Demko, who had left Vancouver’s last game due to an injury, more time to determine his condition. While he is due to be re-evaluated after the team comes back from their five-game road trip on March 1, it’s better that he got the extra two weeks to rest up. 

For the two Canucks that did play in games during the 4 Nations Face-Off, this tournament was a good way of testing the waters of facing international competition ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics that will be taking place within the same time frame next season. While neither player particularly impressed during this year’s tournament, to look at this on a positive note, the 4 Nations could be seen as a warm-up for what’s to come rather than an audition. Both Pettersson and Lankinen have represented their countries before, during the World Juniors and World Championships, but neither have done so in at least five years. As it stands, it’s likely that both will make their respective teams — so these three games alongside their countrymen were a good indicator of how things could shape up next year in Milan. 

In a more general way, this tournament did wonders for the national pride of all Canadian hockey fans — many of whom support the NHL’s seven Canadian teams. From the first drop of the puck at Montréal’s Bell Centre, it was obvious that there was much more to this tournament than just another replacement for the All-Star Game. This tournament truly encapsulated the term “best on best” with the pregarme ceremonies fueled with history and electric performances from icons of the game. For a moment, Canucks fans ignored their past rivalries and screamed when Connor McDavid tucked home the overtime winner on Thursday night against Team USA. Some may have even cheered for Brad Marchand. These instances are very unlikely to continue upon the resumption of the regular season, but it’s still something that arguably hasn’t been accomplished since the Olympics. 

Let’s face it: the 4 Nations Face-Off brought a lot more to the table than what it may have expected it to. Considering the fact that this tournament was brought in to replace NHL All-Star Weekend, which hadn’t been quite popular in recent years, it’s done more than what it needed. The attention that the NHL has garnered from this tournament has surpassed local hockey circles, for better or worse. As memorable as this tournament was for players and fans alike, it’s time for the Canucks to set their sights on their path to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

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