The NHL season resumed last weekend after being off for two weeks due to the 4 Nations Face-Off.

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The league created a best-on-best tournament between the United States, Canada, Finland, and Sweden since it had been nine years without best-on-best hockey between these countries.

All four countries played one another during the round robin portion of the tournament before the United States and Canada squared off for the championship last Thursday.

The game delivered monstrous ratings, averaging 9.252 million viewers, making it the most-watched non-Olympic hockey contest on record.

This tournament occurred during NBA All-Star Weekend, leading to sports media members comparing the two events.

Tom Brady looks on.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 12: Tom Brady looks on from the field during warmups prior to an NFL football wild card playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on January 12, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Tom Brady, the lead NFL analyst for FOX during the regular season, touched on this in his newsletter and wasn’t happy that some media members were comparing the two sports.

“The tournament took place at the same time as NBA All-Star Weekend, which is an event that has become more of a skills showcase over the years and could not be more different from the Four Nations Face-Off if it took place on the moon

For some reason, the contrast between these two events turned the sports news cycle into a referendum on the intensity of the NBA all-star game and the quality of participation from the sport’s superstars, instead of a whole-hearted celebration of amazing end-to-end hockey,” Brady wrote.

TOM BRADY | Today news

“It was so confusing. Why were we talking about LeBron’s decision not to suit up and the lack of defense in the All-Star game when we could be talking about the Tkatchuk brothers dropping the gloves like a scene out of Slapshot?” Brady added.

The game between the U.S. and Canada was settled in overtime, and thanks to Canada superstar Connor McDavid, Canada came out on top, 3-2.

It was a great appetizer for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will see the return of NHL players for the first time in 12 years.