USA Win Over Canada Drew Stanley-Cup Level Audience Because American Pride Is Back

Published•Updated

It's not often that hockey takes center stage in the United States, but that was absolutely the case on Saturday night when Team USA took down Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off. 

Even though hockey isn't nearly the most popular sport in the country – not even close – the U.S. hockey stars soundly defeated the Canadian hockey stars – a country where hockey isn't only the most popular sport, but is quite literally the national sport of the nation. 

TV ratings showed that American pride is 100% back. While hockey often struggles to draw big audiences – particularly compared to the other major sports – Saturday's game drew a whopping 4.4 million viewers for ESPN. 

Team USA's win over Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off on Saturday night drew nearly 4.5 million viewers.

Team USA's win over Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off on Saturday night drew nearly 4.5 million viewers.

(Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

According to Sports Media Watch, the game "delivered the largest non-playoff NHL audience since the 2011 Winter Classic" and "among all non-football sportscasts, only five have averaged a larger audience since the World Series, all of them boosted by holiday out-of-home viewing — four NBA Christmas Day games on ESPN/ABC and a Thanksgiving Day Illinois-Arkansas college basketball game on CBS that had a direct lead-in from the NFL." 

Replacing the All Star Game with an international tournament has proved to be a huge success for the NHL, and it sets up perfectly for 2026, when NHL players are set to return to the Olympics. 

RELATED: Team USA Starts Three Fights With Team Canada After Canadians Boo US National Anthem

Back in 2010, Canada and the United States met in the gold medal game with NHL stars participating. That game drew a massive 28 million viewers. American hockey fans should be hoping for a rematch in 2026, but regardless of the opponent, an American appearance in the gold medal game would undoubtedly create intense excitement for a country yearning to celebrate national pride. 

The 4 Nations Face-Off isn't done, either. While Team USA guaranteed its spot in Thursday's championship in Boston, Team Canada is the most likely opponent. If the Canadians beat Finland on Monday in regulation, a team they are heavily favored to defeat, the rematch will commence in Massachusetts.

Should Canada and the USA square-off in the championship matchup on Thursday night, expect far more than 4.5 million Americans to tune into that contest. 

U-S-A, U-S-A! 

Tags
Written by

Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.