Sports
4 Nations Face-Off Proves One Thing: The NHL Needs More of This
Before the puck dropped on the 4 Nations Face-Off final between the United States and Canada, it was clear that the NHL and NHLPA created a big hit with its return to best-on-best competition.
Players on both sides called Thursday’s game in Boston the biggest of their lives.
Coaches marveled at the speed and pace on display all throughout the tournament, and the 3-2 overtime win for Canada in the final was no exception.
A replacement for the NHL All-Star Game? No way.
“Anybody that thought they were going to come in here and see an all-star game was sorely, sorely mistaken,” Canada and Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper said prior to the title game. “This has been anything but. It’s been all stars, but it has not been an all-star game.”
The fans responded in a major way, with the round-robin games drawing an average of 4.6 million viewers across North America. A whopping 10.1 million watched last Saturday’s initial U.S.-Canada clash, marking the largest audience for a non-playoff game since the fourth-ever Winter Classic in 2011 at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field.
The tournament was a who’s who of NHL stars, featuring 28 different Stanley Cup-winning players, 16 winners of major league awards and six former No. 1 overall draft picks.
The likes of Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby—now a six-time champion in international best-on-best play—finally got back on the grand stage, doing anything possible for their respective nations.
Really, how could fans not respond?
“Just from a hockey purist or a hockey fan in general, it’s hard not to get excited about what we’re witnessing,” said U.S. coach Mike Sullivan, who is typically behind Crosby’s bench with the Penguins. “It’s all of the things you hope for in sports, and that’s why we love it. (The sport is) on display right now and I have to believe this tournament is going to have a lasting impact.”
Of course, it was a shining showcase of young talents like Sweden’s Leo Carlsson, the Anaheim Ducks’ No. 2 overall pick two years ago, and 22-year-old American defenseman Brock Faber of the Minnesota Wild.
And while it was not hard to imagine recent No. 1 overall picks like the Chicago Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard and San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini donning the maple leaf sweater in a future tournament like this, the real winners were those watching in awe.
In some ways, it was 1980’s Miracle on Ice all over again in terms of an impact on the sport as a whole.
“It’s pretty cool to think about the next generation and how much this might mean to them,” said U.S. goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner for the Winnipeg Jets.
After two Olympic Winter Games without NHL participation, the players—like Canadian forward and Florida Panthers alternate NHLPA rep Sam Reinhart—have advocated for this type of return for years.
What a return it was. And what an appetizer for Milano Cortina 2026 it was, too.
“It only helps the game; it only helps the league,” Reinhart said. “We both respect what each side is doing from a league and a player standpoint. We both want to push the needle forward, and that’s what an event like this is doing. Certainly a win-win.”
The international flavor will not be over following next year’s Olympics, as the NHL and NHLPA have already announced initial plans for the return of a World Cup of Hockey in 2028. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman expects at least eight teams to participate in that tournament, with games possible outside of North America.
What else is on the horizon for the NHL remains to be seen. If another event like the 4 Nations Face-Off comes around, though, hockey fans certainly would not mind.
And there’s no doubt that players would fall in the same boat as well.
“It would be hard for anybody who watched this tournament not to get excited about participating in it. If you love hockey, it would be hard not to get excited about this,” Sullivan said. “It was just an incredible privilege to be a part of it, quite honestly. And the hockey might have been the best hockey that I’ve ever been associated with. It certainly was the fastest, without a doubt.
If anything has stood out over the past couple of weeks, it’s that best-on-best is the best.
Sports
D.C. United, with help from Toronto, get in win column
Jul 25, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; D.C. United goalkeeper Sean Johnson (1) plays the ball against the Toronto FC during the first half at Audi Field. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images Tai Baribo scored on a penalty kick in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time to give D.C. United a 2-1 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday in Washington.
Baribo’s game-winner came after Toronto’s Jackson Gilman was called for tripping Andre Dozzell in the middle of the penalty box. The call came on a VAR review.
Baribo’s penalty shot was low and inside the left post, out of the reach of Toronto keeper Luka Gavran, who finished with six saves. It was Baribo’s 10th goal this season.
Against his former team, Sean Johnson had six saves as D.C. United (5-5-7, 22 points) snapped a five-match winless streak, which included ties in their previous three games.
D.C. also enhanced its position in the MLS Eastern Conference standings after entering the match holding the bottom rung of the playoff ladder.
Theo Corbeanu scored in the 76th minute for Toronto (3-7-7, 16 points), which also was victimized by an own goal as its winless streak reached 11 games.
D.C. United extended Toronto’s winless streak in Washington to 10 games as well, with the Reds’ last win in D.C. coming in 2016.
D.C. worked for several quality opportunities in the first half before finally cashing in off a corner kick. From the right side, Keisuke Kurokawa sent an in-swinger into the goal area.
Toronto’s Kobe Franklin rose amid a pack of players and inadvertently headed his attempt to clear just inside the left post in the 41st minute.
D.C. United center back Kye Rowles was initially credited with the score before officials switched it to an own goal.
Toronto had difficulty breaking through against Johnson. But after the 37-year-old made two brilliant saves in the second half, the Reds finally cashed in.
The opportunity came after D.C. defender Matti Peltola was called for a foul just outside the penalty box. Walker Zimmerman crossed to Jonathan Osorio, whose header from close range was blocked by Johnson.
But the rebound came to Corbeanu in the middle of the box and his left-footed shot hit the top middle of the net.
It was the first goal for the Reds after playing two scoreless draws following the World Cup pause.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Alan Roden provides only runs in Twins' low-scoring defeat of A's
Jul 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Kendry Rojas (60) throws to the Athletics in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Alan Roden delivered a two-run single in the sixth inning, and that was all the Minnesota Twins needed for a 2-0 win over the Athletics on Saturday evening in Minneapolis.
Ryan Kreidler doubled and stole a base for Minnesota, which evened the series at one win apiece. The rubber match is scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Jeff McNeil accounted for two of the Athletics’ three hits with a pair of doubles.
Twins left-hander Taylor Rogers (6-3) earned the victory with two scoreless innings of relief. Rogers followed starter Kendrys Rojas, who allowed one hit in four scoreless innings.
Athletics right-hander Mason Barnett (1-1) allowed two runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Twins right-hander Yoendrys Gomez fired a scoreless ninth to pick up his 13th save.
After five scoreless innings, Minnesota had runners on second and third with one out in the sixth when Barnett got Victor Caratini to pop out to shallow left field for the second out of the inning.
Roden stepped to the plate and delivered a two-out, two-run single to right field. He pumped his fist as his line-drive hit found an opening between first and second base and allowed Josh Bell and Royce Lewis to score standing up.
The Athletics tried to mount a comeback in the top of the eighth.
Twins reliever Andrew Morris walked the leadoff hitter, Lawrence Butler. Morris snared a one-hop comebacker by Jacob Wilson in the next at-bat and wheeled toward second base to try to start a double play, but his throw sailed wide into right-center field.
Morris’ throwing error put runners at second and third with nobody out. He settled down after a visit from Twins pitching coach Pete Maki and retired the next three batters by striking out Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom and getting Jonah Heim to ground out to short.
That proved to be the Athletics’ last chance to tie or take the lead as they went down 1-2-3 in the ninth, finishing 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranding seven on base.
-Field Level Media
Sports
Hunter Brown in control, Astros down White Sox for 5th straight
Jul 25, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown (58) throws the ball against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Hunter Brown allowed two hits over seven shutout innings and Isaac Paredes drove in three runs to lead the Houston Astros to a 4-1 win over the host Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.
Jeremy Pena was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Paredes 2-for 4 for the Astros, who have won five straight, including the first two of the three-game weekend series.
The White Sox, who managed five hits, have lost three of their last four.
They threatened in the eighth with runners on second and third and two out, but reliever Bennett Sousa replaced Bryan Abreu and got pinch hitter Randall Grichuk on a pop up to first.
After Colson Montgomery’s RBI single in the ninth, Josh Hader came in to get the last two outs for his 12th save.
Brown (2-1) finished strong, setting down 12 consecutive batters from the fourth through seventh innings. The right-hander did not walk a batter and struck out seven as he fired 60 strikes in 90 pitches.
Chicago starter Sean Burke (7-5) surrendered three runs (two earned) on four hits in six innings with a walk and 10 strikeouts.
It was a 0-0 pitcher’s duel through five with Burke also retiring 12 in a row, from the second through the fifth, but heading for trouble.
The streak was broken when Burke hit Cam Smith leading off the sixth. Pena’s single and a walk to Yordan Alvarez loaded the bases. Paredes then grounded a single to right that got past right fielder Braden Montgomery for an error that also allowed Alvarez to score, for a 3-0 Houston lead, and Paredes to reach third.
Burke then limited the damage by getting Jose Altuve on a groundout and striking out LaMonte Wade Jr. and Christian Walker.
Paredes added an RBI single in the eighth to make it 4-0.
White Sox left fielder Sam Antonnaci robbed Paredes, who was leading off the fourth, of a likely home run with a leaping catch of Paredes’ long drive by pulling the ball in just above the fence.
–Field Level Media
D.C. United, with help from Toronto, get in win column
Alan Roden provides only runs in Twins' low-scoring defeat of A's
