97.5 The Fanatic Flyers Roundup: NHL 4 Nations Face-Off Captivates Sports Universe
Whether you’re a huge fan of the Philadelphia Flyers or someone who doesn’t know a blue line from a clothesline, you probably tuned in to see Team Canada defeat Team USA in overtime to win the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off at TD Garden.
Injuries to star players, inevitable pushing in future collective bargaining agreements, and other logistics create an uncertain future for international best-on-best hockey.
However, incredible intensity and commitment from the players captivated the sports universe for the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off in a way that niche hockey gatekeepers usually don’t allow.
USA, Canada Ignite Fans at NHL 4 Nations Face-Off
Dropping the gloves has a certain effect on a hockey audience that’s otherwise reserved for schoolchildren crowding in a circle to watch a recess brawl.
Three fights in nine seconds at Bell Centre in Montreal announced to viewers just how seriously to take the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off.
The midseason international best-on-best tournament captivated the sports world with a height greater than an average year in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It quickly exceeded all reasonable expectations and left an audience starving for a North American rematch in Milano Cortina at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Team Canada narrowly kept their American rivals from stealing the temporary crown as the top hockey nation in the world. While Team USA entered the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off favored in most sportsbooks, they came away with only a tease of poetic symmetry.
Connor McDavid’s overtime goal crushed the same anxious American hockey fans who watched Sidney Crosby score the overtime winner in a 3-2 championship game of an international tournament 15 years ago in which Canada had also already lost to Team USA in the preliminary round.
Unlike after their loss in Vancouver at the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Americans have a much quicker opportunity to rebound with the NHL finally set to end a 12-year absence from the Olympics in 2026.
The fisticuffs of Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, the added heat of political tension between nations, and two rivalry battles on alternating soil in Montreal and Boston just wrote a new chapter for the unique place of international best-on-best competition in the history of the game.
The NHL finally stole a victory from the NBA and other professional sports leagues because they dared to ditch an All-Star Game. Instead, their marketable stars McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon faced Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel with effort that exceeded the combined intensity of each league’s All-Star Games over decades.
Flyers at NHL 4 Nations Face-Off
John Tortorella mirrored Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan in a red, white, and blue suit on the American bench that put his typical black jacket with a small Flyers pin to shame.
Philadelphia’s fiery bench boss helped create the mood for the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off by pushing back against the idea that the Flyers and other NHL teams shouldn’t want the disadvantage of their players participating in an intense tournament in the middle of a season.
Sometimes, these events are taken only as seriously as the first impactful voices talking about them.
Travis Sanheim played three of Team Canada’s four games. He registered one assist against Sweden and skated 18:29 in the championship win over Team USA.
“I haven’t really thought about the legacy of what we are doing here. When you are in it, you don’t think about that, you just go out and play. For us, it’s just another hockey game. I think once we get away from here, we’ll look back and understand how big a moment it is. I think it’s a credit to the players and how we have come in and performed and battled, and how all the teams have competed.” –Travis Sanheim (via NHL.com)
Travis Konecny sat as a healthy scratch for both games against Team USA, and he did not find the scoresheet in either of his two games in the lineup. Hockey fans will remember his participation more for riding on Brad Marchand’s back to receive his championship medal.
Late roster addition Sam Ersson surprisingly stood out the most of the three Flyers who participated. The Swedish goaltender turned away 32 of 33 shots he faced in a 2-1 victory over Team USA.
Rasmus Ristolainen skipped the tournament because of a lingering injury despite earning an initial spot for Team Finland.
Flyers Charities Carnival
97.5 The Fanatic will broadcast live at the Flyers Charities Carnival on Sunday, Feb. 23. The Wells Fargo Center will open its doors at 10:30am, and Kevin Cooney and John Kincade will be live from 12pm-3pm. Purchase your tickets here.
The carnival is one of the organization’s many traditions that make the Flyers an irreplaceable part of the city’s sports scene. Fans have the chance to take a shot on goal, play games on the concourse against their favorite players, and even ride a ferris wheel at ice level.
Flyers Charities has developed an excellent reputation locally by supporting families impacted by cancer, promoting inclusion of diverse participants in the sport of hockey, and supporting sustainability and environmental improvement.
Tune into the broadcast for a long list of exciting guests:
- Flyers Governor Dan Hilferty and President Keith Jones
- Current Flyers Erik Johnson and Andrei Kuzmenko
- Former Flyers Wayne Simmonds and Scott Hartnell
- Blair Listino, President of Flyers Charities
- Radio Play-By-Play Voice Tim Saunders
“I’m not sure how long I’ll be here. I just want to leave here knowing that we keep on rising a level. I want the people of the city to be proud of the team. I watch how they feel about the baseball team and the football team. We’re not there yet. I want to do my part to try to get it there. Whether I’m here when we’re winning, I don’t know because it’s going to take a little time. As far as what I felt it was going to be like, I love it.” –John Tortorella at the Flyers Charities Carnival in 2024
Upcoming Schedule
The Flyers resume play with a Saturday matinee against national villain Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. They’ll meet Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby twice in the upcoming week.
- Saturday 2/22 vs. Edmonton Oilers, 1pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
- Sunday 2/23: Flyers Charities Carnival, 12pm-3pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
- Tuesday 2/25 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins at 7pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
- Thursday 2/27 @ Pittsburgh Penguins at 7:30pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
