While many athletes resort to different jobs after retirement, JJ Watt has been lucky. He made smart financial decisions, including buying a stake in EFL club Burnley FC in 2023. Now, he has plenty of time to enjoy other sports, and he was among the many fans excited about the four-nation NHL face-off tournament featuring Sweden, the USA, Canada, and Finland.

While sharing his excitement about the event, Watt also paid tribute to a special person—retired hockey broadcaster Michael “Doc” Emrick. The former Texans defensive end wrote, “Four Nations is the best idea hockey has had in a long time. Only thing missing is Doc Emrick on the call.”

Emrick served as a broadcaster for 50 years before retiring in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic. He remains widely respected in the sports world.

The first media person to be inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011, Don Emerick was loved for breaking the tension of the game with his humorous commentary. Over his 5 decade long career, he won many awards, including 9 times Sports Emmy Awards. By the time JJ Watt grew up, he was already an established name.

The Texans DE also admires him. While watching the Stanley Cup game in 2019, he tweeted, “Game 7. Stanley Cup Final. Doc Emrick is on the Call. Excitement Level: Extremely High. One of the best events in all of sports.” In January 2025, he paid tribute to the retired broadcaster while watching the 4-nation face-off.

The Canada-USA game on February 15 was toughly fought. But the latter won, advancing to the final.

JJ Watt’s childhood love for hockey

There’s a personal connection between hockey and JJ Watt. The DE played hockey for almost a decade from 4 to 13, even going to Germany to play ice hockey games. But he chose football as his career. And it made him the superstar. However, had he not been successful in football, he might have been in the NHL. Who knows?

The tournament is the first international event in a decade with all the major NHL players. And it’s being held in the US and Canada. While most rules are the same, there are quite some surprises like the 10-minute overtime period rather than 5 minutes in the NHL.

For viewers watching the game from home, they can tune in on ABC, ESPN, and TNT while it can also be streamed on Fubo for free. With a 3-1 win over Canada on February 15, team USA has already secured a place in the championship game on February 20. Can they go all the way? JJ Watt will be pumped up if they do.