Hockey might not have the same chokehold on America as football, but that could be changing fast. The NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off is turning heads, pulling in fans who never cared about the sport before. Suddenly, people are making game-night plans, ordering food, and treating it like a major event—kinda like the Super Bowl but on ice. It’s wild to see, and no one summed it up better than JJ Watt.

The NFL legend JJ Watt took to social media to hype up the tournament, saying, “Friends who never watched a hockey game in their lives reaching out asking what the plan is for tonight’s game, what food we’re ordering, etc.” That’s how you know hockey is having a moment. The 4 Nations Face-Off has brought a fresh energy, making it feel bigger than your typical mid-season matchups. With Team USA, Canada, Finland, and Sweden battling it out, it’s got that international drama fans love.

The tournament, running from Feb. 12-20, replaced the NHL All-Star Game this year, and honestly, it was the best decision. Held in Montreal and Boston, the games have been nothing short of electric. The format is simple—round-robin play leading up to a championship game, and it’s been giving fans some seriously intense matchups. Team USA vs. Team Canada has been a rivalry to watch, with every game feeling like it could go down in history.

Now, with the final set for Feb. 20 at TD Garden, the hype is real. ESPN and ESPN+ are broadcasting it, and with how much buzz this tourney has created, expect some serious viewership numbers. Whether this is just a moment or the start of something bigger for hockey in the U.S., one thing’s clear—people are paying attention, JJ Watt is paying attention and the NHL just scored big-time.

Hockey’s main character era: America’s new sports obsession?

Hockey’s been creeping up the U.S. sports rankings, and the numbers prove it’s not just a temporary fling. The NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off is pulling in serious viewership, with the USA vs. Canada game racking up 10.1 million viewers across North America—a 203% increase from their 2016 World Cup of Hockey matchup. That’s a wild jump, and it’s not just lifelong hockey fans tuning in. Casuals are suddenly locked in, making game-night plans like it’s the Super Bowl. The NHL has been waiting for a moment like this, and it looks like they finally got it.

The hype around the 4 Nations Face-Off is completely real, and it’s all thanks to the tournament-style setup. Instead of the usual All-Star Game, this event went all-in on high-stakes international hockey, featuring Team USA, Canada, Finland, and Sweden in a round-robin format. The result? Intense rivalries, meaningful games, and edge-of-your-seat drama. Take the USA-Canada game, for example—it was so heated that three fights broke out in the first nine seconds. That kind of energy is impossible to ignore, and it’s exactly what’s drawing in new fans.

The numbers don’t lie: the USA-Canada matchup averaged 4.4 million viewers on ABC, peaking at 5.2 million, making it the most-watched non-Stanley Cup Final NHL game since 2019. And it’s not just TV—social media is buzzing too, with NHL content engagement up 140% since the tournament started. If this momentum keeps up, hockey could seriously become America’s next big sports obsession. The NHL might have finally cracked the code to go mainstream.