The anticipation for the 4 Nations Face-Off is at an all-time high. Sadly, broadcasting is not. And this time? Fans are not happy. At the moment, Team USA is facing Canada in a very crucial match at the Bell Centre in Montreal and the Americans are leading 2-1. However, for thousands of fans eager to watch the show live, the event soon transformed into an annoying experience.

Rather than being able to witness this exciting fight live, fans were met with yet another broadcasting issue. In a game that is as intense as this one, it is not a wonder that the fans are not holding their feelings back.

Just a few hours before puck drop, the San Jose Sharks PR team took to X on February 15th to break some news that Bay Area fans definitely didn’t want to hear, “BROADCAST ALERT. We’ve been made aware that unfortunately, for those located in the Bay Area, today’s USA/Canada Four Nations game at 5pm will not be carried live on ABC/KGO7. If you have Xfinity cable, you should be able to access the game on Channel 715 and it will also be available on ESPN+.” And let’s just say… fans were not having it.

One frustrated fan took to the comments, venting their disbelief: “Absolutely ridiculous it’s not on ABC. How do you grow the game in the Bay Area? I thought I was going crazy that I couldn’t find it. Now I’m watching it on ESPN+.” And honestly, can you blame them? This is not any ordinary hockey match, it is the USA against Canada, a battle that could hot up the ice. In the blink of an eye, gloves were dropping and fists were finding, setting the tone for a game that was anything but friendly.

Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Hagel wasted no time, throwing down right at center ice. And before the dust could settle, Brady Tkachuk and Sam Bennett squared up at the very next faceoff. As if that wasn’t enough, J.T. Miller and Colton Parayko jumped into the mix after a heated scuffle around Canada’s net. Three fights in nine seconds? Yeah, this one was personal. But this is just the beginning!

4 Nations’ broadcasting faces the heat!

Another fan jumped in, saying, “The NHL continues to get in their own way of promoting their sport.” And honestly, can you even argue? Braylon Breeze, who is responsible for the hockey media—ratings, the schedule, and the all-important broadcasting contracts—spelled it out. He noted that the coverage of the 4 Nations has not been very representative of USA Hockey at all.

“My only gripe,” he noted, “has been the lack of USA Hockey representation. Ryan Callahan is the only full-time talent they have who has played best-on-best for Team USA. still, it would’ve been nice to have him a part of the coverage.” Meanwhile, TNT has been leaning into that international flavor, bringing in legends like Tony Granato and Tuukka Rask. Safe to say, fans are noticing the difference!

Another fan didn’t hold back, saying, “Mainstream tv hates NHL and hockey in general.” Indeed, with all the broadcasting chaos, it’s hard to disagree. A few days ago, Ryan Hana of @WingedWheelPod, broke down the absolute drag that is watching an NHL game and it was not sugarcoated. “You need about a half-dozen different services/subscriptions to watch NHL games, & even then you’re blacked out randomly or there’s some random switch to a different network that you can only access if you answer these riddles three.” And the cherry on top? “Best sport in the world and nobody can watch.” Ouch.

Fans immediately jumped in, nodding furiously in agreement. Between subscriptions, power outages, and attempts at guessing which network or streaming service has the rights to the live broadcast, watching hockey has turned into a sport of its own. “I don’t have ESPN+ only Disney+ but some how the game is playing on Disney+,” wrote one fan. Well, at least they got to watch the game.

Another fan jumped into the chaos, dropping a take that had hockey Twitter buzzing: “Airing the Chinese New Year parade over this is CRAZY work.” And honestly? The frustration is real. At this point, it’s crystal clear—one can conclude that broadcasting problems and NHL fans are a match made in heaven, as much as overtime and disappointment.