When NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the 4 Nations Face-Off at the 2024 All-Star game, he unknowingly set a ball rolling that would change hockey forever. A year later, the NHL is now “re-evaluating” the chances of trading the traditional All-Star game altogether for an international tournament. “I think we’ve raised the bar about as high as you can,” Bettman said in March. Unprecedented success is what you call it. And now, the recently concluded IIHF Women’s World Championships just received their own boasting rights.

From raking up millions of digital views even at the round robin portion of the tournament, the NHL and NHLPA’s joint venture proved to be a milestone for the sport. However, the defeat of Team USA to Canada in the 4 Nations final dampened the mood somewhat, despite the success of the tournament overall. But the women’s contingent of the country’s national hockey team just made up for that loss, and also made history of their own at the IIHF Women’s World Championships.

Just hours ago, Team USA defeated arch-rivals Canada in Czechia to win its 11th Women’s Worlds gold. The US looked fragile at one point in the game as they had up a 2-goal second-period lead, but bounced back to clinch a 4-3 OT win. A massive feat, indeed. And they pulled it off in front of a large and bustling crowd. The official X account of TOGETHXR, co-founded by soccer star Alex Morgan, took to the platform on April 21 to highlight how a massive swarm of fans had gathered in Ceske Budejovice to watch the USA’s triumph. Captioned, “A new record, a new era,” the post reveals that the attendance at the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championships was the highest in the tournament’s history.

A jaw-dropping 122,331 hockey fanatics had shown up to watch the championship game of the international women’s hockey tournament. Along with being the most-attended game in the tournament, the US vs. Canada IIHF Women’s World Championships final was also the longest game in Women’s Worlds history. Tessa Janecke’s 17:06 goal brought an end to the nail-biter as Team USA clinched victory from the neighbors in the way the latter bagged the win at the 4 Nations Face Off from Auston Matthews & Co. in February.

However, it wasn’t only in terms of winning the match that the IIHF Women’s World Championships did better than the 4 Nations final. At the USA vs. Canada match in the inaugural tournament, there were only 17,850 fans in attendance at TD Garden, whereas the Women’s World’s final game between the North American heavyweights made history tonight with its attendance numbers. Talk about leaving the competition in the dust! But while that was undoubtedly a seminal moment for the sport, can it take things to the next level in the coming days?

Could the IIHF Women’s World Championships follow in the 4 Nations’ footsteps?

February’s international event between four of the world’s best hockey teams proved, beyond any doubt, that hockey had immense potential to grow. “It’s been absolutely incredible the impact this tournament and that this team’s had on the whole country,” Team USA star Matthew Tkachuk told Sportset before the final game of the tournament. Canadian centre Nathan MacKinnon voiced a similar opinion: “It was much more popular than even we would have imagined — it was getting so much attention from our whole continent.” MacKinnon and Tkachuk’s female colleagues think the recently concluded 12-day-long IIHF Women’s World Championships has had similar effects as well.

“I think this is a watershed moment for women’s hockey, and it’s really exciting to be a part of,” Hilary Knight, captain of Team USA, said. Knight became the all-time highest scorer in terms of assists in the IIHF Women’s World Championships history, making the victory all the sweeter for herself and her teammates. However, it still remains to be seen if she and the USA women’s hockey team can go on to create for themselves a vision for the future like their male counterparts.

The 4 Nations’ success has bolstered the idea that Team USA can make its presence felt at the 2026 Milan Olympics. A tall ask, no wonder. But if February’s show was any indication, we have only positive hope for next year. But can the IIHF Women’s World Championships triumph do the same for Knight & Co.? What do you think? Tell us!