Canada vs USA rivalry on peak display as 4 Nations breaks records with 4.4M live viewers: Report

It was a titanic match for the ages last night in Montreal, as Team USA defeated Team Canada by a 3-1 final score as part of the Four Nations Face-Off tournament.

Not only was it a captivating event because of the impressive talent on both teams, but also due to the ongoing complex political landscape between the two countries.

Fans tuned in to watch the on-ice drama unfold in record numbers. The game averaged 4.4 million viewers, in the United States and peaked at 5.2 million viewers according to Nielsen Ratings data, making it the most-watched non Stanley Cup Final game since 2019.

It also represented a 473 percent increase from the ratings of the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and also a 369 percent increase from the average ratings numbers of NHL regular season games that have been broadcast on ABC so far in the 2024-25 NHL season.

There is a chance that Team USA and Team Canada could face one another in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game on Thursday. To have a chance at a rematch, Team Canada would need to beat Team Finland in tomorrow's game at TD Garden in Boston.

Team USA forward Brady Tkachuk was one of three first period fights in the opening nine seconds of play

It was nothing short of a complete melee on the ice in the opening nine seconds of play, as three separate fights broke out - and all of it was organic, according to Brady Tkachuk.

"You know what? I think it just happened pretty organically," Tkachuk said. "Matthew said he wanted to first. Yeah it just happened. And it's over and done with now, now it's an opportunity to win the game."

"Right when we found out the starting lineup, he said he wanted a piece of him [Hagel] and then I coordinated with Benny [Sam Bennett] there and Millsy [J.T. Miller] finished off with a big boy one too."

First, Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk dropped the gloves against Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel.

The next bout was Brady Tkachuk taking on Panthers forward Sam Bennett.

And third, New York Rangers forward J.T. Miller squared off against St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko.

Connor McDavid scored the opening goal of the game in what proved to be Team Canada's only tally of the night. Team USA scored three unanswered goals thanks to a pair of tallies from Jake Guentzel along with a second period goal from Dylan Larkin.

Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves as part of the win, while Jordan Binnington made 20 saves in a losing effort.