Connor McDavid reflects on the need of best-on-best showdown among elite players

The opening fixture of the 4 Nations Face-Off showed exactly why the best-on-best tournaments can rally excitement. The best players for Team Canada and Team Sweden took to the ice in Montreal with the crowd at the Bell Centre cheering on the home team. Connor McDavid appreciated the efforts behind putting together the concept of the tourney and hoped for more.

While there was limited fan buzz around the 4 Nations Face-Off, all NHL players participating in the tournament are invested in it as it's first time they get to represent their countries. Team Canada alternate captain, Connor McDavid who has been an advocate for needing to play more best-on-best tournaments in the past reiterated his point in the post-game presser, saying:

"I've been saying we've been missing best on best. And you know, that's obviously why, you know that's as high end a game as you're going to find, as fast a game as you're going to find skilled, great players doing great things. That's what we've been missing for a decade now. And it was a great game all around and something the fans enjoyed, something that the players enjoyed a lot. I know I had a lot of fun."

Connor McDavid and Team Canada scrapped past Team Sweden in overtime. Sidney Crosby, who got three assists on the night, set up Mitch Marner's sudden-death goal. A new format was adopted for overtime with three-on-three matchup on the ice with OT set to last for ten minutes.

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Gary Bettman announces revival of World Cup of Hockey

Ahead of the first game, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman in the pre-tournament press conference announced that the league will start accepting bids from North American and even European cities for the revamped World Cup of Hockey set to be played three years from now.

The 4 Nations Face-Off will act as a curtain raiser for a sustained set of best-on-best international tournaments where the top players will be representing their countries. The Winter Olympics and the World Cup of Hockey will be played in alternate years.

"We couldn't be more excited about making a reality: Olympics, World Cups, Olympics, World Cups on a regular schedule of the best hockey players in the world representing their countries," Bettman said. "We know the full blown World Cup is going to be sensational."

There is already a lot of anticipation for the Winter Olympics for next year set to be held in Milan-Cortina. It will be the first time that NHL players will participate at the showcase event since 2014 Sochi Olympics. Meanwhile, the 2028 World Cup of Hockey will be the first of its kind since 2016.