"Not the same in basketball when we play in Olympics" - Stand-up comic Denis Leary offers bold 4 Nations take

The 2025 4 Nations Face-Off was a major success for the NHL. It took place from February 12–20 in Montreal and Boston. It replaced the NHL All-Star Game and featured NHL players from Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States.

The 4 Nations Face-Off final had 16.1 million viewers in North America. The U.S. had 9.3 million viewers, and Canada had 6.3 million. It was the second-most-watched hockey game in ten years, with only the 2024 Stanley Cup Final having more viewers.

Canada won the tournament, beating the U.S. 3–2 in overtime and it was ESPN+’s most-viewed non-NFL game.

On March 14, the 4 Nations Face-Off also received praise from Actor and comedian Denis Leary. He joined The Rich Eisen Show where among other things he also talked about the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off.

"Loved it—totally locked in. It’s great," Leary said. [5:18] "I'm pissed that we lost Charlie McAvoy with the Bruins, right? And Tkachuk getting hurt too. But at the same time, the intensity is unmatched. There's nothing like the Olympics or international competition. It's the best. It’s not the same in basketball when we go out and play in the Olympics—this is on another level."

Previously, Leary also reshared a video of Brad Marchand on his X account. It was a fun interview for the Canadian forward meant to entertain the fans.

Canada's 3-2 win over the U.S. came at a time during political tensions between both countries adding even more attention to the event. Fans were too emotionally involved and booed national anthems in response.

The tournament used NHL rules and included 23-player rosters. National governing bodies selected the players. Later after the success of the event, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed NHL players in the 2026 and 2030 Olympics.

Brady Tkachuk confirmed the premeditated fights during the USA-Canada game in 4 Nations

Brady Tkachuk talked about the fights during the USA-Canada game at the 4 Nations Face-Off. He shared details on Pardon My Take. Before the game, Team USA wanted to show unity in Montreal. Matthew Tkachuk decided to fight first and told Brady to go next.

“Matthew [Tkachuk] looks at me and goes…he’s like, ‘alright, I’m first shift. I’m going at him.’ And then he tells me, ‘I’m gonna grab Benny [Sam Bennett] off the bench,' who’s his teammate in Florida and ‘you’re coming out.’ So we’re going next," Brady said about the three fights in first 9 seconds.

Matthew fought Brandon Hagel two seconds into the game. Brady then fought Sam Bennett, followed by J.T. Miller fighting Colton Parayko.