How it unfolded
The NHL replaced the All-Star Game with a short national-team tournament among Canada, the U.S., Sweden, and Finland — the first best-on-best international stage with NHL players in nine years since the 2016 World Cup. A Montreal round-robin meeting opened with three fights in nine seconds; the U.S. won 3–1. Boston's final carried the same edge. Brady Tkachuk scored for the U.S.; Nathan MacKinnon answered for Canada. Jake Sanderson and Sam Bennett traded goals in the second for a 2–2 regulation tie. At 8:18 of overtime, Mitch Marner fed Connor McDavid on the right side, and McDavid beat Connor Hellebuyck glove-side high. Jordan Binnington made key saves through overtime. MacKinnon was tournament MVP. The U.S. telecast averaged about 9.3 million viewers — among the most-watched hockey broadcasts in the country outside the Olympics.
Why it still matters
A mid-season format experiment proved international best-on-best remains the sport's premier product. A lukewarm All-Star week turned hot overnight, and the NHL used the momentum to confirm NHL participation at the 2026 Milan Olympics and a 2028 World Cup. For McDavid it was a first defining moment in a national sweater.