BOSTON — Jon Cooper was in celebration mode.
Canada had just won a dramatic 3-2 victory against the United States to capture the 4 Nations Face-Off.
As champagne bottles popped and beer cans cracked after Connor McDavid's overtime winner late Thursday night, the country's head coach was already starting to think about the NHL's return to the Olympics.
"It's immeasurable what's gone on here," Cooper, a cup of something stronger than coffee at his side, said of the league getting back to high-level international competition. "To be around this group and understand who we have, how they can play, what they can do, build the relationships.
"We're just that much farther ahead."
The league will be back at the Olympics in 12 months after last participating 11 years ago. The NHL went to five consecutive Games between 1998 and 2014, but bailed on 2018 for financial reasons before having 2022 plans scrapped by COVID-19 concerns.
The 4 Nations, which also included Sweden and Finland, was served as a tantalizing appetizer for fans with the 2026 Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy, on deck.
And it was crucial for national programs that rarely get top talent under one roof at the same time.
"Huge," said Sweden head coach Sam Hallam, whose country finished third despite not losing any of its preliminary round games in regulation. "The learning points we drew for this tournament were big — system-wise, team character-wise, what we need to improve to change the small margins over to our advantage."
Canadian captain Sidney Crosby scored in OT to beat the Americans for gold at the 2010 Olympics before leading the country to another podium-topping performance four years later. But after nearly a decade without anything resembling best-on-best hockey following the 2016 World Cup, he said it was important to get the next generation acclimatized.
"It was something everyone really looked forward to," said the 37-year-old captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins. "Especially us with such a new group."
"It's a confidence-builder knowing that we can beat anybody," added McDavid, captain of the Edmonton Oilers.
Canada's Nathan MacKinnon — the 4 Nations MVP with four goals — is in his 12th NHL season, but pulled on the red Maple Leaf for the first time against the game's best.
"Felt like a little kid coming to this tournament," said the Colorado Avalanche centre. "I didn't know what to expect, didn't know where you really fit in. A year from now, it'll be a lot more comfortable."
Finnish forward Patrik Laine of the Montreal Canadiens said his group has a better understanding of what this level of competition requires.
"It's a good stepping point to the Olympics to see where we are," he said. "Everybody needs to see what they need to work on."
Sweden's William Nylander said his country was well-served by the tournament's big stage.
"It's given us some confidence, to be honest, playing in tight games with the best teams, the best players in the world," said the Toronto Maple Leafs forward. "That's very good for us going into the Olympics."
The NHL also announced its aiming to restart the World Cup cycle in 2028 in hopes of having best-on-best tournaments alternate every two years.
U.S. forward Dylan Larkin said the immediate lesson for his program is that foundations are built not only at high-profile events like the Olympics, World Cups or the one-off 4 Nations, but by having players compete at the world championships each spring if their teams' NHL seasons are over.
"That's where it starts," said the Detroit Red Wings captain. "Pride for your country, pride for the flag and that crest. This grew the game really well, but I hope it pushes guys to want a piece of this."
Swedish defenceman Erik Karlsson said competing in high-pressure situations like the ones in Montreal and Boston this month can't be discounted.
"There's not many times you get an opportunity to play games where it's just one game and it's do or die," said the Pittsburgh Penguins blueliner. "It's like a Game 7. They're hard to come by. We got three of them this tournament. Hopefully we take the right lessons from it."
The 4 Nations set the table. The Olympic main course isn't far down the road.
"This tournament will help us moving forward as a group," said Cooper, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Tampa Bay Lightning. "It was a massive success all the way around. Moving onto Milan, this is big step."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 21, 2025.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
