By Alexander Juliano and Michael Burke @MKTG

The 2025 NHL Four Nations Face-Off marks the return of international, best-on-best hockey after a nine-year hiatus. The USA and Canada will be competing on the ice to determine who hockey's ultimate nation is. But, we had to start the debate off the ice: which nation lays claim to the game today? Has the growth of hockey in the US reached a tipping point where it's surpassed Canada as the game's cultural epicenter? Or is Canada still the “epicentre” of hockey culture?

To discuss, we engaged two of our North American offices. From Toronto, powerplay quarterback Michael Burke, and from Connecticut, face-off specialist Alex Juliano.

Alex:

Let’s drop the puck here. The moment ESPN and TNT acquired the NHL broadcasting rights in 2021, hockey became America’s game. Hot take? We live in the entertainment era, the success of the sport relies on the off-ice product as much as the on-ice product…and the USA knows how to put on a show. A few years later, the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs were the most watched ever. Coincidence? I think not.

These networks are shaping the conversation around the new era of hockey with how they cover the league. The ESPN panel features the likes of New York messiah, Mark Messier and Norris Trophy winner PK Subban, while Pat McAfee ACTUALLY features hockey content during his leading daytime sports talk show. Over on TNT, grinder turned media superstar and co-host of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, Paul Bissonette, is the most entertaining personality in the game, engaging tons of young fans. The USA is driving the cultural conversation around hockey today, it’s a fact.

Michael:

The recent momentum in the US is exciting for the future success of the game, but Canada has always and will always be the heart of hockey culture, because we care about the game more than anyone. Our recent MKTG Fanspeed survey gave us some insight into this; 73% of Canadians view hockey as “Canada’s Game”, and 63% believe that hockey brings their family and friends closer together. Putting the stats aside, just consider this - Canadians can buy hockey cards with their morning coffee at Tim Hortons! Dare I say Canada lives and breathes hockey more than the US does Football?

Alex:

Shouldn’t 100% of Canada boast hockey as “Canada’s Game” 😉. The growth of the NHL in the US goes far beyond broadcast, as we’ve welcomed the last three new NHL franchises in Las Vegas, Seattle and Utah. These clubs have backed up the hype, too. The Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in just their 6th season and are known for the league’s best in-arena fan experience. The Seattle Kraken teamed up with Amazon to build the most progressive and sustainable arena in the world, where they transformed Pacific Northwest rainwater into their playing surface. This season, the NHL welcomed a young, ambitious owner in Ryan Smith to lead the Utah Hockey Club, and he’s attempting to bridge the gap between the NBA and NHL.

Michael:

It’s great having awesome rinks in awesome markets, but you need superstar players to fill them and put young fans in seats. For MKTG’s DECODING 360, we asked Gen Z what the biggest impact on their enjoyment of sports was. They were the only generation who said “their favourite athlete playing” was equally as important as “their favourite team playing”. And what country is supplying generational talents? Crosby, McDavid and now Bedard are all Canadian. Oh, and the last three playoff MVPs were Canadian – Makar, Marchessault and McDavid. Did you watch McDavid in the Amazon Prime Docu-Series?

Alex:

I sure did watch Amazon’s “FACEOFF: Inside the NHL”, where American personalities exuded over the likes of McDavid, and his fear of ketchup. The Tkachuk brothers stole the show and spoiler alert Matthew Tkachuk won the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers over McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers. The incredibly engaging Tkachuk brothers show how influential and marketable American players are over Canadians. Another set of American brothers, the Hughes bros, are the cover athletes of EA Sports NHL ’25. While the Arizona-raised Auston Matthews (nicknamed “Papi” because of his Mexican roots) leads the mecca of hockey, Toronto Maple Leafs - and he’s bringing a completely new energy to the league. Matthews’ fashion statements, brand deals and GQ partnerships are something young hockey fans have been craving.

Michael:

Nice to see you admit Toronto is the mecca of hockey! And I love Matthews as much as anyone. He’s hanging out with Canadian icon Justin Bieber a lot - another Canuck doing big things for hockey culture in the mainstream. We’re touching upon what young fans love about hockey, so I got to bring up the new Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), because Canadians are ready to make it a massive success.

In a recent FanSpeed survey, we learned just over half of Canadians are interested in watching women’s hockey.  While Gen Z were 20% more likely than other generations to show a unique interest in following the women’s game. And it’s not just female fans, 3.9 million men are more interested in watching than they were 5 years ago. Women’s hockey will play a massive role in defining the future of hockey culture and Canadians will be at the centre of it. Not just our supportive fans, but players like Spooner, Nurse and oh ya, the first overall pick of your very own New York Sirens – Sarah Fillier.

 Alex:

Even though I’m American, I stand with those 3.9M Canadian men excited about women’s hockey. Shoutout to my niece, LP, who hopes to dawn the American flag on the ice one day!  I’m not alone in the States either, there are already talks of PWHL expansion in US cities like Raleigh, Buffalo, Detroit, St. Louis, Denver and Seattle. The State of Hockey, Minnesota, even set the first attendance record for the most watched professional women’s ice hockey game with 13,316 people at Excel Energy Center earlier this year, while featuring the first ever PWHL draft pick, American-Taylor Heise.

 Michael:

Okay, unless you’re ready to drop the gloves at the next agency social, let’s agree to disagree on which country is the home of hockey today. What we can agree on, is that when it comes to hockey as a game and business - there’s a lot to be excited about for both countries. New media and markets are evolving the way fans watch and engage. The players are talented as ever but becoming more marketable and embracing the spotlight. And the women’s game has arrived, impacting and diversifying how fans can access and experience hockey.

 Alex:

The best part about hockey is shaking hands after it’s all said it done. There is a lot to be excited about in the sport - for both fans and brands. Propelled by a rise in hockey’s cultural influence and the new wave of players and teams, the next chapter of the game is unfolding and I’m all in, before the final buzzer sounds.