Now, it is on the NHL to retain all those new fans. Now, it is on Team USA to do what it could not Thursday and win gold a year from now at the Olympics.

The sporting world was captivated by the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off that concluded with the Canada-USA overtime thriller on Thursday night. The tournament that was mostly contrived as a midseason appetizer for next year's Olympics took on a life of its own.

Boston should feel proud of its hockey fans. By not booing during the Canadian national anthem on Thursday, they continued to acquit themselves with class during the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off. Fans in Montreal lustily booed The Star-Spangled Banner before Team USA’s two games at the Bell Centre as a gesture of protest to Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs and threats to use economic

How well did the final of the 4 Nations Face-Off perform? Well enough to make hockey look great. And to make it look bad. Via FrontOfficeSports.com, the game between the U.S. and Canada attracted an average audience of 9.