Eric Bolte - Imagn Images
While the NBA sputtered through their All-Star Weekend to mostly negative reviews, a unique format has sent the hockey All-Star Break to new heights. A four-team tournament between the national teams of Finland, Sweden, the United States, and Canada has drawn huge television ratings and a ton of attention.
The USA and Canada will meet in the championship game on Thursday in Boston following a spirited pool play game on Thursday that saw numerous fights take place. Ticket prices for the game are through the roof, rivaling all but the very biggest sporting events in the world.
Saturday’s game was a blockbuster hit. It started out with three fights in the first few seconds of the game just days after Canadian fans booed the national anthem for largely political reasons.
WE'VE GOT A THIRD FIGHT NINE SECONDS INTO THE GAME
JT MILLER AND COLTON PARAYKO 🚨 pic.twitter.com/EcYyGPl8Ir
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 16, 2025
USA won the game, 3-1, snapping a 17-game losing streak against Canada in games that saw each nation’s best players face off. And, with pool play action over, the USA and Canada finished in the top two spots, setting up a rematch in Boston for the championship.
Both of these teams have their sights set on a much bigger prize, the Olympic Gold Medal next year in Milan. But, that doesn’t mean that this game isn’t important. Fans are loving it, too, as four million viewers tuned in to the first game.
That’s reflected in sky-high ticket prices.
4 Nations Face-Off Cup Championship
$237: Get-in price before tournament started
$1,295: Get-in price with Canada and USA advancing
(Ticket Prices via @TickPick) pic.twitter.com/jeDOTKAdWF
— Kyle Zorn (@Kyle_Zorn) February 18, 2025
The only sporting events with higher get-in prices than that are things like the Super Bowl, the College Football Playoff Championship Game, and the final round of The Masters. It’s a ridiculously tough ticket, and fans are laying out a pretty penny to see it.