Mark Madden: 4 Nations Face-Off generated buzz that NHL cannot maintain

The afterglow of witnessing such hotly contested action duly noted, the 4 Nations Face-Off (and international hockey in general) is oddly counterproductive to the NHL.

The league sabotages its own product via epic confrontations like both U.S.-Canada games.

The resumption of the NHL regular season will seem lackluster.

Even the Stanley Cup playoffs won’t compare.

By the time two teams get to the Stanley Cup Final, they will have played 82 regular-season games and three postseason rounds. Those teams will be exhausted physically and mentally.

The playoffs are about survival. The 4 Nations tournament was dynamic and had scads more talent.

The 4 Nations accrued monster TV ratings. Those won’t carry over to the NHL, probably not even a little.

The buzz for hockey will die.

ESPN televises hockey by way of filler. The commitment is minimal, as reflected by hockey’s absolute absence from discussion during the Worldwide Leader’s daily debate shows.

Except during the homestretch of the 4 Nations Face-Off. Hockey was front and center. P.K. Subban became a star. Stephen A. Smith looked like he wanted to vomit.

That goes away now. Time to return to endless drivel about the NFL offseason.

The benchmark is established. International hockey is the hockey that matters. Not the NHL. It doesn’t feel like that’s temporary.

Who wants to watch Chicago at Columbus on Saturday? Not me.

The Penguins resume their schedule against Washington. Sidney Crosby is drained from the 4 Nations, probably hung over. The Capitals are rested. None of them participated in the 4 Nations. That figures.

This is a rare occasion where the NFL is jealous. The NFL can’t showcase their product via international competition. There’s nobody for America to play.

More international hockey is on the horizon.

NHL players return to next year’s Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. (If Russia isn’t allowed to play, NHL players shouldn’t go. The result gets neutered.) The NHL is planning a World Cup of Hockey for 2028. It looks like international hockey featuring NHLers will be played every other year.

There’s already a cry for more: “Why can’t they do it every year?”

Because that would dilute it. Infrequency makes it special. Remember when outdoor games used to be a big deal? The NHL made them a common occurrence, and to no good effect.

International hockey is also too physically demanding. The U.S.-Canada games were like five-car pileups. Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk and Boston’s Charlie McAvoy likely will be out significant periods. International hockey doesn’t pay Tkachuk and McAvoy. The Panthers and Bruins do.

The tournament was special, if you ignore the absence of Russia. (Everybody is.)

It came at a time of rare political intrigue between the U.S. and Canada, and when the U.S. had a team as talented as Canada’s, if not more so. Any other matchup in the final wouldn’t have mattered. The 4 Nations was a perfect storm of hockey hype.

The final was brilliant.

No fingers should be pointed or blame assigned in the aftermath of that game. Both sides performed admirably, were well-assembled and well-coached.

Canada won. Like always.

Crosby won. Like always.

Crosby has become Tom Brady. Crosby is the guy who wins.