With Latest 4 Nations Snafu, NHL Continues to Shoot Themselves in the Promotional Foot – The Hockey Writers 4 Nations Face-off Latest News, Analysis & More

We’re officially less than three weeks away from the highly anticipated 4 Nations Face-Off, where hockey fans will get to see the first best-on-best action since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Yet, somehow, there has been not one single mention of merchandise going up for sale from the National Hockey League (NHL).

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The Hockey Writers got in contact with a representative from the NHL Store in New York City (NYC), who explained they’re expecting the release date to be Feb. 4…which would be just eight days before the tournament kicks off in Montreal. That means it’s highly unlikely that fans will receive anything before the tournament starts, unless they’re in the NYC area and can get their hands on limited in-store stock.

Fans have been itching for official national team merchandise of their favorite players for close to a decade now. Just imagine how well merchandise of Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes, etc. will fly off the shelves – world class players who have not yet suited up for their country at a best-on-best competition.

Common Trend for the NHL

It’s not the first time the NHL has shot themselves in the foot in this regard. The 2024 Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium was a disaster for merchandise sales, as merch released 12 days prior to the event. Many fans did not receive their jerseys until two months after the event already happened, and others had their orders cancelled entirely.

Quite frankly, the NHL had years to prepare for an international event so this is a failure on all accounts. It’s not just the merchandise category they’re lacking in, as TSN’s Insider Trading previously reported that there’s some concern regarding slow-moving Four Nations ticket sales. 

This year’s Winter Classic on Dec. 31 at Wrigley Field received the lowest viewership in the event’s history as it couldn’t even crack a million. Many fans were unaware the event was even happening that day, as opposed to the regular date of Jan. 1, despite it featuring one of the most marketable players in young phenom Connor Bedard.

There’s been many other events that have brought the NHL’s strategies into question, such as the decision to place NHL’s RedZone spinoff, Frozen Frenzy, on NBA Opening Night of all nights. Or having full slates when American football playoffs are on, yet much emptier ones when more eyes would be available.

In an era where the potential for exponential growth exists, it seems the league continually gets in their own way. Because, you know, who really cares about merchandise for the world’s best player and Canadian captain, who has never worn his country’s jersey in a best-on-best competition. (Said with extreme sarcasm.)

Rosters were announced on Dec. 4. They could have easily had the merch ready to go then, leading to a boatload of sales during the holiday season.

Props where props are due; the NHL’s handling of the younger generation has been great. They’ve embraced pop culture, such as inviting Tate McRae and Justin Bieber to last year’s All-Star festivities. Their recent commercials poking lighthearted fun at current trends are also hilarious. Whoever is in charge of all that deserves a say in much bigger decisions, like event scheduling and merchandise planning.

But until then, the NHL will continue to fail to give the fans what they want. If this 4 Nations drop is anything like previous events, stock will be extremely limited, and many people will be left without the shirts or jerseys they’ve waited almost a decade for. When stock is significantly less than demand, ultimately, it hurts the NHL’s pockets along with frustrating their fanbase.

What are your thoughts? Will you be purchasing 4 Nations merchandise if you are able to? Let us know in the comments.