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When the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (finally) decided to take the Nestea plunge into international hockey again, puck insiders, fans, and the best players from Canada, the U.S. of A., Sweden, and Finland weren’t quite sure what the 4 Nations Face-Off would produce.
Well, the four-team tournament, which culminated in Connor McDavid’s overtime goal to lift Canada over Team USA in the championship game, was a resounding success. The inaugural global hockey event delivered two nail-biting, tough-as-nails contests between the North American rivals, full houses in Montreal and Boston, record television audiences on both sides of the border, and record activity among bettors with legal online sportsbooks.
For more on the impact of the 4 Nations, we were joined on the Gaming News Canada Show, presented by GBG Plc. First, Rob Corte, Vice-President of Sportsnet and NHL Production at Rogers, shared his insights. Then, we brought back DraftKings’ long-time Head of Sportsbook, Johnny Avello, and John Ewing, Media Insights for BetMGM. Both Avello and Ewing spoke with host Steve McAllister about the tournament’s success and its impact on the operations of DraftKings and BetMGM with their respective hockey offerings. They also discussed the potential implications for the Stanley Cup playoffs and the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
We also asked the pair about the upcoming spring sports schedule, including March Madness and the Masters. And we had a chinwag with Avello about the PGA Tour’s recent Waste Management Open and the current state of men’s golf.
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