We're approaching the final of the Four Nations tournament. Later tonight, Team USA and Canada will fight it out in T.D. Garden for the right to call themselves the best hockey-playing nation in the world. However, this tournament was split between Montreal and Boston. Montreal and Boston are two of the oldest markets in their respective cities and two cities with incredible atmospheres, but the NHL missed the chance to have this in a better place. New York was the right call for this tournament.
We've seen the NHL leave 6 hours between games to treat the ice in the two buildings. However, New York wouldn't require much time between games. Within proximity of New York City, you have the iconic Madison Square Garden, the new UBS Arena, and, technically, the Prudential Center in Jersey. Even the Barclays Center has hosted NHL games before giving the NHL 5 different venues they could have used in the great city.
Now, there have been some arguments against this. These are some of the most used buildings in the world. The Knicks at the Garden, the Nets at Barclays, and many artists perform across these buildings. That's on top of other things like fights and fairs, and the old Coliseum is now becoming a casino, but that could be used if the price was right for the NHL. However, these buildings are no different from T.D. Garden and the Celtics.
It's led to a debate about where the next tournament should be held when the NHL does this again. California has been an option due to the Kings and Ducks being nearby. Toronto will always be in the conversation. However, the correct answer is the Metropolitan Area from which the NHL division gets its name. Everything the NHL seeks happens in New York.
Montreal and Boston have a unique history of NHL hockey. The New York Rangers are the 2nd oldest American team. They have a legacy intertwined with the New York Americans, and they play in the most iconic building in the world. Between the Rangers, New Jersey Devils, and New York Islanders, you have three of the best atmospheres in hockey, and the three arenas are within an hour of each other. There's no reason a future tournament like this couldn't happen here.