Those are huge numbers for a hockey game, and they show that the NHL had the right idea with this tournament. The biggest takeaway here is that hockey fans were craving a best-on-best tournament after not having one for more than a decade. The good news is they are set to have a bunch of them in the coming seasons with the league's return to the Olympics in 2026 and the World Cup of Hockey. If this tournament is any indicator, the hockey events will not only be amazing, but they will also be highly anticipated. The question is whether or not these ratings will mean anything for the NHL. It is going to be difficult to hook fans who tuned in for an international game when the stakes are not as high and the talent on the ice is not as elite. There was also a huge political backdrop to these games that no doubt brought in viewers who might not have otherwise given these games an ounce of thought. There is no guarantee you bring those viewers back, either. The NHL does not have a great track record of sustaining viewership success after these events. However, those are issues for another day for the NHL. In the short term, the NHL is going to enjoy one of the few marketing wins it has had over the past few decades.