TORONTO – It may be five more years before we see elite-level hockey that compares with the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, which concluded last night with Canada’s 3-2 victory over Finland. Eight teams comprised of the NHL’s brightest stars competed hard for two weeks, presenting hockey in a very positive light. Yet just as in 1994, when the Rangers led hockey to the forefront of the national sports landscape, an impending work stoppage threatens to sap the league of any momentum gained by this wonderful tournament.

Last night’s final was a back-and-forth struggle that represented the very best that the NHL has to offer. Just 52 seconds into the game, Mario Lemieux and Team Canada served notice to their Finnish opponents that they meant business. A give-and-go play between Joe Sakic and Lemieux culminated when Lemieux fed a smooth cross-ice pass to Sakic, who one-timed the puck past an out-of-position Miikka Kiprusoff. Up 1-0, the Canadians were in a familiar position – they never trailed in the tournament.

It looked as though the Finns would quickly tie the game, but Martin Brodeur sprawled across the goal crease to make a spectacular save on Niko Kapanen. The Devils goaltender was suffering from an injury to his left glove-hand, and it was not known until game-time whether he would play, but that stellar save quickly dispelled any concerns about whether he was game-ready. Brodeur made 27 saves.

Moments later, Martin St. Louis broke into the Finnish zone for an incredible scoring chance for Team Canada, but a brilliant diving poke check by defenseman Aki Berg – normally a whipping boy for Maple Leafs fans at the Air Canada Centre – kept the Canadians’ lead to one. The hard-charging Canadians nearly scored again one minute later when Sakic lobbed a pass to center ice and Lemieux deftly batted it towards the goal, but Kiprusoff dropped down quickly and made an excellent toe save.

On the ensuing rush, Finland rewarded Kiprusoff for his efforts, scoring the game-tying goal when Riku Hahl deflected a Toni Lydman point shot past Brodeur. When the second assist, awarded to Berg, was announced, the partisan crowd erupted in boos.

Early in the second period, Canadian defenseman Scott Niedermayer fired a feeble shot past Kiprusoff to give Canada a 2-1 lead, but Niedermayer quickly gave that one back. Throughout the first period, Niedermayer looked nothing like the man who won the Norris Trophy last season. He made some terrible passes in the defensive zone and looked uncomfortable handling the puck, but the worst was yet to come.

With the clock ticking down in the second, Finnish winger Tuomo Ruutu blew past Brad Richards in the neutral zone and slickly avoided Simon Gagne along the rightwing boards. The last man back was Niedermayer, but Ruutu easily skipped around the defenseman’s careless checking attempt, then ripped a wrist shot past Brodeur to tie the game.

One minute into the third period, Canada struck back. Shane Doan cycled the puck along the boards to Joe Thornton, then moved toward the front of the net. Thornton backhanded a pass back to Doan, who patiently moved across the crease before driving the puck past an overextended Kiprusoff to give Canada a 3-2 lead.

Thornton was the best player on the ice all night for Canada, and though the Sakic-Lemieux-Jarome Iginla line generated the lion’s share of the scoring chances, it was the Boston Bruins center’s checking line that dominated play.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Canadian fans erupted in a frenzy of joy and relief. But the euphoria will likely be short-lived, as the collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and its players expires at midnight today.

All indications are that the NHL will be out of action for quite some time, with some speculating that the entire 2004-05 season could be lost. If that’s the case, the damage done to hockey’s U.S. fan base could be irreparable. For a sport that is so new in so many of its 24 American markets, a lengthy work stoppage could cost both the players and owners much more than what they’re fighting for as they try to negotiate a favorable agreement.

For hockey fans everywhere, here’s to hoping that cooler heads prevail.

Mr. Greenstein is the editor in chief of insidehockey.com.