It’s been nearly a decade since the NHL’s top talent last competed in an international tournament. Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand was among those who competed in the 2016 World Cup all those year years ago. Naturally, getting to don the maple leaf jersey once again after so many years for the 4 Nations Face-Off has the Bruins star quite excited.

While the 4 Nations Face-Off doesn’t have the prestige of the World Cup or the Olympics, it’s still an opportunity for Canada’s top hockey talents to play together. Marchand is so excited about the prospect of sharing the ice with stars such as Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and others that he won’t regret it, even if he doesn’t get to skate.

Brad Marchand expressed his excitement while speaking to NHL.com about the rare opportunity. “I’m just so thrilled to be part of the team. I don’t care if I fill water bottles the whole tournament. I’m just happy to be there,” said the NHL forward. The 36-year-old is especially excited to play alongside his fellow Nova Scotia natives Crosby and MacKinnon.

“Especially with those two guys where we have a different bond, and it’s a different storyline,” Marchand told NHL.com. However, the ice hockey veteran doesn’t mind playing with any of the players on Team Canada’s roster during the tournament. “Every player on that team is a star, in their own way,” the Boston Bruins forward added.

Besides playing alongside Canada’s best, simply representing the maple leaf on the international stage is cause for celebration for Brad Marchand. While the Boston Bruins star has represented his nation in the past, donning that national jersey never gets old. “There’s a tremendous amount of pride with that,” said Marchand.

However, national pride aside, there’s a good reason why Marchand is excited to play alongside Sidney Crosby. That’s because there was a good chance the Penguins star may have had to skip the tournament. In fact, Crosby himself was excited to get the green light to participate.

Brad Marchand’s national teammate was down but not out

February started on a terrible note for the Pittsburgh Penguins star. Not only did his team lose to the New Jersey Devils in overtime, but Crosby got “tangled up” with Luke Hughes and Erik Haula during the final phase. While the 37-year-old continued playing and finished the game, the Penguins later announced that he had sustained an injury.

Things remained uncertain, with Brad Marchand’s Team Canada teammate missing the following Penguins clashes. “Team Canada is cautiously optimistic, I would say, that the captain will be in the lineup six days from now,” said NHL insider Frank Seravalli. However, Crosby, who hadn’t missed a regular season game since 2022, was adamant about getting back on his feet.

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Thankfully, that determination has paid off, as Sidney Crosby participated in the Team Canada practice session on Monday. “I’ve talked to docs here and had some good dialogue with the coaches,” the 37-year-old disclosed while declaring that he was fit to participate in the tournament. The entire Canada squad was relieved to hear the news.

“All of us would have been really bummed if he wasn’t here,” said NHL‘s Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon. So it’s safe to say Team Canada member shares the same excitement as Brad Marchand regarding the upcoming international tournament.