Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon — two close friends and occasional actors in television commercials — were the first players on the ice Thursday morning for an optional Team Canada practice.
Normally, that wouldn’t be a shock. There’s a reason why some players are good while others are great.
But what made this slightly stunning — the snowstorm that hit Montreal notwithstanding — was the two were the last players to meet the media Wednesday night, well after midnight, following Canada’s 4-3 overtime win against Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off at the Bell Centre. Crosby, Canada’s captain, had three assists and was named the game’s first star. MacKinnon opened the scoring with a power-play goal in the first minute, led all players with six shots, and was particularly effective in overtime.
While neither player was made available to the media on Thursday at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard, others who participated in the brief on-ice session could only marvel at the appearance of the NHL stars.
“It just shows their work ethic and their will to be the best,” said Florida forward Sam Bennett, who was a healthy scratch against the Swedes. “It just shows, it’s not easy. I think they both played, what, over 20 minutes last night. And it wasn’t an easy game by any means. To show up here and be the first guys on the ice, it just shows their character.”
“When we got on the bus and saw them walk on I was a little shocked,” said Philadelphia’s Travis Sanheim. “I thought maybe they were coming to use the hot tub or cold tub instead of hopping on the ice. That’s just who they are. They enjoy working and getting better at their craft. We can take a lot from them.”
Sanheim, 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, wasn’t dressed as the seventh defenceman for Canada’s opener. But he’ll get to play Saturday night at the Bell Centre (8 p.m., SN, TVA Sports) against the U.S. following an injury to Shea Theodore.
Theodore, who plays for Vegas, sustained an upper-body injury to his right side early in the second period after being taken into the boards by Adrian Kempe. He didn’t return and will miss the remainder of the competition. Theodore’s injury forced head coach Jon Cooper to rotate the remaining five healthy defencemen who dressed for the game — the majority of whom played well over 22 minutes. Only 35-year-old Drew Doughty, who was teamed with Theodore, played less. And he was on the ice for almost 19 minutes.
Sanheim, who shoots left, was the Flyers’ first-round (17th overall) draft choice in 2014. He has six goals and 27 points in 57 games this season. He’s considered a good puck-mover who leans on his offensive ability to compensate for any defensive shortcomings.
“Obviously you worry about (Theodore),” Sanheim said. “You don’t want to see anyone get hurt. I obviously felt for him, knowing how much it meant to him to be a part of this.
“I guess the other side of this is I get to play,” the 28-year-old native of Elkhorn, Man., said. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s something I’ve dreamt of doing. I’m very excited and told them I’d be ready if they needed me. You hate to see it happen this way but I’m looking forward to it.”
Meanwhile, the players who participated Thursday morning once again marvelled at the pace of Wednesday’s game and the electric atmosphere inside the Bell Centre. And that was against Sweden. Imagine how the intensity will be heightened against the U.S., given the political landscape and tariffs soon to be imposed, by President Donald Trump against Canada.
“It was pretty crazy, honestly,” said Canadiens goaltender Samuel Montembeault, who was a healthy scratch against Sweden. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen it that packed. There wasn’t an empty seat, even starting with the warm-up. Everybody was so excited and couldn’t wait for the game to start. You could already feel the energy. Obviously the start of the game, everybody was looking forward to seeing (Canada’s) power play. It took them 12 seconds. Obviously, it got the whole building going.”
Montembeault said he has come to grips with the potential of not playing in this tournament, although Cooper could decide to dress him as Jordan Binnington’s backup Saturday. Vegas’s Adin Hill also is on the roster.
“I’m trying not to think too much about it,” Montembeault said. “I’m just happy to be a part of this team and live this experience. I’m a positive guy. I’m going to work hard and support the guys that are playing. It’s special for me … to wear this jersey and be here in Montreal.”