EDMONTON -- Brad Marchand is looking forward to playing with Connor McDavid at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and hopes he is able to keep pace with the Edmonton Oilers captain this time around.
"I tried it in the [IIHF] World Championships in 2016, and half the time I found myself changing because I couldn't keep up to him," Marchand, the Boston Bruins captain, joked Thursday. "I was like, 'Ah, get someone out there that can actually skate with him.' He's obviously an incredible talent. Not just one of the best right now, but to ever play the game."
Marchand and McDavid were teammates with Canada at the 2016 World Championship in Russia, winning gold. McDavid was 19, fresh off his first season with the Oilers, while Marchand turned 28 during the tournament, and had completed his seventh season with the Bruins.
The two were among the first six players named to Team Canada in June for the 4 Nations Face-Off and could find themselves playing on the same line in the tournament, which will include the United States, Sweden and Finland, and be held Feb. 12-20 at Bell Centre in Montreal and TD Garden in Boston.
"I played with him a little bit in 2016 and he's just a really fun guy to play with," McDavid said Friday. "He works hard, brings a lot of emotion. He does a great job of getting pucks back, getting pucks off the wall, winning those little battles that sometimes go unnoticed and that are crucial in games. He'd be a great winger to have for sure."
Marchand, now 36, had an assist for Boston in a 3-2 overtime loss at Edmonton on Thursday. He has 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists) in 35 games this season. McDavid, 27, who scored the tying goal in the win, has 48 points (15 goals, 33 assists) in 30 games.
"It'll be a treat to be alongside him, be on his team and watch his habits," Marchand said. "That's one of the things that I like to see, guys off the ice or their practice details. You hear a lot about them in the offseason and through different guys that play with these guys and there's a reason why they're the best. It doesn't happen by accident. Same with Sid [Sidney Crosby] and [Nathan] MacKinnon. It's because of the work they put in, and you hear the same thing about Connor. So I'm looking forward to seeing that."
The complete 4 Nations Face-Off rosters were announced Dec. 4 and Canada coach Jon Cooper will have a number of exciting line combinations available to him. Cooper was looking forward to discussing those options with McDavid when the Tampa Bay Lightning were in Edmonton to face the Oilers on Dec. 10, losing 2-1.
"I've spoken to him quite often during this whole process after he was named," Cooper said. "What an impressive kid, and I'm not talking about the hockey part of it. He's really insightful and gives you honest answers and I really appreciate that about him. So I'm really, really looking forward to be able to be behind the bench in February."
Cooper said he has a simple philosophy when it comes to coaching some of the most talented players in the NHL representing Canada. Along with McDavid, Marchand, Crosby and MacKinnon, the roster includes forwards Mitch Marner, Sam Reinhart, Mark Stone, Brayden Point, Sam Bennett, Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel, Seth Jarvis and Travis Konecny.
"Don't screw it up, that's honestly the case," Cooper said. "When you go into a tournament like this, it's basically three games and you hope to play the fourth. At best you have two practices beforehand, so you want to put the players in the best position to succeed. A little bit will be trial and error in the first couple of periods, but they're the best of the best and you talk about hockey sense and players that know what they're doing, for us coaches, just simplify a game plan, don't let them overthink, and just go out and play."
Marchand understands what his role would be if he played alongside McDavid, who is one of the most dynamic offensive players in the NHL. McDavid became the fourth-fastest player to reach 1,000 points in the NHL, hitting the milestone Nov. 14 in his 659th game.
"Guys like that, they want the puck on their stick," Marchand said. "They just need you to get open, need you to get them the puck and find a way to find some space, and if you do it they're going to hit you. It's just about finding that little area on the ice that you're open and you get a shot off and they're going to make things happen out there."
The 4 Nations Face-Off is the first time a tournament will feature a best-on-best format featuring NHL players since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. The NHL also will allow players to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy.
"It's very exciting," Marchand said. "It's one of those things that's a massive privilege to be a part of and play against each other. That's what everyone wants, everyone wants to see the best teams go at it. It's unfortunate that we haven't been able to be part of Olympics the last couple of opportunities, but this is a great preview. Guys are really excited about it, fans are really excited about it. It's a massive honor and it'll be an awesome tournament. The teams, they're all so deep. There are no favorites there. It's pretty incredible."
