Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand is expected to play on a line with Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett for Team Canada's Feb. 15 contest against Team USA. This is undoubtedly notable, as Bennett memorably injured Marchand during last year's playoff with a sucker punch to the head.

Brad Marchand spoke clearly about his relationship with Sam Bennett on Team Canada after rivalry episodes in the NHL, during Boston Bruins vs Florida Panthers games.

There it is. With those words, the gauntlet has officially been thrown down for Canada-U.S. on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), the highlight of the 4 Nations Face-Off to date. And leading the charge for Canada’s pushback will be the unlikely duo of Bennett and his long-time rival Brad Marchand.

The game was just nine seconds old and there were three donnybrooks. “We needed to send a message," U.S. forward Matthew Tkachuk said.

Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand seem more than ready to work together for the sake of Team Canada. It would seem they’ve forgotten their rivalries and suddenly become fast friends.

Off, the bruising centre had to be disappointed at being a healthy scratch for his country's tournament opener. Bennett, a Stanley Cup champion last June with the Florida Panthers, remained eager to do whatever he could to help his teammates prepare for the next test.