OverDrive - Masters on the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, Crosby and MacKinnon playing together and McDavid's role on the team

Episode Date: February 11, 2025

TSN Reporter Mark Masters joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, the atmosphere and views of the games, Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon playing on the same line, Connor McDavid's role on the team, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander representing from the Maple Leafs and more.

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Switch to Bell PureFiber, Canada's fastest internet, awarded by UCCLA. Starting from $60 a month. Visit bell.ca for more details and to check availability. Masters, are you there? Are you going to stiff us or what's going on? I'm here. I don't know what happened before. I think the reception down here and the bells of the Bell Center can be a bit spotty, but I'm here now. What is with the food you're eating with Rashad and Kenzie? Can you explain that before we get into the hockey stuff? Yeah, it's just some homemade granola.

Very lucky that my wife packed it for me and been eating it. I can't remember how long it started, but certainly Jonas was a big influence early on and when I first joined the Leafs beat, I was guzzling pop in the press box and going out and eating unhealthy and Jonas really put me on the on the straight line to success I feel like and healthier snacks and Granola and stuff I I know both Kenzie and Ryan were really impressed with me yesterday So that was you know, you know I I'm getting older now on the beats and being at TSN and try and take on more of a leadership role

So it was great to kind of set an example for them yesterday that way. I know, but it's like the four nations, I bet, I actually know that all the media members, the old school guys, are fired up to be in Montreal. Like, have you not joined them? Because I know there would be cocktails later in the evening when everyone's filed their piece away,

and it's time to go out. No, I mean, I did, you know, I had a great night last night. Pierre Lebron took us out, which was great, for Team TSN meal. It was awesome. TJ, Chris Johnston was there, you know, Ryan Rashog, it was awesome. Bruce Garriott, we had a great meal and then went out with, I had some great Perrier, had some great sparkling water at a local watering hole with some of my colleagues because obviously you've got to keep the mind sharp for today's big media

day. But yeah, we had a good time last night. Montreal is such a great city and it feels like everyone is here. So yeah, I let my hair down as much as my hair will go down these days. Well, let me, you know what, I just, we'll put a bow on it. Montreal can be done so many different ways as far as enjoyment. So did you see, have you seen anybody from the media side really enjoying? Without naming names.

No naming names, but where you're like, okay, this guy's really here. Four Nations comes in second as far as his efforts because it's the nightlife of Montreal, then Four Nations will get to it today. I haven't seen that yet. I can't say that. I mean, it's early yet in the Four Nations phase-off, so we'll see. But so far it seems like everyone's been well behaved. But then again, I'm not staying out perhaps as late as others.

All right, Masters, let's get into a little Four Nations talk. You're there, you're on the scene. When everyone's getting together for the scrums, what is the number one storyline that everyone, boots on the ground, wants to get to first? Yeah, I think there's just so much going on here. The availability is just overwhelming, to be honest with you. Everyone's available every day. It's crazy. Obviously, Sidney Crosby, you know, was the big focus on day one from the Team Canada side. And then today was the naming of the starting goaltender, Jordan Finnington, was the big

story on the Canadian side. So those two stories, the goaltending and the return of Sidney Crosby from injury and then to this kind of the captaincy of Canada has been big. And just from the Leafs side of things, I know I've been focusing in on Mitch Marner on the top line, Officer Matthews is the captain, William Nylander taking on a front line role, all three of the Maple Leafs are in our pretty premier positions here. So there's been a lot, there's just it's hard, it's just everywhere you look there's interesting stuff being said, Drew Doughty was holding court, he's hilarious, he's amazing, so fun to talk to him, Brad

Marchand. Yeah, there's just a lot going on. This is what makes these kinds of events so special, I think. Masters, as far as the one thing we've been talking about and wondering about is the intensity of what's going to be happening on the ice. Have you got any sense from any of the players on any team what's going to be happening when the puck drops as far as like intensity, checking, hatred, do you think it'll all be there? I think so. I mean, that's actually the story I'm writing up right now for SportsCenter, was like, and it's kind of drilling on Matthew Kachuk and Brad Marshand, who are two of the premier

kind of agitators past whatever you want to call them in the NHL. Like are they going to do that to their teammates? Like is Brad Marshand going to get after Charlie McEvoy, Elias Lindholm on team Sweden there? Like is he gonna go after them? Is Matthew Goodchuk gonna take a run at Sam Reinhardt? Like I was curious and Matthew Goodchuk was all busy. He says Team USA is treating this as four game sevens.

Like this is as meaningful as it gets for them. They've all waited basically their entire hockey lives to get the best on best for this generation of player for the most part and they're taking this very seriously and you know yeah I think I'm sure Saturday night for sure I'm convinced Canada US is going to be something special and they're gonna they're gonna take it very seriously and it's gonna be intense I don't know I don't know what the crowd's gonna be like tomorrow I don't know how the crowd's going to be like tomorrow. I don't know How the players are going to do it deal with it for Canada Sweden I know I can tell you like Marner and Elan or Matthew say they're not talking to each other since they landed like they're just

In with their team, so they're taking it serious in that regard like there's no you know They'll be friends when this is over basically kind of thing. So I think it's going to be intense I mean, that's certainly what they're saying So I think it's going to be intense. That's certainly what they're saying. There's some uncertainty with it. We'll see exactly how crazy is it a game seven like Matthew Kachuk says. I'm not sure, but we'll find out a little bit more tomorrow night. So what do you make of Sidney Crosby and Nathan McKinnon?

It's Crosby at center, all of a sudden it's McKinnon. Do you think that's maybe some gamesmanship from John Cooper or what's the thought process of how he's going to deploy his lines? Yeah, you do wonder if maybe there's something tied to the injury that he was dealing with that would make it easier for him to play the wing instead of center because it certainly looked like he was going to be Crosby in the middle yesterday and now today McKinnon. Ultimately, you know, either way, you know, you're in good shape with either guy as long as they're together. The question is what, you know, what's Crosby gonna look like once things get going for real? He's looked good in practices, looks like himself, but, you know,

he hasn't played for a bit, he missed those two games and is he gonna be able to rev it up to the Sidney Crosby that we've come to know? So, that's a big question mark going into the game. I mean, they have an extra guy that can always rest them, but the way the tournament is built is like if you lose game one, that could be it. Like, there could be a three-way tie at two and one and the 13th out. Of course, back in 2016, we saw North America get eliminated on a tiebreaker. They didn't quite understand what they had to do to pull the goalie late in the third period to get a win in regulation against Sweden.

It's going to be tight. There's very little margin for error. Yeah, I'm not sure. I think that's a big question, Mark. Going into tomorrow, is Crosby going to be as close as he can be to 100%? In your conversations with people there, is it kind of turned into a little bit of a it's Canada versus USA and Sweden and Finland are out of sight, out of mind or a tear behind or are people giving all four nations that are in this tournament a legitimate chance

to win? It does feel like there's that upper class. That's just my sense, Canada the US and then we'll see Sweden maybe and then Finland just because of the injury they had to hasten in and They've been dealing with some injuries especially in defense like they're they're pretty thin on the depth chart there it does feel like it's Canada US and then Sweden and then Finland, but Yeah, I've been in too many just the world juniors You always Finland always goes in being doubted and then they end up being a surprise and they're there at the end somehow so i think it's cautious

the way the people are approaching and i think canada and the u.s. if the u.s. is in the favor their joint favorites with canada and then sweden is certainly capable of beating either team although you know could they beat both of them in the tournament that's that's a question mark and then finland is seen as the big underdog that's just the sense being here mark since this i mean they've only been there on the ice a couple of times, but the one guy that I haven't really heard from, and it's the guy that I think we could be saying when this is over, it was the McDavid tournament.

Have you seen anything from him kind of off the ice, on the ice, where you're like, this guy looks kind of, he's got that look in his eye? Or it's just kind of been quiet around the McDavid front because it's usually he's the main guy and it's everything's about him. Yeah it is he has kind of been quieter in terms of just kind of coming into this tournament. I was I haven't actually you know we've been dividing conquering obviously we've got Kenzie is here and Ryan Rashad and I haven't been in a in a McDavid scrum yet but I've reviewed it and I've listened back and obviously

if you know on the ice he looks like McDavid he looks like himself it's he doesn't it's hard to read right in terms of like fired up or why not it's there's you know you'd expect like this is gonna be we've been waiting a long time to see this you know McDavid Crosby on the same team Crosby the captain but McDavid kind of the number one center how's's it all going to come together and is he going to take control of this event like he's capable of doing? And you know, he's playing with Marner, a guy who's never played with before, he's been pumped for that.

Marner, you know, it's two practices and then you're into the game tomorrow. There's just not a lot of time to generate chemistry. So yeah, I don't know. It's hard to get a read on him again. As you mentioned, it's only been a couple of practices, but it's hard to imagine Canada winning the tournament if McDavid's not top level McDavid. That's added to the list of things to watch tomorrow. Just speaking quickly of Marner, what do you make?

Do you think this tournament could be a game changer for him on a lot of different levels? We know what he's like in the regular season, but playing some best on best or best against other countries best, do you think this can help him in a small amount, learn some next level type of competes and playing and maybe learning from some of the best that are on his team? Yeah, I think so. I mean, it was a little bit of a lighthearted moment in his media session. He was getting asked about losing to Nylander at the Worlds, and I guess he has a losing record against Austin

internationally as well. And he's just like, wow, you guys are really bringing some fun stuff here. And it was kind of a lighthearted thing. But I'm sure for him to have a story where he's the guy and his team wins, and he got a silver at their world championship lost in the gold medal game to Sweden and William Nylander you know in the I believe it was the 2017 world so I think for him to have a run where he's the top kind of

one of the top guys in Canada goes on to win an inter big best on best international event can only help him same thing for Austin Matthews same thing for William Nylander. If you're a Leafs fan, you're hoping that someone's walking away from this event feeling really darn good about themselves and full of confidence for what they can do at the pressure levels. But I guess if you really wanted it to be someone, it would be Marner just because he's taken so much flack in the market over the years because of the playoffs, rightly or wrongly. So yeah, I mean, I think it'd be great. He's right there with McDavid. McDavidid mcdavid's been praising him i was in

emminton right before the least played there and mcdavid was comparing him to dry saddle with the way he's able to slow down the game um there's a legitimate excitement and genuine enthusiasm for those two guys to play together for the first time in their careers um so yeah i mean i think it could be a big big moment for mitch Mitch Marner kind of a coming out party of sorts Just it's for a lot of guys just because they we haven't seen this kind of best on best stuff But for Mitch Marner for sure he's certainly capable of it. He's having a career season. He's coming in with a lot of confidence This could be his this could be one of his you know big moments You know mark because we haven't had best on best and you know Crosby hasn't gone to the men's worlds in a long time

There's a lot of guys that this would be the first time that they get to see him You know in the dressing room kind of do the day-to-day stuff see the leadership all that stuff that you would notice behind the curtain Maybe if you were a player only What do you make of? The you know like is it like? Everyone's wanting to see what Sid does on a day-to-day hour to hour or is it just like he's you know, like, is it like everyone's wanting to see what Sid does on a day to day, hour to hour, or is it just like he's, you know, he's one of the guys and we're all cool with it, but it seems like with Sid it's like there's like a mystic kind of thing about

him that everyone would want to see. Yeah, that's certainly what they're saying, and it's hard to write. It's like it's, it's, it sounds like it almost doesn't sound like a real person when the guys describe him. It's like almost a god-like figure with just the human he is and the player he is and what he's done in his career. So I think that there's a good chunk of the Canadian dress room that's just kind of looking over at him in awe and just grateful for the chance to work with him. And John Cooper waxing poetic today about texting with him and calling him and talking to him and getting to know him a bit more over this process and everyone

is just so excited for that and that's just one of the big things. Like I remember when Crosby had the injury and we were, you know, Marner was asked about it, I think we were in Seattle and he was, you know, they're like, what about this injury? He might not play. And Marner was like, that would suck so much. And Rourke really worried about it, not because necessarily of the player he was, but of course that's part of it because he wanted the opportunity just to be in the dressing room and be teammates with the guy that he grew up idolizing. So yeah, but the sirens have faded when it comes to to cross the status of the book that you go back

it's not like we're all done here well done let me just ask you before we get you out of here masters if some media members say tonight's the night like we're kicking off the tournament we want everyone hanging from the ceilings tonight will you partake in that or we use it and they are not on a game night. No, we gotta get rested up. Dude, you're not a player. I'm darn, I gotta match them. I gotta be there reporting

here in the morning. I don't know. I think the NHL is doing a reception today, but it's a little earlier. So that'll be good for the media. I don't know. We'll see. See what the field's feelings like. But the tournament's just getting going here. You want to pace yourself, so we'll see. We'll see how the mood strikes. All right, Pal. We appreciate you doing this, Mark.

Thanks, guys. Appreciate it. All right. See you later. There's Mark Masters, who's in Montreal, one of the greatest places for hockey people to gather, and he's eating bird seed out of a Ziploc bag with a spoon. It's – I don't know. That's quite a scene, man.