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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.

Then came a tap on the shoulder from head coach Jon Cooper — the 28-year-old would be in the lineup Saturday night against the United States.

“Haven’t been able to wipe the smile off my face,” Bennett said. “Just happy to get to prove my worth.” 

The Holland Landing, Ont., product grew up playing alongside Connor McDavid in minor hockey. Now the pair are set to take on Canada’s biggest rival.

“Super thrilled,” Bennett said. “Can’t wait to get in the lineup and help this team in any way that I can.”

That will include doing what he does best — playing a tough, physical, skilled game — on a line with fellow agitator Brad Marchand and Seth Jarvis against an opponent with plenty of sandpaper of its own, namely the brotherly duo of Matthew and Brady Tkachuk.

“Plays very hard,” Marchand said of Bennett. “Great asset to the team. He’s a competitor, seen it first-hand.”

That up-close look the Bruins captain referenced came in last spring’s playoffs when Bennett got away with a sucker punch that forced Marchand to miss Games 4 and 5 of Boston’s second-round series against Florida with an upper-body injury.

Whatever the emotions might have been at the time, the temporary linemates at this round-robin tournament that’s a table-setter for the NHL’s Olympic return in 2026 have moved on.

“I’m not passing him the puck,” Marchand joked. “Whatever happens out there during the season, you let it go. We’re all here for the same reason and fighting for the same goal. Those are things we can laugh about.” 

The six-foot-one, 193-pound Bennett said what previously happened on the ice stays there, especially when pulling on the red Maple Leaf.

“It’s never personal,” he said. ”(Marchand’s) been super good to me. He’s one of the leaders in this locker room. You can just feel his presence. He’s been great taking me in.

“Excited to get the chance to play with him and create a little havoc.” 

Canadian captain Sidney Crosby said Bennett and Marchand know how to walk the emotional and physical line in big games.

“The edge that they bring is important, but also you’ve still got to play hockey,” said the 2010 and 2014 Olympic gold medallist. “They’re really good at finding that balance.”

McDavid, whose Edmonton Oilers lost to the Panthers in the most recent Cup final, is keenly aware of what Bennett can offer in high-pressure moments.

“Big and strong,” said the superstar centre. “I expect him to bring his energy. He’s a great player. He scores big goals and does all of it. Expect him to jump right in.” 

Cooper said inserting the No. 4 overall pick at the 2014 NHL draft in the lineup at the 4 Nations — the closest men’s hockey has seen to best-on-best play since the 2016 World Cup — for Travis Konecny isn’t just about the physical play the Americans are expected bring, including from Florida teammate Matthew Tkachuk.

“It’ll be interesting if Sam and Matthew meet in a corner at some point,” the coach mused. “He said to me, ‘Coop, if you asked me to play on this team and you told me I wasn’t going to play any of the games, I still would have come.’ 

“You’re cheering for somebody with that type of attitude.” 

Bennett couldn’t wipe the grin off his face as he peeled off his gear and reflected on a big moment just one sleep away.

“Pretty remarkable,” he added. “A moment you dream about as a kid.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 14, 2025.