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So, yes, backup goalie Adin Hill was on the bus from the team hotel to the practice facility south of Montreal on Thursday. Then third-string goalie Sam Montembeault. Then healthy scratch Sam Bennett. Then healthy scratch Travis Sanheim — who’s going to have a bigger role after Shea Theodore suffered a series-ending injury.

What none expected to see was what happened next: Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon joined them.

“When we got on the bus and I saw them walk on, I was a little shocked,” said Sanheim. “I thought maybe they were coming to cold tub/hot tub instead of hopping on the ice. That’s just who they are. They enjoy working and getting better at their craft. You can take a lot from them.”

The friends from Cole Harbour, N.S., were the first on the ice at the CN Sports Complex, working on their shots, on the cycle, on passes to the slot from behind the net.

“It just shows their work ethic and their will to be the best,” said Bennett. “I think they both played over 20 minutes last night, and that wasn’t an easy game by any means. So, to show up here and be the first guys on the ice again, it just shows their character.”

Canadian coach Jon Cooper wasn’t surprised.

“Those two, they’re hockey junkies,” said Cooper. “Everything is about the game, and they talk about the game, they live the game and you don’t see that a ton. When you rise to this level, you can have a tendency to take your foot off the gas or get used to the life. I’ve watched it countless times with players. But those two, they don’t take it for granted.”

As much as Marner was the man of the moment in Wednesday night’s 4-3 victory over Sweden, Crosby is the man of the tournament. He’s adored in Montreal because he played for Rimouski of the Quebec league, learned some French as a teenager and has represented Canada proudly.

They gave him a rousing cheer during introductions before chanting his name throughout the opener and when he was named the game’s MVP.

Cooper delivered a viral quote about Crosby post-game that will probably follow the three-time Stanley Cup champion to the Hockey Hall of Fame: “He will go down as the greatest player to ever represent his country.”  

The national team’s win streak with Crosby in the lineup is astounding: 26 victories dating back to the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. That’s 2010 and 2014 gold at the Olympics, the 2015 world championship, 2016 World Cup of Hockey gold. The last time Canada lost with Crosby in the lineup was Feb. 21, 2010 to the U.S. in the preliminary round at the Vancouver Olympics.

“His demeanour on the bench, he says all the right things at the right time,” Cooper said of Crosby. “And then you need to lift, team’s pushing, he’s the one that sets up the helper. You need a lift in overtime, he’s the one that sets it up.

“It’s no coincidence, his record when he’s wearing a Canadian jersey. It’s not a fluke.”

As for MacKinnon, he’s living his dream on the same line as Crosby, the hero from the same hometown. As anyone who has ever watched a Tim Hortons commercial would know, they are joined at the hip — except when they play for their respective NHL teams.

As much as Connor McDavid is Crosby’s heir as the best player in the game, MacKinnon sets just as high a bar, largely because he has learned directly from Crosby. Their habits are on full display for  other Canadian players to take in.

“You can see players watch them,” said Cooper. “They watch what they do. I think when you leave these events, you’re going to take away the experience and the euphoria and all the things that happen. But you hope you take away the example of ... how they act, how they conduct themselves.

“When they show up to the rink, what they do at the rink, how long they’re at the podium. When they stop and talk to fans on the street, and all those things that just promote the wellness of the game, and those two guys have it.”