Notebook: Team Canada ready for Team USA

OTTAWA -- Team Canada forward Brad Marchand said he's hoping people can see past his reputation as an agitator and see a pretty good hockey player.
Marchand, of the Boston Bruins, was sixth in the NHL with 37 goals and was tied for fourth in the League with 27 even-strength goals last season.
"I've been labeled with that (an agitator) from day one in the League," Marchand said. "That's fine because that's what I had to do to get in here and sometimes that's what you have to do to get in the League, you have to play a certain role and then you can evolve into the player you want to be later on. It's a reputation that's stuck with me.

"Each year I focus on being a better player than an agitator and I think the last couple of years it's kind of come out. I just want to continue to build on that and this is a big step in the right direction. Hopefully I've got a lot of hockey left and I can continue to get better every year."

Marchand, 28, has scored at least 20 goals in each of his five full NHL seasons and had 18 in the shortened 2012-13 season.
When plans to hold the World Cup of Hockey 2016 were announced, Marchand said he made it a goal to make Team Canada.
"I just remember as soon as I got the call, I started tearing up," he said. "I couldn't believe it all kind of came together. It was a dream come true and such a big honor. This is the biggest stage you can play on. You're playing with the best players in the world. It kind of brings you to the next elite level. I was ecstatic to get that call. I think I called everyone."
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Team Canada forward Jonathan Toews said he hadn't heard from Chicago Blackhawks teammate Patrick Kane, a member of Team USA, heading into their pretournament game Friday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus (7:00 p.m. ET; ESPNU, SN1, SN360, TVA Sports).
"No contact yet, but I wouldn't rule that out for tomorrow night," Toews said Thursday. "Even though it's an exhibition game coming up against the U.S., there's going to be some friendly rivalry I guess amongst some [NHL] teammates."
Toews was asked if he might occasionally remind Kane of Canada's back-to-back Olympic gold medals.
"I don't have to personally remind him, but I think a lot of other people maybe do that for me," Toews said.

Team Canada forward Joe Thornton said he's been going back and forth with Team USA captain Joe Pavelski, his teammate with the San Jose Sharks.
"We've been texting, so I'm sure we'll text tonight and tomorrow morning," Thornton said. "It will be fun to play against him."
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Team Canada forward Ryan Getzlaf said one of goaltender Carey Price's best attributes is his ability to remain even keeled when the tension is at its highest.
"That's what [Price] brings every day," Getzlaf, a teammate of Price's at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, said. "He's very calm in the net and he has a calming effect on the whole game. He makes every save look pretty effortless. It really calms your group down when things get a little helter skelter on the ice, which makes him one of the best goalies in the world."
Price will see his first game action since Nov. 25 against Team USA on Friday.
The Montreal Canadiens goaltender sustained a knee injury which kept him out for the rest of the 2015-16 season.