Nova Scotia's Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Brad ...

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Just when you think Nova Scotia’s hockey stars can’t do any more to grow their legendary status, they add another chapter.

Cole Harbour’s Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon continue to carry Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off and Hammonds Plains’ Brad Marchand has emerged as the team’s voice and heartbeat. After MacKinnon scored twice and Crosby clinched Monday’s 5-3 win over Finland with a gritty insurance goal, head coach Jon Cooper went so far as to describe his captain in borderline messiah-like fashion.

“You see somebody from afar and then you don’t want to be disappointed when you meet them in person,” Cooper said about Crosby in a media session. “You want to meet your hero and you want them to be your hero. Honestly, a lot of times it doesn’t happen. And how many times have you said ‘Man, I wish (I hadn’t).’ You look at them in a certain light. Well the light that you look at Sidney Crosby is still the same light when you meet him.

“He’s been a true inspiration to all the young guys in our locker room and even older guys. In our country, he walks on water and he is as humble as they come. You can see why he arguably is one of the most respected people in this game.”

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As hyperbolic as that statement may be, Cooper isn’t the only one offering awestruck words. There’s been an endless stream of reverential remarks from Crosby’s Canadian teammates throughout the tournament and they continued after his two points against Finland put him in a tie for the tournament scoring lead with five points in three games.

“It’s been eye-opening to see what it takes to be as good as he is,” two-time Stanley Cup champion Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning told reporters. “It’s just been awesome to be a part of a team that he’s on.”

MacKinnon is also impressing everyone across the board as he continues to score huge goals and drop jaws with his nearly unmatched speed. MacKinnon is tied for the tournament lead with three goals and provides leadership in his own blunt force kind of way.

Teammates and opponents alike are getting a close-up look at the burning intensity that separates him from almost everyone in the game. When asked about the upcoming rematch with the United States in a championship game that promises to be as heated as the epic preliminary round meeting, the Colorado Avalanche star was to the point in a way that was a tad intimidating in its brevity.

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Marchand’s sense of humour is making him popular across the board as well. The Bruins captain joked about getting lost on his way to the visitors’ dressing room at Boston’s TD Garden prior to the game.

“I didn’t really know where I was going,” he kidded. “I couldn’t find anything. But that’s part of the experience.”

Cameras also caught the 36-year-old winger taking extra steps to include fans in the experience of the tournament. He spotted a group of Nova Scotians behind one of the team benches who were holding a sign that read: Gas from Nova Scotia to Boston: $1,029. Tickets to the game: $387. Hotel room: $963. Getting a puck from you guys: Priceless.

Marchand located a puck and flipped it to the delighted fans before heading to the dressing room.

“It’s special,” he said. “You don’t normally get to play in a game like this on this stage in the arena I’ve been a part of for so many years. A lot of fans and friends and family in the building tonight so it was special.”

The championship game is also in Boston on Thursday at 9 p.m. For a tournament that started out amid some skepticism around whether it was little more than an exhibition alternative to the stale All-star game, the players have proven it is much more than that.

“There’s no bigger rivalry in hockey than Canada-U.S. and I think it’s the match-up everybody wanted,” said Marchand, who added it wouldn’t even surprise him to be booed in Boston on Thursday. “It’s going to be an extremely intense game. We’re looking forward to it.”

“It’s been a lot of fun,” he continued. “The pace of these games is incredible. I think the fans are really understanding that when you put teams together, it’s not a showcase. Guys are out to play for blood and they’re out to win and they take a tremendous amount of pride.”

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