NHL stars put rivalries aside for common goal of winning 4 Nations Face-Off

Connor McDavid watched Sam Reinhart crush his dream of hoisting a Stanley Cup last June.

The Edmonton Oilers captain is more than happy to push any hard feelings aside for the common goal of striking gold for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

"It's easier than you would think," McDavid said Tuesday. "We're after the same thing, we're on the same team together here for two weeks and coming together for the same job. I have a pretty good relationship with everybody that's here."

McDavid and Reinhart — the Game 7 hero in Florida's run past Edmonton to capture hockey's ultimate prize — joined Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner on Canada's top line this week.

Reinhart expects everyone to be pulling in the same direction when Canada opens the tournament against Sweden on Wednesday night at Montreal's Bell Centre.

"Once the puck drops, it's easy," said Reinhart, who played on McDavid's wing at the under-18 championships in 2013. "The first thing you think about is you're thankful to have these guys on your team instead of competing against each other.

"He's the best player in the world, so it's a matter of trying to find my game and how I can help him, how I can utilize his speed... we're certainly excited about the possibilities."

NHL players are getting a taste of high-level international hockey for the first time in nearly a decade after missing the last two Olympics.

The United States and Finland — the nations meet Thursday night — are also taking part in the tournament that begins with a round-robin and ends with a final in Boston.

Cherishing the opportunity to share the puck with their country's best is a common theme in each locker room.

"You've got the best players in the world in your locker room," U.S. centre