"Having him on your team is going to be so much more enjoyable than having to play against him," Crosby told Sportsnet in remarks published Monday.

Sidney Crosby is looking forward to not having to worry about Brad Marchand, for at least a couple of weeks.

The Nova Scotia natives and sometimes training partners will be teammates for Team Canada at the World Cup of Hockey 2016, which begins Sept. 17. It's a much different arrangement than Marchand trying to get under Crosby's skin when the Boston Bruins play the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"He's a really good player, but part of his game is playing a tough brand [of hockey], playing right on that edge," Crosby said. "He's had a tremendous career so far. I think that'll be someone fun to join up with."

Video: Rivals turned teammates at World Cup of Hockey

When Marchand was added to Team Canada in May, he said he hoped he could prove he's more than just an agitator.

"I think being part of a team like this is on a different level," Marchand told the Bruins website. "And people may give a little more respect to that fact and may look at more of the kind of player I am, other than just the stuff they've seen in the past, with the hits and being a pest and stuff like that."

Crosby said he expects tough competition at the eight-team tournament, which will be played at Air Canada Centre and could run until Oct. 1.

"To be honest, if you look at every roster and see all the names, it's amazing," the Penguins captain said. "All the way through each team, you see talented players that are big parts of their own team. A lot of those guys have experience.

"Every team has its own dynamic and a lot of talent. With it being only one game [elimination, after the group stage], anything can happen."

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