World Cup 2016: Team Canada vs Team USA game thread, roster, lines, and how to watch

Both Team Canada and Team USA get their pre-tournament schedule underway tonight, as they fine-tune their strategies ahead of the official start of the World Cup of Hockey. The tournament will take place in Toronto, and it starts on September 17th.

More importantly for Habs fans, this marks the first time they'll see their most valuable player start a game since November 25th, 2015. It's been a long wait, but seeing as Carey Price has confirmed that he's 100% healthy at least 1000 times in the last week, there shouldn't be too much cause for concern when it comes to a possible injury. In fact, the World Cup might just be the best thing possible for both Price and the Canadiens.

Montreal's savior won't be the only Habs player in uniform this evening, as both Shea Weber and Max Pacioretty will represent their respective countries.

For Weber, Team Canada must feel like his team away from home. He's participated in a litany of Hockey Canada events, and he'll be relied upon heavily by head coach Mike Babcock, who described him as "man mountain." It's also a perfect opportunity for some Habs fans to get a good look at their newly acquired defenceman.

As for Pacioretty, things should be much different from his last Team USA experience. At the 2014 Olympics, Pacioretty was relegated to an auxiliary role, however this time around he finds himself on the top line alongside Patrick Kane and Joe Pavelski. The trio should form the USA's most potent line.

The puck drops at 7:00 PM EDT, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus.

How To Watch:
In Canada (French): TVAS
In Canada (English): Sportsnet One, Sportsnet 360
In the United States: ESPN U
Stream: Watch ESPN

Scratched: Corey Perry, Corey Crawford, Jay Bouwmeester

Scratched: Erik Johnson, James van Riemsdyk, Corey Schneider