Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price said Friday he is unsure if he will play in a game before this regular season ends but he will be ready to play for Canada at the World Cup of Hockey.

"If it happens, great. If it doesn't happen, I'll be ready in September regardless," Price told Sportsnet after practicing with Montreal for a second straight day. "I'm going to keep pushing forward.

TORONTO -- The scouts at NHL Central Scouting are anxious to see how the players named to Team North America for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey will fare against the more experienced teams at the tournament in September.

Win or lose, excitement was one word the scouts used to describe their feelings when they saw the first 16 players named to the roster earlier this month. Team North America is a new concept in international hockey, featuring the best players from Canada and the United States age 23 and younger as of Oct. 1.

TORONTO - The National Hockey League (NHL) and National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) today announced the first roster of Official Partners for the World Cup of Hockey 2016, the best-on-best international hockey tournament that will be held Sept. 17 - Oct. 1 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Top brands Air Canada, Canadian Tire, Honda, Molson Coors, PepsiCo, Scotiabank, Tim Hortons and Visa will engage hockey fans worldwide through World Cup-themed promotions and campaigns, once-in-a-lifetime ticket opportunities, in-venue signage in game broadcasts, NHL media and national broadcast integrations, and on-site activations at official World Cup of Hockey 2016 fan events.

PHILADELPHIA -- There are seven spots remaining on the Team USA roster for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, and the management staff has cast a wide net to find the right players.

"By the time it's done I would say it's closer to 20 [players]," said Jim Johannson, the assistant executive director of USA Hockey who is serving as Team USA director of hockey operations.

Russian superstar Pavel Bure predicts that Team Canada will win its second straight World Cup of Hockey title this fall in Toronto.

"I believe Canada is the No. 1 favorite to win World Cup of Hockey because of their roster depth," Bure said in his latest blog on NHL.com/ru. "They have a choice of two to three equally skilled players for each [roster] spot. It's hard to match that."

Challenge accepted. 

After revealing the first 16 players on their rosters for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey on Wednesday, the general managers and coaches for the eight teams mentioned how they've completed the easy part, and that naming the final seven players by June 1 will be far more difficult. 

PHILADELPHIA -- Edmonton Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has no shortage of motivation to return to the lineup.

He wants to get back from the hand injury that has kept him out since Jan. 19 to help the Oilers finish strong. There's also his quest to earn a place on Team North America for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Nugent-Hopkins was a notable omission from the initial roster of 16 players announced Wednesday. Making it more interesting was the fact that Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli and coach Todd McLellan hold the same roles for Team North America.

BOSTON -- Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand is tied for third in the NHL with 32 goals, but he was not selected to the preliminary 16-player roster for Team Canada for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey on Wednesday.

"I think when you look at the team, there's a lot of phenomenal players on that roster," Marchand said Thursday at TD Garden, where the Bruins will play the Chicago Blackhawks (7 p.m. ET; TVA Sports, SN1, SNE, SNO, SNP, CSN-CH, NESN, NHL.TV). "And so I'm very happy for all the guys. I've obviously played with [Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin] and [Bruins center Patrice Bergeron], they're on that list and I'm very happy for both of them."

ANAHEIM -- The name Corey Perry is rarely mentioned without being accompanied by the name Ryan Getzlaf.

Affectionately known as "The Twins," the two have been linked for years as the Anaheim Ducks' star forwards. Getzlaf, the captain, and Perry, an alternate captain, were chosen nine spots apart from one another in the first round of the 2003 NHL Draft. Their careers have seen them author numerous records in the Anaheim books, and serve as linemates on a Stanley Cup-winning team and two Olympic gold medal-winning teams. 

So it came as a surprise to many Wednesday when Getzlaf was named as one of the first 16 members of Team Canada's roster for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and Perry was not. 

TAMPA, Fla. -- Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom can't help but smile when asked about the development of Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman.

Lidstrom remembers playing for the Detroit Red Wings with Scotty Bowman and gaining confidence as his playing time increased and he sees Lightning coach Jon Cooper doing the same with Hedman.

"I got more and more confidence from playing a lot," Lidstrom said. "And [Bowman] was the one that gave it to me. He gave me the responsibility and eventually he didn't say anything at all to me because he knew that end of the ice was taken care of."