Many Cole Harbour, N.S. residents will be glued to their TV screens Monday evening as hometown heroes Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon face off on the ice.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will host the Colorado Avalanche, putting Crosby and MacKinnon on opposing NHL teams for the first time.

“You know, I never would have thought that I’d be in a position to play against someone, you know, from my hometown, you know, especially a guy who is first overall and has done what he’s done,” says Crosby about MacKinnon. “It’s pretty cool. You know, you never really expect or go through that in your mind but I’m proud of what he’s done.”

“It’s been fun. I think it’s going to make it easier for me that I got to know him and I got to work out and skate with him in the summer,” says MacKinnon. “I won’t be star-gazing as much as I would be if I never met the guy.”

About 25,000 people call Cole Harbour home and while hockey season has an end, the community’s devotion to the sport doesn’t.

“I am going to be cheering for both, it’s kind of hard to cheer for one,” says one young hockey player

“It’s a thrill. I will not miss it for the world. I will watch every minute of it on the big screen,” says one fan.

Crosby’s former coach Paul Mason says he wouldn’t miss the matchup for the world.

“I am hoping they both have great games, both score a hat trick in a game that goes to a six-six tie and a shootout,” says Mason.

MacKinnon’s former coach Jon Greenwood says the matchup is one MacKinnon has been looking forward to for a long time.

“Nathan grew up watching Sidney very closely and Sidney in turn has been a good mentor to Nathan, taking him under his wing a little bit when they are back home for the summer,” says Greenwood. “They are both extremely competitive, so I think that's what makes it even more exciting is that they will go pretty hard head-to-head against one another.”

Darren Cossar, director of Hockey Nova Scotia, says whatever the outcome of the game, Cole Harbour is the real winner.

“Today, to be able to see two of the best players in the league playing against each other from our province, is just tremendous,” says Cossar.

The puck drops at 8:30 p.m. on TSN2.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Kelland Sundahl