He is the best hockey player on the planet. During the early years of his career, he seemed to have competition from the likes of Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Steven Stamkos. But since the beginning of 2010 he has separated himself from the rest. It’s really not even a debate anymore; Sidney Crosby is the best player on the planet.
Crosby, a native of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, began capturing the attention of the hockey world while still a teenager. Even Wayne Gretzky, holder of 60 NHL records, suggested that if any player had the potential to top him, it would be this kid from eastern Canada. That’s high praise, coming from the greatest offensive hockey player in history.
Crosby spent his junior career playing for the Rimouski Oceanic in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. During that time, he was also selected to represent Canada at the World Junior Championships in 2004 (when he was just 16 years old) and again in 2005.
Later in 2005, Crosby was to be drafted into the NHL. In fact, Crosby was so highly regarded as one of the best prospects in history that the 2005 NHL Entry Draft became known as the “Sidney Crosby Draw.” Those “sweepstakes” were won by the Pittsburgh Penguins and their owner, hockey icon Mario Lemieux. After the draft, Crosby moved in with the Lemieux family, where he served as a babysitter. Crosby stayed with the Lemieux family from 2005 to 2010, providing him with a valuable mentoring relationship. Crosby was able to learn what it means to be a hockey superstar from a hockey superstar.
In his first season in the NHL, Crosby finished sixth in total points (102). This was a phenomenal achievement for the rookie, as he also set the records for assists and points for a Penguins rookie previously held by Lemieux.
In his second year, he led the NHL in points (120). This made Crosby the only teenager to do so in a major North American sports league. His achievement earned him the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading scorer, the Hart Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player according to the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association, and the Lester B. Pearson Award (now the Ted Lindsey Award) as the most valuable Player. player according to the NHL Players Association.
In 2008, Crosby led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the Detroit Red Wings. But both teams returned in 2009, and this time Crosby’s Penguins won the Cup. This made Crosby the youngest player to captain his team to the Stanley Cup Championship.
In 2010, Crosby set a new career high for goals scored with 51, earning him the Rocket Richard Trophy as the league leader in goals. That same year he also took home the Mark Messier Leadership Award.
Other players, both past and present, have taken note of Sidney Crosby’s talent. In addition to Gretzky and Lemieux singing Crosby’s praises, former star Peter Forsberg has described Crosby as saying, “He’s faster than me. Maybe he’s a better shot too.” And a survey of current players conducted by Hockey Night in Canada and the NHLPA at the 2011 NHL All-Star Game identified Crosby as the toughest player to face, the smartest player in the NHL, the best role model and the best player to pick if you were starting a franchise.
Regardless of any of these achievements, Crosby has earned a place in Canadian history for one goal in particular that he scored in February 2010. It was on the last day of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Team Canada and USA met in the gold medal hockey game. The US tied the game late in the third period, causing the game to go into sudden-death overtime. Then it was Crosby’s time. Seven minutes and forty seconds into overtime, Crosby lobbed the puck past USA goalkeeper Ryan Miller and into the net. His goal won the game and claimed the gold medal for Canada.
Crosby has yet to reach his prime. Barring injury, he should have several years and a dynamic career ahead of him. But even at his young age, Crosby has an impressive resume.
The excitement surrounding Sidney Crosby is due to his potential. But his success is due to his work ethic. Crosby works tirelessly to improve his game. And as a result, he has earned the respect of his fellow players. Assuming his career continues on his current trajectory, we’re looking at the creation of a hockey legend.
