Army: We were always on the ice… Definitely Sid kind of led the charge of getting us kicked off the ice by the coaches. We would just be out there messing around, laughing, joking, playing games. We just didn’t get off the ice - and that was Sid kinda dragging everyone along with him. And then we’d get in the dressing room and we’d sit there with half-gear on and talk and laugh, and he loved that.
Sid truly loved that part of the game: being in the room with the guys. Loves laughing. He loves when we rip on him. He’d take a couple of shots on us - he got better at that, by the way (laughs). By the time I was traded, he was carving guys up pretty good. He loves that camaraderie. He loves that part. That’s something I kinda miss, especially from that group that we had then, right, Max? Sid was a big part of that, although being a young captain.
But he was a big part of the reason why our team was like that. Our team loved the game. Our team was fun. Our team worked hard. Our team hung around the rink after practice until the trainer said, ‘C’mon guys, let’s go home to our families. You gotta take your gear off’. No joke, that happened all the time. He’s a guy that just loves it. Loves it.
Talbot: It wasn’t just at the rink. It was for team dinner. We would organise team supper on the road, and most teams would go with room service, a group of four here, a group of three here. For us, it was 12, 14, 16 guys. We were always together. And one story I remember was in Philly, where we would walk from the hotel to the restaurant. The autograph-seekers were there but he wanted to walk. Sid wanted to walk with the boys. He was always the one that’s, ‘Let’s go. Let’s do it’. Remember, Colby, you almost fought against that autograph-seeker one night!
As much as he was a superstar, he wanted to be normal. Treated normal. He was part of it, always hanging out with the boys… He knew the importance of team spirit and leadership, and it was not just on the ice. He always took the effort to be there off the ice as well.
Getzoff: What’s the Creature?
Army: I kinda called him Creach for short. That became a nickname. And actually all of the boys started calling him it, which was awesome: the Creach, the Creature. (points to room with Sid’s jersey behind him) I’m in the Creature Cave.
I came up with it in my head. I thought of this thing, you know: How is he so good at hockey. How is he this guy? This kid comes in the league and I’m like, ‘Something’s wrong with this guy. How are you this good? How do you understand that already? Where are you?’ So I came up with this whole skit, like, he was born under the bleachers in Nova Scotia and he ate popcorn kernels and old chewed up bubble gum and he’d watch all the teams practising as he got older. It’s kinda like the Grinch - he’s a kid watching from the mountain above, almost. That’s why I had this envisionment of this hockey creature that was born in a rink and so I just started calling him the Creature.
And it’s actually pretty good! Like, his legs are ridiculously big. His butt’s like a hockey player butt. Everything about him! He was just born to do it. It’s a funny nickname in the craziness of my mind thinking about it. But that’s the Creature.
Talbot: …Sidney Crosby is skill. It’s work. It’s not necessarily natural for him. I saw Sidney Crosby coming back from Christmas break without skating for a few days (Army: (laughs) That was hilarious!) fumbling pucks around, you know. He is human! Some days it happens… I was like, ‘Oh my god! He’s human!’ And I was so happy because, okay, he can mishandle a puck! I will always remember that practice (laughs).
Army: We had a weird time off for Christmas and Sid decided to quickly go home for Christmas to Nova Scotia. He loves going home. He LOVES Christmas. He comes back the day of practice, arrives just in time at the rink from the flight, got to the rink. We’re all out there, we’re all happy. It’s Christmas. First day back. Sid comes on. He can’t skate. He’s losing the puck. (laughs) It was hilarious! He was, like, laughing too because it was so bad! That was like the ONE time he was human, eh?
Talbot: And then you look at a guy like Geno who would go home to Russia and wouldn’t skate one day of the summer and come back, and would be spooning guys around (laughs).
-The Scoop with Colby Armstrong and Max Talbot, 20 Feb 2021
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