What stands out about Crosby’s captaincy?
Yohe: Probably how incredible Crosby is with young players. If I had a dime for every time I’ve seen Crosby hanging out with players recently recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after games or practices, I’d have retired long ago. He has a special way with people and his greatest strength is that, though he’s one of the world’s most famous athletes, he’s almost freakishly down to earth. He literally has time for everyone and treats Evgeni Malkin the same as he treated Dustin Jeffrey. It was the secret to the 2016 championship. The Penguins decided to go young and bring up Bryan Rust, Matt Murray, Tom Kuhnhackl and Conor Sheary. He made them feel at home.
Rossi: The Penguins staged a media event inside the Igloo Club at Civic Arena to officially name Crosby as captain. About a month had passed since their opening-round loss to the Senators in the 2007 playoffs. Crosby, who played that series with a broken foot, showed up in a suit that fit snug. “It’s tight, right?” he said, poking fun at himself. “I haven’t been able to do anything because of the foot. If this is what happens when I don’t work out for a month, I’m probably going to get huge after I retire.” His combination of self-awareness and self-deprecation was startling given everybody in the room had gathered on his behalf. But I’ll never forget the last thing he said to me at that event: “Hey, good luck with the house thing — that’s a big deal.” Somehow, Crosby had heard from somebody that I was headed straight for the closing on my house after covering the event. I vividly remember driving to the closing in my car and thinking how ready he was to wear the ‘C,’ that his recognition of my big moment on his big day was something only a natural captain would do.
Rossi: When Crosby really wants to get a point across, he uses a person’s first name instead of their nickname. Don’t know if this is intentional or something from his subconscious. But it’s rare, sort of private, and probably the thing I’ll remember most about him after everything else.
Gentille: Probably the times he randomly grows a mustache and doesn’t shave for a while. Sometimes, there’s no rhyme or reason — just a dude making a goofy facial-hair decision and sticking with it. Nothing to see here. From a guy who isn’t all that funny, deliberately or otherwise, it’s a window into … something. It’s also possible that he just likes having a mustache from time to time, but I’m choosing to add another layer of intentionality. Also, I know I mentioned it already, but the sandwich thing … putting jelly on top of peanut butter, not on the other piece of bread, is unfiltered insanity.
Yohe: I always enjoy watching him stickhandle on the logos in each building during warmups. You know why? It’s the only time you’ll ever see Crosby act like anything resembling a showoff. I’m not even saying he’s being one. But you could theoretically argue, “He’s got some of the greatest hands of all time, and he’s letting people know.” His work on the McDonald’s logo at PPG Paints Arena is very much the stuff of legend.
Crosby’s future looks like …
Yohe: It’s a tough one to answer because he’s so incredibly guarded in certain ways. But I would suggest he’ll always be involved in hockey, and presumably with the Penguins. He truly does love the game and, though he might take some time away from the game after he retires, I bet it won’t be for long. He comes from hardworking people, and he’s not the type to do nothing the rest of his life. My guess is he’ll play until he’s at least 40, maybe longer if his body allows. Then he’ll join the front office in some capacity, or perhaps ownership. He’s got the money to do it.
Gentille: I don’t think anyone knows, really — and that’s cool. The only guarantee, to me, is that whatever he does, he’s going to want to do. Maybe that’s playing until he’s 40, maybe not. Maybe it’s taking the Steve Yzerman route to the front office, maybe not. Maybe it’s spending a couple of post-career years hanging out in Southern California, maybe not. He’s in control, though. And I’m not sure he’s gotten enough credit for that so far.
Rossi: Here’s what I’ve never heard Crosby say, on or off the record: that he plans to play past his current contract. That being the highest-paid player is important. That he wants to play for another franchise. He has said he appreciates that people in Pittsburgh respect his privacy. He has said that he’d like for him, Malkin and Letang to finish what they started. He has said he doesn’t think about where he’ll finish on the all-time goals and points list. And I’ve never known him to lie, so taking Crosby at his word seems a safe bet. I’d like his future to include fatherhood because there’s a joy to him when he’s around teammates’ children that makes me wonder if what Sidney Patrick Crosby was put on this planet to do just about better than anybody else isn’t limited to playing hockey.
-Sidney Crosby through 1000 NHL games, 18 Feb 2021
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