NHL Draft 2005 -
Sidney Crosby
Part 11
Sid on Jay Leno
Jay Leto: Congratulations on first pick.
Sid: Thank you very much.
Jay Leto: Are you still kind a coming down a bit.
Sid: I’m okay now I think, I’m just excited to get going now it’s been awhile.
Now where are you from in Canada exactly.
A Cole Harbour Nova Scotia
*big cheer*
Now what are the odds they would be here? How big of a town is that?
About 30,000 people.
30,000 people, okay. When did you start playing, you’re only 17 right?
I started playing when I was 2 1/2.
Wait wait wait, 2 1/2??
Yeah, was on skates at 2 1/2 and I’ve been playing ever since. That’s the thing to do in Canada right? Everyone plays hockey.
Well, that’s the law, you have to. You can be imprisoned if you don’t. You probably got a late start at 2 1/2 in Canada. Now you used to play in your basement right?
Yeah, I played in my basement. I had an area that was unfinished and I turned it into a little bit of a downstairs hockey rink I guess you could call it.
We have a picture of your moms dryer look at that. *laughter from the audience* now how does that go over with mom?
Well, I’ll let you know everything. I started shooting pucks in the basement and that was behind the net. I missed the net a couple times, and I’d hit it. Then I’d hear her upstairs go “what was that?” And I was like.. I didn’t say anything right I didn’t wanna.. and then after that she came downstairs and saw it. I was in big trouble she was pretty angry and then I just kept hitting it and after a while she didn’t care but as you can tell I mean that took a bad beating there.
Oh my god, now did you get her a new one?
We just got a new one last month. It was so old, it was beaten. Like there’s no buttons on it, I wish you could see the top. There’s not a button left on it.
*crowd laughter*
Well that’s a nice thing, “mom I’m making millions now, I’ve got you.. a new dryer!” Aww! Now we have footage of you as a kid. When you were a kid I was hosting this show, how long a log is this? This is like in the 90s. Look there you are there.
*footage of Sid as a kid scoring a goal*
how old are you there?
Probably 6, 5 or 6
6?
Oh watch this!
*footage of Sid as a little kid skating right into a coach that was standing on the ice and both of them falling down*
Yeah that’s me, I’m probably 8 there. Watch the celebration here
*sid scoring another goal and the going down on one knee and fist pumping*
*crowd laughter*
Hey I like that, I like that. The part I find really cool is your dad was also a hockey player right?
Yeah he was drafted by Montreal in 1984
Okay that’s pretty cool so he’s gotta be.. this has got to be his dream come try isn’t it?
Yeah I mean he was a goalie so I wanted to be goalie growing up and he never let me play goalie, he thought I’d have more fun playing out. He was definitely there every morning, you know the early morning practices. You know everyone knows that story as a Canadian parent so it was definitely fun on draft day to have my parents there to go through that.
Now I know in hockey the tradition is when you go to the playoffs you grow the playoff beard.
What Play-off beard? *laughing*
Yeah exactly, was that a problem?
Yeah, that was a big problem, for sure. That was a big problem. Guys had huge beards and I took a lot of heat from that. I ended up having this little mustache *points to his upper lip* and most of the hair on my face is blond so I ended up dying it black so I had this black mustache. Probably the greasiest thing anyone’s ever seen, but I felt like one of the guys so I was happy.
So who were your hero’s growing up?
Ah Gretzky, Lemieux. I’d say those two guys I always looked up to.
Now you’ve played with Lemieux right?
Yeah both guys actually.
Now how was that? The first time you get on the ice with Gretzky was is that like?
It was a surprise actually I was here in LA. I was 14. We went out on the ice one morning and he was already out there skating around and he surprised us. He was a whole zone away from everyone. I mean everyone was so scared to go near him or take his puck. He’d shoot one and usually guys would go get the puck but they just left him alone. I was on the bench trying to get up next to him so I could go out and play with him. It was fun it was a good time.
Now you’re going to be living in Pittsburgh soon. Have you been there?
Never been there, I’m going there next week.
You’ve never seen it?
Nope
Wow, but you’re going to be living with Lemieux?
Yeah, that’s what I hear. I haven’t had the chance to talk to him about it.
What do you mean you haven’t talked to him about it? You’re going to be living in his house?
Yup
Has he got any daughters?
No, he’s got four kids they’re all younger.
Whats his dryer like?
*laughing* I don’t know. I’m going to be doing babysitting from what I hear.
Now since you have seen Pittsburgh we put together a little tape. This is the city of Pittsburgh, just to maybe reacquaint you once you get there.
*they play a tape advertising the city of Pittsburgh from the 50s*
I believe those kids running down the hill are all dead now.
Well it’s very exciting congrats on all your success. And actually we have something before you go here. We have a dryer, let’s bring the dryer out. You wanna take a shot and see if you can do it?
Sure
Let’s take a shoot, let’s see if you can make it.
*misses the dryer 3 times*
Hey wait wait wait I’ll move the gosh damn thing!
*hits the door twice and then finally makes it in*
Yeah! Yes there you have it ladies and gentlemen! Good job!
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