Sidney Crosby (Image Via Twitter) Sidney Crosby is still motivated after all these years in the NHL. At 38, the Penguins captain keeps pushing himself physically and mentally for challenges at the pinnacle of the game. As Pittsburgh goes through a rebuilding phase with few playoff prospects, Crosby, nonetheless, goes on keeping his personal standards intact and his will to win. The latest season of FACEOFF: Inside the NHL highlights how his mode of motivation detaches him from nearly every other player in the league.
Sidney Crosby’s wall of champions and the empty frame tradition
The viewers of the third episode of FACEOFF: Inside the NHL Season 2 were given a behind-the-scenes look at Crosby’s training room, which features portraits of the previous 16 Stanley Cup champions. The tradition actually started right after the 2008 Stanley Cup losing finals, when Crosby placed that one photo of Nicklas Lidstrom together with an empty frame.That empty frame represents his goal for the upcoming season and provides a visual expression of the pressure to stay hungry. The empty frame is a constant reminder to stay hungry. Even when Pittsburgh falls on the wrong side of the playoff cutline, Crosby holds on to the tradition, hoping that this year would finally be the year that he gets to fill that empty frame with another good memory of winning a championship.
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While Crosby is still training and competing at the highest level, the Penguins are in a state of rebuild rather than blaze and glory. To this end, GM Kyle Dubas is eyeing a top draft position, meaning that the team most likely will have to suffer quite a few losses this season. In this sense, Crosby’s unstoppable quest for winning is at odds with the direction the organization is set down, making one wonder about his future and contemplating if a move to a stronger applicant coming from either Colorado or Montreal would serve his interests better. Against all odds, Crosby approaches every game with the same intensity, soaking up lessons from younger players around him, drawing motivation from each challenge.Sidney Crosby’s dedication represents that rare mixture of competitiveness and discipline. His quest for excellence is undiminished even when the Penguins appear to be struggling at times. As much as it looks like winning the Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh is far from a certainty this year, the style of work Crosby puts forth and his way to seek motivation will always serve as an inspiration and standard to emulate for any professional athlete.Also Read: Erik Johnson bids farewell to NHL after a remarkable career