Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby. (AP Photo by Matt Freed)
If you want to see some of Sidney Crosby’s grueling offseason workouts, it’s there. If you want to get a glimpse of his tranquil lakeside home in Nova Scotia where he relaxes part of the summer, it’s there.
And if you have an appetite for more discussion of the Pittsburgh Penguins megastar’s golden years and whether that might include time with a different NHL team, that’s certainly there, too. Quite a bit, actually.
Crosby is a focal point in episode 3 of the docuseries “FACEOFF: Inside the NHL.” All episodes of the series begin streaming Friday on Prime Video.
PHN received advance access to episode 3, which is titled “Immortality,” and features Crosby, Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings, and a little fit of Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. You know, the senior stars.
The many scenes and interviews involving Crosby take place late last season and during the summer.
The same questions that have dogged Crosby, 38, about whether he might want to move to a team that is more of a contender to take a run at what would be his fourth Stanley Cup title are front and center in the segments of this show that focus on him.
Sure, there’s a cute little scene in the opening minutes of Crosby interacting with a cheeky little squirrel on his back deck in Nova Scotia.
But the interviews where he and his longtime agent, Pat Brisson, address his future – or whatever is left of it, as he has this and one more season on his contract – are what you probably will watch this for.
“It’s difficult,” Crosby says in an interview in the episode. “When you’re losing and you’re not sure where things are going to end up, and you hear the rumors and there’s obviously thoughts in your head, but I wouldn’t say it was close, no.
“That’s why I do what I do, is to try to win. I definitely want that to be here (with the Penguins). Hopefully, the team believes that I’m going to be someone who’s going to be dependable in that area.”
Yeah, it’s pretty likely that the Penguins are sold on his positive impact on the club.
Interviewed for the episode as last season’s trade deadline approached, Brisson notes that, “Sid is really thinking about what is best for his career.” He also reveals that at that point, not only was there speculation, but teams also were inquiring about whether Crosby might be available.
As he did just before training camps opened, Brisson seemed to put some pressure on the Penguins to do whatever it takes to end a three-year playoff drought.
“Hopefully, for him and the Penguins, (2024-25) is the last year that they miss the playoffs,” Brisson says.
He did not predict what might happen if Crosby and the Penguins miss the postseason again, or are on track to as this season’s trade deadline approaches.
Tags: Pat Brisson Pittsburgh Penguins Shelly Anderson Sidney Crosby
Categorized: Pittsburgh Penguins