PITTSBURGH — Sidney Crosby has been doing this for longer than Ben Kindel has been alive. Alex Ovechkin has, too, for that matter.
So yeah, it was maybe a little surreal for the Pittsburgh Penguins rookie forward, all of 18, to be on the ice Thursday night alongside the two players who have defined their franchises and in many ways the NHL for two decades and counting.
kAm%96 42=6?52C D2JD :E’D a_ad] *6E H2E49:?8 E96 bh\J62C\@=5 rC@D3J D4@C6 EH@ 8@2=D E@ 3@@DE 9:D D62D@? E@E2= E@ 2? }w{\=625:?8 “ 2?5 92G6 E96 c_\J62C\@=5 ~G649<:? 4@==64E EH@ 2DD:DED E@ 7F6= 2 D64@?5\A6C:@5 (2D9:?8E@? C2==J 😕 H92E 6G6?EF2==J 3642>6 2 d\b !6?8F:?D G:4E@CJ[ :E H2D 92C5 E@ E6==]k^Am
kAm“z:?5 @7 =:<6 E96 @=5 $:5 2?5 ~G: C:G2=CJ E96C6[” z:?56= D2:5 27E6C A:4<:?8 FA E96 7:CDE EH@ 2DD:DED @7 9:D DE:== G6CJ J@F?8 42C66C] “xE H2D 8C62E E@ D66 2?5 F?C62= E@ H2E49]”k^Am
kAm%92E rC@D3J 2?5 ~G649<:? 7@F?5 2 H2J E@ DF>>@? 2 =:EE=6 D@>6E9:?8 DA64:2= 5FC:?8 E96:C hhE9 2==\E:>6 >66E:?8 WA=2J@77D :?4=F565X 😀 92C5=J DFCAC:D:?8] %96 EH@ 7FEFC6 w2== @7 u2>6CD 92G6 =@?8 925 2 923:E @7 3C:?8:?8 @FE E96 36DE 😕 6249 @E96C]k^Am
kAm(92E 😀 DFCAC:D:?8[ 9@H6G6C[ 😀 E92E 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 😕 H92E D66>D =:<6 2 =@?8 E:>6 — 3J E96 !6?8F:?D’ DE2?52C5D 2E =62DE — E96 82>6 76=E =:<6 :E 42CC:65 24EF2= DE2<6D]k^Am
k9bm}6H 7246D[ ?6H 6?6C8Jk^9bm
kAm%96 E62> 4@?D:56C65 2 =@?8 D9@E E@ C6249 E96 A=2J@77D H96? E96 D62D@? 3682? — @?=J H@67F= r9:428@ 2?5 $2? y@D6 72465 D=:>>6C @55D @7 9@:DE:?8 E96 $E2?=6J rFA E92? !:EED3FC89 — 7:?5D :ED6=7 E:65 H:E9 }6H y6CD6J 7@C E96 E@A DA@E 😕 E96 |6EC@A@=:E2? s:G:D:@? 2 >@?E9 :?]k^Am
kAm*6D[ :E’D ?@E 6G6? %92? G6E6C2? 7@CH2C5 #:4<2C5 #2<6== E@ e\7@@E\e “A@H6C” 7@CH2C5 yFDE:? qC2K62F[ 7C@> 8@2=E6?56C %C:DE2? y2CCJ E@ 46?E6C u:=:A w2==2?56C[ H9@ E96 E62> 2??@F?465 uC:52J 😀 @FE 2E =62DE E9C66 >@?E9D 3642FD6 @7 2 3=@@5 4=@E 😕 9:D =68]k^Am
kAm$E:==[ E96 !6?8F:?D 92G6 366? @?6 @7 E96 }w{’D >@DE A=62D2?E 62C=J DFCAC:D6D]k^Am
kAmp >2DD:G6 :?7=FI @7 7C6D9 7246D 2?5 7C6D9 3=@@5 92D 3C@F89E 2? 6?6C8J E92E H2D =24<:?8 2D E96 E62>’D CF? @7 E9C66 492>A:@?D9:AD 😕 ?:?6 J62CD 3642>6 2? :?4C62D:?8=J 5:DE2?E >6>@CJ]k^Am
kAm%96 2CC:G2= @7 7:CDE\J62C 4@249 s2? |FD6 2?5 9:D 9:89\6?6C8J 2AAC@249 92D AC@G:565 2 ;@=E] $@ 92D E96 6>6C86?46 @7 E66?286CD z:?56= 2?5 `h\J62C\@=5 5676?D6>2? w2CC:D@? qCF?:4<6[ H9@ 92D D9@H? AC@>:D6 5FC:?8 2? 6IE6?565 =@@< 367@C6 96 =:<6=J C6EFC?D E@ 9:D ;F?:@C E62> 7@C 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 D62D@?:?8]k^Am
kAm“%96J 2=H2JD 8:G6 FD ;F:46[” D2:5 !6?8F:?D 7@CH2C5 qCJ2? #FDE[ H9@ 2E bb 😀 E96 7@FCE9\=@?86DE E6?FC65 A=2J6C @? E96 E62> 369:?5 rC@D3J[ tG86?: |2=<:? 2?5 zC:D {6E2?8] “~3G:@FD=J[ E96J’C6 D@ 6I4:E65 E@ 4@>6 😕 E96 C:?< 2?5 E96J’C6 92G:?8 7F?] %96J 2=H2JD 8@E 2 D>:=6 @? E96:C 7246 2?5 E96J 2C6 2=D@ C62==J[ C62==J 8@@5 A=2J6CD] $@ x E9:?< E92E 4@>3:?2E:@? 42? C62==J 96=A 2 76H @7 FD @=56C 8FJD E92E 92G6 2 =:EE=6 3:E >@C6 7F?[ E@@]”k^Am
kAm%96 @C82?:K2E:@?2= @G6C92F= 86?6C2= >2?286C zJ=6 sF32D 3682? 😕 62C?6DE H96? 96 EC2565 2H2J A@AF=2C EH@\E:>6 $E2?=6J rFA H:??6C y2<6 vF6?EK6= 2E E96 5625=:?6 😕 E96 DAC:?8 @7 a_ac 😀 DE2CE:?8 E@ 362C 7CF:E]k^Am
kAm!:EED3FC89’D AC@DA64E A@@= 😀 72C 566A6C E92? H96? sF32D 2CC:G65 😕 a_ab[ 2?5 @?6 @7 E96> D66>D E@ 92G6 3JA2DD65 E96 “A@@=” 6?E:C6=J]k^Am
kAmz:?56=[ E2<6? H:E9 E96 “E9 @G6C2== A:4< 😕 E9:D J62C’D 5C27E[ >256 E96 4=F3 4@>:?8 @FE @7 EC2:?:?8 42>A 2?5 92D 7:G6 8@2=D 2?5 EH@ 2DD:DED 😕 `b 82>6D] ~? %9FCD52J ?:89E[ 96 7@F?5 9:>D6=7 @? E96 7:CDE =:?6 H:E9 #FDE 2?5 rC@D3J 2?5 62C?65 2 AC@>@E:@? E@ E96 E@A A@H6C A=2J F?:E[ H96C6 96 96=5 9:D @H? 😕 2 8C@FA 762EFC:?8 2 2 92?57F= @7 A=2J6CD 3@F?5 7@C E96 w2== @7 u2>6]k^Am
kAm“*@F 42? D66 96’D 4@>7@CE23=6 @FE E96C6[” |FD6 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96C6’D 2 =@E @7 E92E 8@:?8 2C@F?5] %96 !6?8F:?D 92G6 E96 =628F6’D D64@?5\C2?<65 A@H6C A=2J F?:E 2?5 92G6 366? 3F@J65 3J y2CCJ’D 2AA2C6?E C6EFC? E@ 7@C> 27E6C E96 EH@\E:>6 p==\$E2C H2D 56>@E65 E@ E96 >:?@CD] (9:=6 y2CCJ 😀 @FE 7@C 2E =62DE E9C66 H66 $6C86: |FC2D9@G 😀 E@ 36:?8 }w{\C625J @? 2 7F==\E:>6 32D:D]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 zJ=6 92D A2E9@=@8:42==J 2G@:565 AFEE:?8 2?J D@CE @7 E:>6E23=6 @? H96? E96 C63F:=5 W2 E6C> 96 92D ?6G6C FD65X 😀 4@>A=6E6[ 96 5:5 D2J 2E E96 DE2CE @7 EC2:?:?8 42>A 😕 $6AE6>36C E92E 96 36=:6G6D E96 !6?8F:?D 42? C6EFC? E@ 4@?E6?56C DE2EFD H9:=6 rC@D3J C6>2:?D @? E96 C@DE6C]k^Am
k9bmp 8@@5 E62>nk^9bm
kAm%96C6’D 2 492?46 :E >:89E 92AA6? H:E9 |2=<:?[ bh 2?5 😕 E96 7:?2= J62C @7 9:D 4FCC6?E 4@?EC24E H:E9 ?@ D:8? @7 2? 6IE6?D:@? @? E96 9@C:K@?[ DE:== 2C@F?5[ E@@]k^Am
kAm%96 #FDD:2? DE2C 😀 E:65 7@C E9:C5 😕 E96 }w{ 😕 A@:?ED H:E9 a_[ :?4=F5:?8 `f 2DD:DED] w:D AC6EEJ 4C@DD\:46 7665 E@ #FDE E92E #FDE 4@?G6CE65 :?E@ E96 8@\29625 8@2= >:5H2J E9C@F89 E96 E9:C5 A6C:@5 282:?DE (2D9:?8E@? 96=A65 !:EED3FC89 2G@:5 2 D64@?5 DEC2:89E =2E6 4@==2AD6]k^Am
kAm~? |@?52J ?:89E 😕 %@C@?E@[ E96 !6?8F:?D 5@>:?2E65 A=2J 7@C c_ >:?FE6D @?=J E@ 4CF>3=6 😕 E96 7:?2= A6C:@5 2D E96 |2A=6 {627D C:AA65 @77 7@FC DEC2:89E 8@2=D E@ AF== @FE 2 c\b H:?]k^Am
kAm(96? (2D9:?8E@?’D %@> (:=D@? 362E pCEFCD $:=@GD 7C@> 9:D 66D E@ E:6 :E 2E b =2E6 😕 E96 D64@?5 A6C:@5 @? %9FCD52J[ :E D66>65 E96 766=\8@@5 G:36D E96 !6?8F:?D 92G6 366? 86?6C2E:?8 E9C@F89@FE E96 A2DE >@?E9 H6C6 @? E96 G6C86 @7 5:D2AA62C:?8]k^Am
kAm“xE H@F=5 92G6 366? C62==J 62DJ 7@C E9:D 8C@FA E@ 42G6[” |FD6 D2:5] “xE H@F=5 92G6 366? C62==J 62DJ 7@C E9:D 8C@FA E@ A=2J 324< @? E96:C 966=D[ A=2J H@CC:65]”k^Am
kAm%96J 5:5?’E] %96J 76?565 @77 2 4@FA=6 @7 (2D9:?8E@? A@H6C A=2JD[ E96? A@F?465 H96? #FDE C65:C64E65 |2=<:?’D E2A6\E@\E2A6 A2DD 2?5 5:5?’E =6E FA E96 C6DE @7 E96 H2J]k^Am
kAm$FC6[ :E’D DE:== ;FDE 62C=J }@G6>36C] *6E 7@C 2 E62> E92E =@@<65 =:76=6DD 7@C =@?8 DEC6E496D @G6C E96 =2DE 4@FA=6 @7 J62CD @7 7@C>6C 9625 4@249 |:<6 $F==:G2?’D @E96CH:D6 9:89=J DF446DD7F= E6?FC6 2D E96 C@DE6C 49FC?65 2?5 E96 A=2J @7 :ED DE2CD WrC@D3J 2D:56X D28865[ :E’D 2 DE2CE]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 7:?5:?8 H2JD E@ H:? 82>6D 😕 2 =@E @7 5:776C6?E H2JD[” #FDE D2:5[ =2E6C 255:?8[ “x E9:?< 36:?8 23=6 E@ H:? 😕 2== D@CED @7 H2JD[ x E9:?<[ 😀 2 D:8? @7 2 8@@5 E62>]”k^Am
kAm~C 2E E96 G6CJ =62DE[ 2? :?E6C6DE:?8 @?6]k^Am