Crosby living out his childhood dream
There’s a video on YouTube titled Lost Footage of a Young Sidney Crosby with a Jan. 2, 2002, report from The Hour on a 14- year- old wunderkind who was playing midget Triple- A hockey in Dartmouth, N.S.
In the video, which has more than one million views, the young Crosby says about his dream of one day playing in the NHL: “Getting up every day and doing something that you like to do and just like enjoying it and even getting paid to do something you love to do ... I can’t even imagine how amazing that would be.”
Fifteen years later, Crosby has become one of the greatest players in NHL history and has earned more than US$90 million.
So, has it been everything Crosby expected it would be when he was a 14- year- old with big dreams?
“Probably a little different than I expected it ,” Crosby said with a smile and a laugh following the Pittsburgh Penguins’ morning skate Wednesday at the Bell Centre in Montreal. “But ultimately, you get to do what you love every day and that’s the best part. And like I said then, you get paid for it, too, so that doesn’t hurt.
“The best thing as far as when I was growing up, even at that time, doing something you love every day was kind of what I wanted to do. And to be able to still do it, I’m appreciative to that. And hopefully I can do it for a long time.”
Crosby was held off the scoresheet in the Penguins’ 4-1 win over the Canadiens Wednesday night, but the 29- year- old is leading the NHL with 27 goals and has 50 points in 38 games, ranking second in the NHL points race behind Edmon- ton’s Connor McDavid heading into Thursday’s schedule.
In the video, Crosby says he first realized how good he was when he scored 159 goals during his third year of novice hockey.
“I knew then that maybe I had a special scoring touch or something,” the 14- yearold Crosby said. “I think that was the point where I realized I should take this game seriously.”
Crosby didn’t take part in the Penguins’ morning skate Wednesday, but still made himself available to t he media. While reporters were waiting beside his stall in the Penguins’ locker- room, Crosby could be spotted just outside the door having a long, friendly conversation with Marcel Villemare, a Bell Centre security guard who worked with the Canadiens for 40 years. Crosby was smiling and laughing, before telling Villemare: “I’m sorry, Marcel, I have to go inside.”
Said Villemare about Crosby, who he has got to know over the years: “He’s a very nice guy ... he’s an amazing guy. He likes to please everybody, but I don’t think he could because he’s in such demand.”
On Thursday morning, Villemare shared a postgame story from Wednesday night about two youngsters in wheelchairs outside the Penguins’ locker-room when Crosby came out. The team had already packed up all the equipment, but when Crosby saw the youngsters he went and got two sticks and autographed them for the kids.
“A lot of people ask for him, but he’s not the type of guy who likes the crowd very much,” Villemare said. “He’s like ( Wayne) Gretzky … Gretzky didn’t like the crowd.”