Sid’s the kid no more
We
should stop calling him Sid the Kid. Sidney Crosby showed this week that he is a man.
The 25-year-old displayed leadership and an ability to think for himself when he joined Penguins coowner Ron Burkle on a flight from Los Angeles to New York, where they were met by co-owner Mario Lemieux, in the hope that the Penguins’ off-ice power play could help save the National Hockey League season by getting involved in the stalled labour talks.
Burkle and Crosby were described as “voices of reason” following five hours of negotiating between the owners and players on Tuesday and there was suddenly hope for hockey fans that the lockout could come to an end this week. But two days later, everything seemed to fall apart following a counter-proposal from NHLPA executive-director Don Fehr that left league commissioner Gary Bettman steaming and no new talks scheduled.
Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that Burkle, who built a California grocery empire, has a net worth of $3.5 billion and has gained a reputation of helping strike deals with the unions he employed.
“We needed a response on key items that were important to us, but we were optimistic that we were down to very few issues,” Burkle said in a statement Thursday. “I believe a deal was within reach. We were therefore surprised when the Fehrs made a unilateral and ‘non-negotiable’ decision — which is their right — to end the player/owner process that has moved us farther in two days than we moved at any time in the past months.”
On Friday, Crosby told reporters in Pittsburgh: “I think we knew what the issues were and we moved on those. I think if it’s the case there like Gary said in his press conference, where they’re going to draw a line in the sand, just say that, don’t waste guys’ times there.
“The foundation (for a deal) is there and I don’t think we can move any more,” Crosby added. “We’ve done everything from our side to make this work.”
Crosby told the Tribune-Review on Thursday that he never broke ranks with the NHLPA and that other players weren’t upset that he shared a flight to New York with Burkle.
“It was never brought up,” he said. “I have not done anything wrong. I don’t see how anybody would have a reason to be mad.”
In fact, Crosby should be applauded. While Alex Ovechkin and more than 150 other NHLers are busy playing overseas — basically saying “call me when the lockout is over” — Crosby has stuck around and decided to speak up in a positive way.
Former Canadien Roman Hamrlik spoke up in a negative way about the NHLPA last month, telling Czech newspaper Daily Sport: “We have to push Fehr to the wall to get the deal. Time is against us. We lost (one-quarter of the) season, (about) $425 million. Who will give it back to us? Mr. Fehr? There should be voting between players. Four questions — yes or no — then count it. If half of players say let’s play, then they should sign new CBA. If there is no season he should leave and we will find someone new. Time is our enemy.”
The clock is really ticking now and it will be interesting to see if any other players decide to speak up in the coming days.
Hockey Night in Canada’s Don Cherry expressed his feelings Friday on Twitter, writing: “The fans are blaming Fehr for the situation we are in now. Remember I said a month ago I don’t like the sound that Fehr didn’t come out ... of retirement to lose. I’ve got a solution so Fehr won’t be blameed (sic). Have a secret ballot, yes I said secret ballot. If you take a show of ... hands you’re not going to say nay if the guy infront says yay. Guys don’t want to look like a chicken and caving into the NHL. If the vote ... says we carrry (sic) on with the fight we carry on the war. If the vote says let’s accept the offer, accept it. Majority rules I think that’s the ... way it should be. With a secret ballot you have nothing to lose!”
Crosby admitted to the TribuneReview on Thursday that signing with a Swiss club now looms as a possibility, but added it’s not the message he wants to send to players, owners or fans.
“It’s not the insurance or any concern about my head, or any other reason that I believe we’re too close not to do a deal,” Crosby said. “Nothing has changed my mind on that, and I still do. But I’m going to play hockey somewhere this season. I want it to be in Pittsburgh. That’s what this week was about for me.”
You can understand Crosby’s frustration. Since Jan. 1, 2011, when he suffered a concussion during the Winter Classic, Crosby has played in only 29 games, including playoffs. He has kept busy during the lockout by training hard with a focus on increasing his speed and has also been overseeing a new house he is having built in Pittsburgh.
“Sid has always been incredibly strong on the puck, probably the strongest guy in the league,” Penguins defenceman Matt Niskanen, who has been practising against Crosby during the lockout, told The Hockey News. “And that hasn’t changed. But what’s different about him right now is how much faster he is. I’ve never seen him this fast, making plays with the puck at this fast of a speed. I’m telling you, it’s pretty scary what he’s going to do whenever we start playing again.”
There’s a great CBC/The Hour video on YouTube titled Lost Footage of a Young Sidney Crosby, focusing on him as a 14-year-old dominating midget Triple-A hockey in Dartmouth, N.S., while playing against players three years older than him.
Crosby is asked at what age he thought he might have what it takes to play in the NHL.
“Definitely third year novice when I scored 159 goals,” the baby-faced Crosby responds. “I knew then that maybe I had maybe a special scoring touch or something. I think that was the point where I realized that I should take this game seriously.”
About the possibility of playing in the NHL one day, Crosby says: “Getting up every day and playing … doing something that you love to do and just like enjoying it … even getting paid to do something you love to do … I mean, I can’t even imagine how amazing that would be.”
Sid the Man just wants to play now.