Hangin’ at chez Lemieux
One of the family, Crosby’s a big hit with Mario’s kids Veteran Penguin eases youngster into NHL life
PITTSBURGH— Mario Lemieux describes his relationship with houseguest Sidney Crosby as more “ buddy- buddy” than surrogate father but clearly there are moments when paternal instincts take over.
For instance, the 18- year- old can have girls over but, cautions Lemieux: “ No sleepovers.” You all right with that Sidney?
“ No comment.” On the surface, it seems to have the makings of a bad sitcom, Pittsburgh’s hockey royalty living together in a suburban Puckingham Palace. But the arrangement is rooted in practicality, compassion and savvy asset management. Lemieux is giving Crosby, a wonderfully skilled centre who has already brought respectability back to the team, the mentorship he never had when he arrived to save the franchise as a No. 1 draft pick in 1984.
Crosby dines with the family — Lemieux and his wife Nathalie have four children ranging in age from 8 to 12 — and plays with the kids, including some spirited ball hockey games on the driveway. He drives to and from practice with the superstar owner and Lemieux is assisting him with mundane tasks such as setting up bank accounts and lining up his own car. He even helps Crosby polish the passable French he picked up while in Rimouski, though the two mostly speak in English
“ It’s just a normal day for both of us — get up early, skate and train and do our thing during the day until the kids come home and start bothering him,” said Lemieux. But this is more about passing the torch than it is about passing the potatoes.
Crosby is the Penguins’ future and, as teammate Ric Jackman said yesterday, “ Who better to mould him than the greatest player ever.” The opportunity is not lost on Crosby, who admits about the only things he can find in town are Mellon Arena and Lemieux’s house.
“ I just think being around him is going to help me,” said the native of Cole Harbour, N. S. “ I can ask him little questions, even about things in town, where things are, and he’s just going to make me feel comfortable right away and familiarize me with what’s here. That’s the main thing, being around him and seeing how he goes about things every day.”
Despite the hype and attention — about 200 fans were in the stands to watch his first training camp ice session yesterday — having Lemieux to ease him into life as an NHLer is a significant safety net for the rookie. As is the presence of seasoned players such as Mark Recchi, John LeClair, Ziggy Palffy and Sergei Gonchar. Lemieux said yesterday that he will likely start the season on Crosby’s line with either Recchi or Palffy on the right wing.
“ We don’t expect him to come in here and be a saviour,” said Recchi, who sits to one side of Crosby in the locker room, with LeClair on the other. “ We just want him to come in and be a good hockey player for us and grow into the responsibility of being a great hockey player.”
Contrast that with Lemieux, who joined an awful squad with big expectations for him to be a star immediately.
“ For me to come into this situation, I feel pretty lucky,” said Crosby. “ When you’re drafted early, a lot of guys come into a situation that’s rebuilding. That’s not the case here.” The owner believes that Crosby is a step ahead for reasons other than the names on the Penguins roster.
“ First of all he speaks the language which is a lot easier. I didn’t speak English until I came to Pittsburgh and it took me awhile to start to feel comfortable with the language. That’s a big advantage that he has,” said Lemieux.
“ I think he’s a lot more mature than I was at his age. He speaks very well, always says the right things and because of that I think the adjustment is going to be a lot quicker for him.”