Sidney Crosby

Template:Player Profile Image

Full Name: Current Team: Pittsburgh Penguins Height/Weight: 5' 11" / 200lbs Shoots: Left Birthdate: August 7, 1987 Nationality: Template:Team Canada Birthplace: Cole Harbour, NS, Canada Entry Draft: 2005, 1st Round, 1st Overall Position: Center Drafted By: Pittsburgh Penguins Nicknames: The Next One, Sid The Kid, Darryl Drafted From: Rimouski Oceanic

Template:Player Profile Ad

Biography

Amateur years

Crosby was born in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, and began learning hockey in his basement, which his father had painted white and added red and blue lines to replicate a skating rink, at 2 1/2 and began ice skating at 3. At age 7, he gave his first newspaper interview and was already on the radar of the sports press. When Crosby was 15, a reporter from The Arizona Republic asked Wayne Gretzky if a player may some day break some of his records; Gretzky replied, "Yes, Sidney Crosby. He's the best player I've seen since Mario Lemieux."

As a teenager, Crosby showed talent comparable to that when Gretzky, Lemieux and other NHL greats were young, an assessment that has led to the nickname "The Next One". Crosby writes "Darryl87" on both of his gloves; he was nicknamed "Darryl" after scoring 8 points in his first QMJHL exhibition game, a reference to Darryl Sittler, who once scored 10 points in an NHL game.

Partly because of the distraction of fame in Nova Scotia, he spent his sophomore year in 2002-03 at Shattuck-Saint Mary's prep school in Minnesota, where he scored 72 goals in 57 games.

Crosby was drafted first overall in the QMJHL draft on June 9, 2003 by the Rimouski Océanic. He won the scoring title and set a new scoring record for 16-year-olds in his rookie season in the QMJHL, finishing with 54 goals and 81 assists in 59 games. He became a fan favorite around the league and also impressed many with his concerted effort to learn French.

In 2003, Crosby was the only player under 18 invited to join the Canadian Junior Hockey Team. On December 28, 2003, he scored his first goal of the World Junior Hockey Championship in a 7-2 win over Switzerland, becoming the youngest player ever to score for the team at age 16 years, 4 months, 24 days. The puck from Crosby's record making goal is in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

NHL career

Because of the fact that the 2004-05 NHL season was cancelled due to a labor dispute, a weighted draft lottery (based on playoff appearances and draft lottery victories in the previous 3-4 years) gave each of the NHL's 30 teams a chance to win the #1 overall pick.

On July 30, 2005, in the first draft under the new CBA, the winners of that lottery, the Pittsburgh Penguins, selected Crosby in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft with the first overall pick. It gave Crosby the opportunity to play alongside Mario Lemieux, a hockey great. However, Lemieux would retire after an injury plagued season.

Crosby played his first professional NHL game on October 5, 2005, against the New Jersey Devils, and registered an assist on the team's first goal of the season, scored by Mark Recchi. Crosby's first NHL goal came on October 8, 2005, against goaltender Hannu Toivonen of the Boston Bruins and was assisted by linemates Mark Recchi and Zigmund Palffy. On December 16, 2005, just two months into his rookie season, Crosby was named an Alternate Captain for the Penguins by new coach Michel Therrien.

On April 13, 2006, Crosby broke Mario Lemieux's Penguins rookie assist record, with one goal and three assists in a 5-3 win over the New York Rangers. Lemieux recorded 57 assists in his rookie year. Crosby finished with 63 assists in his first season, a new Penguins rookie record.

On April 17, 2006, Crosby scored his 100th point at the last home game of the season against the New York Islanders. He finished with 102, 2 ahead of Lemieux's 1984-85 rookie team record. Crosby is the youngest player in the history of the NHL to score 100 points in a single season, and only the 7th rookie. Crosby also is the first NHL rookie to record 100 points and 100 penalty minutes in a season. Dale Hawerchuk, who entered the league at age 18 for Winnipeg in 1981-82, is the only player to have had more points (103) before turning 19 or in the year they were drafted.

Overall, Crosby finished sixth in the NHL scoring race and seventh in the NHL in assists. Among Canadian NHL players, he trailed only Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley. By comparison, 2004 NHL Entry Draft top pick, 20-year-old Alexander Ovechkin finished the 2005-06 season, also his rookie year, with 106 points.

In 2006, Crosby finished second in Calder Memorial Trophy voting for Rookie of the Year to winner, Alexander Ovechkin. Dion Phaneuf finished third.

From May 5 – May 21 2006, Crosby participated (and was one of Canada's alternate captains) in the 2006 World Championships, where he became the youngest player ever to win a World Championship scoring title. He tallied a tournament-best eight goals and eight assists in nine games. Also, Crosby was named the tournament's top forward and to the competition's all-star team.

On September 19 2006, Crosby is expected to play in an NHL exhibition game against the Ottawa Senators in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which is only 20 minutes from where he grew up.

Crosby's sought after jerseys

Crosby's Team Canada jersey from the gold-medal game at the World Junior Hockey Championship was stolen by an Air Canada baggage handler in January 2005. It was recovered about a week later and was auctioned off for $22,100 for youth hockey charities and South Asian tsunami relief.

For the second time in less than a year, one of Crosby's game-worn sweaters went missing. This time, it was the jersey he wore in his first NHL game against the New Jersey Devils. It was reportedly stolen from the luggage of Sidney’s father during a flight from Pittsburgh to Buffalo. The jersey was later found at the Pittsburgh International Airport between a piece of equipment and a stairwell.

The jersey Crosby wore in his third NHL game topped the bidding of an online jersey auction for Hurricane Katrina relief at $21,010. The second-highest jersey bid came down to little under $8,000.

The black Team Canada jersey that Crosby wore in the 2006 World Championships game against Team USA was auctioned off for $15,087.87.

Criticism

Like Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux before him, Crosby has been accused by opposing players and coaches of taking dives and complaining.

This may have started when Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Derian Hatcher delivered a forearm shiver to Crosby's mouth, and later hit Crosby in the mouth with his stick. Neither play resulted in a penalty, but when Crosby re-entered the game later and complained of more abuse which he thought should have resulted in a Flyers penalty, he was sent to the penalty box. In overtime during the same game he scored the game winning goal with 47 seconds remaining. After the game, Crosby received emergency medical care and dental work. Three games later, Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock insinuated that Crosby was diving and later during the game, Flyers star Peter Forsberg made a "dive" motion with his hands.

In April, during a game against the New Jersey Devils, Crosby received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, moments after taking a penalty for hooking and having his stick tossed away. Crosby commented on the situation in light of his being perceived as a complainer, saying, "It's known if I say something, I'm gonna get [criticized]."

Quick facts

• NHL Team: Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
• Junior Team: Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL)
• Hometown: Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada
• Jersey Number: 87
• Endorsements: Reebok, Sher-Wood, Telus, Upper Deck, PepsiCo (which includes branches Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola)
• Father: Troy Crosby
• Mother: Trina Crosby
• Sister: Taylor Crosby
• Agent: Pat Brisson (IMG)
• Pet Dog: Buster
• Car: Range Rover

Statistics

				Regular Season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2001-02	Dartmouth Subways	MAAA		74	95	98	193	114		7	11	13	24	0
2002-03	Shattuck St. Mary's	USHS		57	72	90	162	104		--	--	--	--	--
2003-04	Rimouski Océanic	QMJHL		59	54	81	135	74		9	7	9	16	10
2004-05	Rimouski Océanic	QMJHL		62	66	102	168	84		13	14	17	31	16
2005-06	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		81	39	63	102	110		--	--	--	--	--
NHL Totals				81	39	63	102	110

Statistics as of end of 2005-06 season

International play

Played for Canada in:

• 2004 World Junior Championships (silver medal)
• 2005 World Junior Championships (gold medal)
• 2006 World Championships

International statistics

Year	Team	Event	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2004	Canada	WJC	6	2	3	5	4
2005	Canada	WJC	7	6	3	9	4
2006	Canada	WC	9	8	8	16	10
Senior Int'l Totals			9	8	8	16	10

Awards and Accomplishments

NHL

• All-Rookie Team - 2006
• Rookie of the Month - October 2005
• First All-Star team- 2007
• Art Ross Trophy (League leading scorer)- 2007
• Hart Trophy (Most valuable player)- 2007
• Lester B. Pearson Award (MVP as judged by NHLPA))- 2007

Ice Hockey World Championships

• World Championships All-Star Team - 2006
• World Championships Best Forward - 2006
• World Championships Leading Scorer - 2006

CHL

• CHL Rookie of the Year - 2004
• CHL Player of the Year - 2004, 2005
• Leading Scorer - 2004, 2005
• Canada Post Cup (three stars) - 2004, 2005
• Top Pro Prospect - 2005
• Memorial Cup All-Star Team - 2005
• Ed Chynoweth Trophy (Memorial Cup Leading Scorer) - 2005

QMJHL

• RDS/JVC Trophy (rookie of the year) - 2004
• QMJHL All-Rookie Team - 2004
• QMJHL First All-Star Team - 2004, 2005
• Michel Briere Trophy (most valuable player) - 2004, 2005
• Jean Béliveau Trophy (league leading scorer) - 2004, 2005
• Mike Bossy Trophy (best professional prospect) - 2005
• Paul Dumont Trophy (Personality of the Year) - 2004, 2005
• Guy Lafleur Trophy (Playoff MVP) - 2005
• Michel Bergeron Trophy (offensive rookie of the Year) - 2004
• Offensive Player of the Year - 2004, 2005

Trivia

• Crosby's father, Troy Crosby, was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft.
• In time for his rookie season, Gare Joyce issued a biography, Sidney Crosby: Taking the Game by Storm.
• Appeared on The Tonight Show on August 4, 2005, five days after being drafted by the Penguins.
• Lived with Mario Lemieux's family during his rookie year in Pittsburgh.
• Used his mother's clothes dryer as a goal when he played in the basement of their home. The dryer is now dented beyond recognition without a button left on it.
• His number is 87 due to his birthday being August 7, 1987 (8/7/87).
• His superstitions include putting his equipment on the right-hand side first, and after his stick is taped no one is allowed to touch it.
• Was a Montreal Canadiens fan as a child.
• He has been best friends with Jack Johnson ever since they played together at Shattuck-Saint Mary's.
• Claims his most memorable hockey moment was winning the 2005 World Junior Championship with Team Canada.
• Lists 3 Doors Down as his favorite musical group.
• Lists Vince Vaughn as his favorite actor, Eva Mendes as his favorite actress, and Wedding Crashers as his favorite movie.
• Lists Steve Yzerman as his hockey idol.
• His favorite sport other than hockey is baseball.

Template:Player Profile Media

See Also