Even though there were three players sitting through a press conference ahead of Team Canada's Olympic Orientation Camp, a lot of the questions and answers seemed to center on one of them.
And he also happens to be the eldest of the group.
Yes. More than a decade since the NHL's last Olympic appearance at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, the man who captained that squad just so happens to remain the talk of the town – and the talk of the country.
Sidney Crosby may be 38 years old now – and his famous and fateful "Golden Goal" at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics is now the stuff of history books – but the shine still hasn't worn off for those around him.
"It’s not lost on our generation," Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart remarked during the presser. "I think the biggest motivation there for us is that it doesn’t look like the window is closing for him any time soon. He’s a day-by-day guy focused on the now. That’s motivating for us, so we’re excited about that opportunity.”
Unlike Reinhart and Edmonton Oilers' superstar Connor McDavid – the third leg at the press conference – Crosby has been here before. He is familiar with the Olympic stage, and he knows not to take any of these experiences for granted.
Crosby had an opportunity as an 18-year-old to crack the 2006 Olympic roster for the Turin games, but he was cut. He went on to score the Golden Goal in 2010 and captained Canada to gold in 2014, and – given the circumstances around the past two Winter Olympic games in 2018 and 2022 – many were worried that they may never see Crosby don the Olympic maple leaf jersey again, let alone get to share that Olympic ice with stars like McDavid and Reinhart.
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The rest of the hockey world may have been worried, but Crosby wasn't. Part of him always knew that he'd be back on this stage.
"With the way things went and so many things out of our control in the two prior times leading up to that, I try not to think too far ahead and just try to let it play out," Crosby said. "I was pretty confident that we’d find a way to get back, and I wanted to be a part of that, obviously. I guess I kept the belief.
"But, I think it wasn’t something that I gave a whole lot of thought as far as missing out on the opportunity. I just tried to be optimistic and positive about it.”
And after the success of the 4 Nations Face-off back in February, there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic and positive about international hockey coming back to the forefront. Folks are talking about hockey who wouldn't normally do so. Many realize that there is more talent in the league than, arguably, there ever has been, and 4 Nations was the first time many of them got a taste of what international competition entails.
Guys like Crosby, though, know what to expect. But that doesn't mean there won't be some surprises and differences in style of play, especially since the game is much faster than it was the last time Crosby stepped onto an Olympic stage.
"We’ll probably go over some stuff here in the next couple of days, so we’ll probably get a better feel for that," Crosby said. "It’s NHL ice surface, so I would think that, as far as structures and things like that, it would be pretty similar. But, obviously, you look at the skill level, the speed… it’s a whole other level. If it’s anything like 4 Nations, it’s going to be fast.”
Even if the game is fast, though, that doesn't mean Crosby can't keep up. He tied McDavid for the 4 Nations lead in points with five, and he continued his dominance as a point-per-game player with his 20th consecutive NHL season at that mark in 2024-25, which set a new NHL record.
The game may be faster, but Crosby continuously finds ways to adapt. He takes that energy into both the NHL season and international play, and it doesn't go unnoticed by his peers – many of whom idolized Crosby as kids watching him score the most famous goal in their nation's history.
And they are grateful for the opportunity to finally share the ice with him on the world's biggest stage.
“There’s no shortage of what Sid means to me, I think that’s been well-documented," McDavid said. "Obviously, growing up watching Sid and idolizing him, and seeing him score that goal… You know, he’s cut from the ‘06 team, then in ‘10, he scores that goal, and then you see him captain the ‘14 team. So, for our generation, for him to still be here and being the captain and still playing a massive role… it’s special. It’s special for all of us."
Some of the talk surrounding Team Canada and Crosby this time around feels too eerily like a farewell tour. But, as McDavid pointed out, Crosby is still playing a "massive role" for Team Canada, so – perhaps – ruling him out for future Olympic games may not be the best bet.
After all, this is Captain Canada we're talking about. This is a top-five player of all time. This is Sidney Crosby.
Penguins' Sidney Crosby Lands High Rating In NHL 26Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby simply won't slow down. During his 20th career NHL season in 2024-25, he was once again one of the league's most dominant players. In 80 games on the year, the 2005 first-overall pick recorded 33 goals, 58 assists, and 91 points. With this, he set an NHL record by having his 20th NHL season producing at over a point-per-game pace.
Regardless of what happens in the future, though, Crosby is focused on the present. And he is eager and thankful to, once again, be representing his country at the peak of his sport's competition.
“[I'm] just grateful for the chance to still be competing and having the opportunity to do this," Crosby said. "You never know. It’s a tough sport, and it’s competitive. To be part of this, I think I'm just grateful, but I also know how special the opportunity is and what it means. So, in knowing that, it’s motivating. It’s a lot of fun to be a part of. You can feel the energy coming off of 4 Nations. That was huge, and I think everyone got a taste of international hockey and, obviously, what the Olympics are going to look like.
"A lot of different emotions, but just excited, motivated, and grateful for the opportunity to be at it again.”
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