Sidney Crosby: Der Wille Zur Macht!

Cam Cole of the CanWest Imperial Media Empire, opines on how Sidney Crosby is handling his role is leader of the New NHL World Order.

"Pens a building force in the NHL"

The kid is too good to be true.

His hockey club? Some night, yes. Others, not so much.

But the National Hockey League has rarely had a team that the whole league could see coming, two or three years away, and the Pittsburgh Penguins of the Sidney Crosby Era are it.

The other night, when Mark Messier presented his third-segment leadership award to Crosby, the NHL's 19-year-old scoring leader at the all-star break, he couldn't help but make the comparison to the last time it was this obvious that a hockey club was about to grab the NHL by the throat.

So, they are actually still giving out that 'Leadership Award'??
As for Crosby, he'd never be so mean as to grab the NHL by the throat. Gary Bettman? yes. The NHL? No.

"Very rarely do you get a lot of talented players all coming in at the same age, living the game, going through the tough times . . . essentially growing up together," Messier said. "That's what happened in Edmonton - we were able to assemble within two or three years most of our core players -and that's what's going on in Pittsburgh.

"The only difference is the salary cap makes it tough to keep your nucleus together now, so the window of opportunity is pretty short. The challenge will be for Pittsburgh to win it before that becomes an issue."

Crosby has just come through another of his milestone moments, or rather, weeks, as the unmistakable standard-bearer for the NHL at the all-star convention. The league led him from press conference to TV appearance to commercial shoot like a prize show dog - and now, as the Penguins resume their pursuit of a playoff spot, Crosby knows he's got to get his game-face back on.

"It was busy, but that's part of it. It's understood. I was first in (fan) voting," Crosby said Friday, at the morning skate prior to the Pens-Stars game in Dallas - the 10-deep scrum around his locker having shrunk to three reporters.

"I wake up every morning, I tie up my skates, I do interviews. I don't have anything to really hide. I understand there's attention, and I deal with it, and try not to let it affect my play. I think we did our last press conference (prior to the all-star game) at 6:10 p.m. and warmup was at 6:30. But hopefully, I'll get another chance at it, and maybe next time I'll get an hour before the game to tape my sticks and that. But I wouldn't trade it for anything, my first all-star game, even if I did get shut out."

Let's hope Sidney turns out to be nothing like Messier in the personality department. ..uugh...

You can read the full article here.

Assist to James Mirtle for the pointer.