Crosby to be named Pens captain

[MacK_Attack 108]

The Pens will announce tomorrow that Sidney Crosby will be their captain next season, making him the youngest captain in NHL history.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=209375&hubname=nhl

[glasgowcelticwing 18]

The Pens will announce tomorrow that Sidney Crosby will be their captain next season, making him the youngest captain in NHL history.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=209375&hubname=nhl

Do you think he's ready for it??

[MacK_Attack 108]

I think he probably is. Regardless of the letter on his jersey, he's been "the guy" in Pittsburgh for two seasons now. It was only a matter of time before this formality was put out of the way.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Good for Sidney , Hopefully he goes down the same road Yzerman did and becomes an elite player for the rest of his career.

[StaticWithABeat 0]

For all intents and purposes he's been the leader of the team from day 1 anyway...he turned the C down last year so they gave it to nobody, making him the de facto captain.

[Kp-Wings 3]

I figured he'd get it. He is the go-to guy there. Good for him.

[Guest DetroitIan]

Good. Way overdue. It was really weird that the Pens always had 3 "A"s out on the ice all year. Very well deserved for Sid the kid.

[Jon_G 6]

Sid's my boy. I say 150+ pts next season!

[Elshupacabra 0]

Yeah, this news is a HUGE surprise...

I don't think there was any doubt in anyones mind that he would be captain next year

I'd congratulate him...but I don't really like him all that much...so...

[Guest ZDH]

He may as well be captain even if he isn't ready for it. He never leaves the ice. He leads the league in scoring. He whines all the time. He dives all the time. Great player. Not a leader yet. It is unfair to expect him to be one at such a young age. I'd like to see him lead by example rather than throwing his usal hissy fits all the time.

[Guest bullocks]

Crosby is amazing.

The End.

[jagr68 0]

Yeah, he truely deserves it. The best player in the world today, no doubt, but also a good leader who plays with a lot of passion, and has a desire to win, and hates to lose. Some fault him for his emotion, but I think most coaches or fans would want a player who has that kind in intensity.

He'll always have his critics, some people still think he is a diver because Ken Hitchcock and Peter Forsberg say so. He's had to deal with those people since he was a young boy and has been dealing with the media for a few years now. He is ready for it. And like someone else already said, he turned it down last year and it was his team since the day Mario retired. So now it's official, but it probably won't change much.

Youngest captain ever. He barely beat Lecavalier who was 19 years 11 months. Sid will be 20 in August, so he didn't beat him by much. I read that Vinny had it taken away from him. Anybody know why? I thought he actually gave it up, but the TSN article said it as taken away. Either way, hopefully Vinny is captain again this season. He leads on the ice and I hear he leads off the ice too. Tim Taylor doesn't do much on the ice, but I guess he must be one hell of a locker room guy.

Sid getting 150pts? I hope so. The people he played with this year, I can't believe he had 120. Malkn and him played less than half the season together, and most of the time he was paired with guys like Ekman, Armstrong, Recchi, Christenson, and Malone. If they could sign a scoring winger for Crosby, or sign a great 2nd line player so Malkin can play first line with Sid on a regular shift, instead of PP, you just might see Captain Crosby hit the 150pt mark. But with Recchi way past his prime, Roberts as a gritty player, not so much a goal scorer, Malone who shows up to play once every 7 games, and Armstrong finally proved he was never meant to be a first line player, Ekman was a total flop, Christenson seems to be only able to score on a shootout, it will be harder for him to hit 120pts again.

Who knows. Latest word is Kariya put his house up for sale in Nashville. Pens interested? Maybe. But personally, I could see him going back to Anaheim to play with Selanne again. But if the Ducks win, you know many teams, are going to be throwing out offers at Giggy, can the Ducks sign him and Kariya? Should be a interesting off season.

I hope the Wings get Giggy, Tampa gets Hasek or Belfour, and Pittsburgh gets a stay at home D man with a scoring winger!

[seeinred 1,488]

Ugh, am I the only one here who doesn't have a hard-on for Sid? There's no denying that he's a really good player, but I just can't stand him. I really hope he turns out to not be as great as everyone thinks he'll be.

I'd take Ovie over Sid any damn day.

[WingsWingsWings 3]

Kinda figured this would happen!!

Way to go Sids. Good on ya!

[Must Kill 0]

not really a suprise at all, just wonder if hes mentally ready for it.

[ZAMBONI 0]

Kinda figured this would happen!!

Way to go Sids. Good on ya!

Absolutely the most dynamic player in the game. Deserving of the C? We'll see how he does next year and how well he truly leads.

[vangvace 12]

good luck to the Second Coming... hopefully he can live up to the hype. And smart of Pittsburg to get him some protection.

[Elshupacabra 0]

Ugh, am I the only one here who doesn't have a hard-on for Sid? There's no denying that he's a really good player, but I just can't stand him. I really hope he turns out to not be as great as everyone thinks he'll be.

I'd take Ovie over Sid any damn day.

I hear ya!!

*High-five*

[jagr68 0]

I think so. If you look at Vinny's situation compared to Crosby.

Vinny was looked at as the future of the team and there wasn't exactly a lot of talent on the team in 2000. Wasn't so much press with him either. There was a good amount, obviously, but not near the amount Sid gets.

Crosby has been dealing with the media long before the NHL.

He lives with Mario and Mario said it was Sid's team last year. After every game he is surrounded by the media, so except for the C stitched on his jersey, nothing really will change. He had a A so he was able to talk to the refs already.

Not everybody likes him, but I think it's fair to respect him. He scored 200pts faster then Mario or Wayne. Wayne had a all star team around him, so that is amazing he did it before Wayne, and Mario probably had worse talent around him his first two years than Sid did.

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

Ugh, am I the only one here who doesn't have a hard-on for Sid? There's no denying that he's a really good player, but I just can't stand him. I really hope he turns out to not be as great as everyone thinks he'll be.

I'd take Ovie over Sid any damn day.

I dunno, I wouldn't say people have a hard on for him. I'd say most realize that he's probably the best player in hockey so it isn't a stretch for people to wish well for him. Although you might be the only person I've ever seen wish that he doesn't do well. What's that about? The league hasn't had a player as marketable as Sidney in years. He's going to be nothing but great for the league so why wish bad things on him. Personally, I think that makes you a dick.

As for taking AO over Sid. Who cares? Lots of folks would. But what does AO have to do with Sidney getting the C and Sidney being a great hockey player? I'd say you have a hard on for AO.

He may as well be captain even if he isn't ready for it. He never leaves the ice. He leads the league in scoring. He whines all the time. He dives all the time. Great player. Not a leader yet. It is unfair to expect him to be one at such a young age. I'd like to see him lead by example rather than throwing his usal hissy fits all the time.

He whines and dives all the time? Can anybody verify that? Can anybody tell me that Crosby whines more than any other player with a letter on his sweater. As for the diving, can anyone find out how many dives he's had called against him? Is he in the league's little black book of divers? I can't recall a single time he's been penalized for diving and since he's so well known as a diver as his critics would have you believe, then obviously the refs must know it. Wait, maybe its a league conspiracy and they've been told not to call penalties on Sid because he's the future of the sport. yeah, that's it.

When Peter Forsberg, one of the most notorious divers in hockey history calls Sid a diver and when Ken Hitchcock, one of the most notorious whiny, ***** coaches to ever sit behind an NHL bench calls him a diver, I think i'll take it all with a grain of salt.

[Guest ZDH]

I think so. If you look at Vinny's situation compared to Crosby.

Vinny was looked at as the future of the team and there wasn't exactly a lot of talent on the team in 2000. Wasn't so much press with him either. There was a good amount, obviously, but not near the amount Sid gets.

Crosby has been dealing with the media long before the NHL.

He lives with Mario and Mario said it was Sid's team last year. After every game he is surrounded by the media, so except for the C stitched on his jersey, nothing really will change. He had a A so he was able to talk to the refs already.

Not everybody likes him, but I think it's fair to respect him. He scored 200pts faster then Mario or Wayne. Wayne had a all star team around him, so that is amazing he did it before Wayne, and Mario probably had worse talent around him his first two years than Sid did.

I don't need Forsbooger or anyone else to tell me Sid the Kid is a diver. I go by what I see andhe could win the Gold Medal in the Summer Olympics in diving if he wanted to. He's a great player but a whiny little diver too.

Pitt was smart getting Laraque there to protect him. Now he can run his little mouth off as much as he wants to any player and not have any fear of getting whacked.

You compare poor Sid the Kid with having no talent around him like Vinny once upon a time in Tampa. What are you talking about? Malkin, Staal, Whitney and Fleury are all future All Stars. Vinny had nothing. Zero. When he first came to Tampa his team was so bad no one knew any of the player's names. Bad comparison.

You make Sid out to be the only good player on the Pens which is simply not the case. There is no need for some Chariots of Fire Music when taking about Sid and the Pens. This team is loaded. I mean that's what a team gets whem they tank on purpose for 5 years. It's now paying off. They tanked to get Mario before and they tanked to get Sid and Malkin.

I'd also take Ovechkin over Crosby, for the record. Crosby is a heck of a talent and he will only get better. But he has some great talent around him and the Pens will be a heck of a team for many years because of that.

Edited May 31, 2007 by ZDH

[BeeRYCE 2]

Good for him, I just hope he doesn't beat Stevie's captaincy record, .

He's already more mature than Vinnie is right now. He'll be a better captain than Vinnie was, hell, Vinnie was probably one of the worst captains (and worst decision for captain) in NHL history. Let's not forget, at the beginning of Vinnie's career, he was predicted by many as the next Mario (kind of irrelevant, but just a head scratcher).

[seeinred 1,488]

I dunno, I wouldn't say people have a hard on for him. I'd say most realize that he's probably the best player in hockey so it isn't a stretch for people to wish well for him. Although you might be the only person I've ever seen wish that he doesn't do well. What's that about? The league hasn't had a player as marketable as Sidney in years. He's going to be nothing but great for the league so why wish bad things on him. Personally, I think that makes you a dick.

As for taking AO over Sid. Who cares? Lots of folks would. But what does AO have to do with Sidney getting the C and Sidney being a great hockey player? I'd say you have a hard on for AO.

I hope he does well, I just hope he doesn't go and break every NHL record like people want him to. The way he plays just doesn't seem to be a good representation of hockey to me. He's too much of a ***** IMO. I just don't like his style.Why can't we get someone with a play style more like Shanahan or something to be the new face of the NHL. Sid definitely comes across as a whiner to me, but I don't know about diving. He just doesn't seem like a proficient captain to me, someone grittier who looks like they play with a little more passion would fit the bill better.

And as for having a hard on for AO, you're absolutely right (Figuratively, of course)

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

I don't need Forsbooger or anyone else to tell me Sid the Kid is a diver. I go by what I see andhe could win the Gold Medal in the Summer Olympics in diving if he wanted to. He's a great player but a whiny little diver too.

Pitt was smart getting Laraque there to protect him. Now he can run his little mouth off as much as he wants to any player and not have any fear of getting whacked.

You compare poor Sid the Kid with having no talent around him like Vinny once upon a time in Tampa. What are you talking about? Malkin, Staal, Whitney and Fleury are all future All Stars. Vinny had nothing. Zero. When he first came to Tampa his team was so bad no one knew any of the player's names. Bad comparison.

You make Sid out to be the only good player on the Pens which is simply not the case. There is no need for some Chariots of Fire Music when taking about Sid and the Pens. This team is loaded. I mean that's what a team gets whem they tank on purpose for 5 years. It's now paying off. They tanked to get Mario before and they tanked to get Sid and Malkin.

I'd also take Ovechkin over Crosby, for the record. Crosby is a heck of a talent and he will only get better. But he has some great talent around him and the Pens will be a heck of a team for many years because of that.

You have just a bit of a selective memory I think. I'm just going to point out a couple of things for you that might be important to know.

Crosby has played 2 NHL seasons now.

His rookie season he became the youngest to ever score 100pts in a season.

His rookie season he finished 6th in scoring.

Malkin did not play during Sid's rookie season

Staal did not play during Sid's rookie season

The 2nd highest scorer on Pittsburgh during Crosby's rookie season finished 90th in the league in scoring with 58 points.

Fleury had a record of 13-27-6 with a 3.25 goals against. I don't think i'd consider that to be of much help to Crosby. Just because Fleury should end up being great doesn't mean he was great during Sid's 1st year or that it helps your argument that Sid was surrounded by talent.

Oh yeah, the Pens had so much talent they finished with the 2nd worst record in the entire freaking league with 58 points. Only St.Louis was worse with 57.

The Pens sucked Sid's 1st year yet he went on to set records and kick ass. He wasn't surrounded by 1/2 the players you mentioned above either.

Move on to his 2nd year and he leads the league in scoring and with he addition of Recchi, Malkin and Staal and improved play by Gonchar, Whitney and Fleury the Pens went from 29th in the NHL to tied for the 8th most points this past season. I don't care who you get to play around you, going from 29th in the NHL to nearly winning your division the next is ******* impressive and frankly, Malkin aside, Crosby carried this team on his back.

What i'm trying to point out to you is that Crosby really didn't have a bunch of "future all stars" playing with him his rookie season. He had Gonchar and John Leclair basically. Palffy only played 1/2 the season and Lemieux played in only 22 games.

Now I don't know how the league's top scorer on the most improved team in the league can be perceived as one of the league's most notorious whiners and divers. Oh wait, I know. You're one of those people that watched him during his rookie season where he got bashed for 2 weeks because he was whining alot. You do realize that after that he came out and admitted he needed to suck it up and not a single hockey person, analyst, show, whatever has come out and said he's still whining too much or diving? The only people I here it from are the handful on here stuck in the early part of the 2005-2006 season. Move on already.

I hope he does well, I just hope he doesn't go and break every NHL record like people want him to. The way he plays just doesn't seem to be a good representation of hockey to me. He's too much of a ***** IMO. I just don't like his style.Why can't we get someone with a play style more like Shanahan or something to be the new face of the NHL. Sid definitely comes across as a whiner to me, but I don't know about diving. He just doesn't seem like a proficient captain to me, someone grittier who looks like they play with a little more passion would fit the bill better.

And as for having a hard on for AO, you're absolutely right (Figuratively, of course)

I'd love the league to find a young guy who plays like Shanny. That's gonna be tough though. As for Sid's style, he's very tough. If you caught the Pens playoff games he is very physical. I think he's learned to be tough because he's had a bullseye on his back since he was like 10 years old or whatever. When you play against bigger, stronger and older players your entire life, its bound to make you tough. Of course not in the drop the mits kind of tough but I more like the Zetterberg kind. You know, will throw a hit, take a hit, play through pain, etc....

[seeinred 1,488]

I'd love the league to find a young guy who plays like Shanny. That's gonna be tough though. As for Sid's style, he's very tough. If you caught the Pens playoff games he is very physical. I think he's learned to be tough because he's had a bullseye on his back since he was like 10 years old or whatever. When you play against bigger, stronger and older players your entire life, its bound to make you tough. Of course not in the drop the mits kind of tough but I more like the Zetterberg kind. You know, will throw a hit, take a hit, play through pain, etc....

I agree about it being tough to find that type of player, at least one with good enough skills to represent the league.

I didn't catch but a few minutes here and there of Pens playoff games, but what I saw during the season didn't impress me with his physicality. If he's improving that aspect, then good for him. There's no denying that AO is the more physical player, but I'll like Sid more and more if he can become a bigger physical presence. And right now I don't see him as the type to play through immense physical pain, but we'll see.