Feb. 28, 2010, is a date many Canadians will never forget.

With Olympic gold up for grabs on home soil against the United States, a 22-year-old Sidney Crosby stepped up in overtime to deliver one of the biggest goals in Canadian hockey history.

“I remember the stories I was told,” Crosby said, according to The Athletic's Josh Yohe. “In terms of goals that I’ve scored or moments that I’ve had, yeah, it was the biggest one. The reaction around Vancouver and around Canada, it’s something I’ll never forget.

Crosby's tally sealed Canada's first Olympic gold medal in men's hockey on home turf, and just its second gold in the event since the 1952 Olympics in Norway.

"What I remember most is all these stories from buddies of mine, friends of mine, people in the community ... so many people have told me where they were when they were watching and when the goal went in. It was so cool at the moment it happened, to be a part of it, and to experience it."

Crosby took a pass from winger Jarome Iginla and slid the puck past American netminder Ryan Miller at the 7:40 mark of the first overtime period:

In reflecting on his golden goal, Crosby admitted that shooting immediately wasn't his original plan, but he credited his split-second decision to keep things simple.

“For a second, I actually thought about taking the puck to the net and going to the backhand, Crosby said, per Yohe. "That was my first thought.”

“At that point, I had to tell myself that it was overtime,” Crosby said. “In that situation, you really don’t want to pass up an opportunity. And I figured that, since I didn’t really have a great angle there, my best chance was probably to get the puck away as quickly as I could. Honestly, it was pretty much a reaction."

Crosby captained Canada to its second consecutive Olympic gold in men's hockey four years later at the 2014 Games in Sochi.

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