Hockey Hall of Fame member Mark Recchi believes Sidney Crosby is hockey's closest comparison to NBA legend Michael Jordan.

"Obviously, there's some great ones along the way, but in terms of the work ethic, I heard somebody say Sidney, and Sidney's probably about as close as you're gonna get, except he's not as confrontational as Michael Jordan was, it seems like," the Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach said on Sportsnet's "Hockey Central." "Sid's work ethic is the hardest, the teammates have no choice but to follow."

Recchi has had a front-row seat to the Crosby show over the last several years. In 2014, he was hired as the Penguins' player development coach before being named an assistant coach in 2017.

One of the main reasons Recchi chose Crosby is due to the 32-year-old's desire to keep improving on his game while helping his teammates do the same.

"Our practices are unbelievably fast. When we get new guys in, they're not used to practicing at that pace and it takes them about three weeks to a month to catch up to that pace, and Sid leads the way every day," Recchi said. "After practice, he tries to get better at something every day. It's almost, like, lead by example: 'Guys you gotta stick with me and follow along and do the things I'm doing and we're gonna get there.'"

Crosby and Recchi were teammates for three seasons from 2005 until 2007.

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After looking at each NHL team's biggest busts, theScore's hockey editors are examining the league's best draft steals. Our final post of the series focuses on the Atlantic Division.

Central | Metropolitan | Pacific

Boston Bruins

The pick: Brad Marchand (No. 71, 2006)
GM responsible: Jeff Gorton (interim 2006)
Honorable mentions: Patrice Bergeron (No. 45, 2003), Andrew Raycroft (No. 135, 1998), Don Sweeney (No. 166, 1984)

A strong argument could also be made for Bergeron, but the Bruins' ultimate pest gets a slight leg up since he was selected 26 spots later and had a superior offensive peak. The 2003 draft was also one of the deepest in league history, so although Bergeron fell to 45th overall, he would have likely been scooped up far earlier in other years.

Marchand was arguably Boston's most valuable skater during its 2010-11 Stanley Cup run, racking up 11 goals - including five in the finals - and 19 points over 25 postseason contests. Since then, he's developed into a well-rounded first-line talent who can be called upon in all situations.

In 2018-19, Marchand became the 10th Bruin in franchise history and first since 2002-03 to record a 100-point season. He was also on pace to become the first Bruin since Adam Oates in the early '90s to produce back-to-back 100-point campaigns before play was suspended in March.

Among all third-round selections since 1999-2000, Marchand ranks second in both goals and points per game.

Buffalo Sabres

The pick: Alex Mogilny (No. 89, 1988)
GM responsible: Gerry Meehan (1986-93)
Honorable mentions: Jason Pominville (No. 55, 2001), Ryan Miller (No. 138, 1999), Brian Campbell (No. 156, 1997)

It's a close call between Mogilny and Miller as the Sabres' biggest draft gem, but the Russian superstar ultimately gets the edge.

The 5-foot-11 winger holds the Sabres' single-season record and the fifth-best mark all time with 76 goals during the 1992-93 campaign. His 127 points that season is also the second-highest total in franchise history. Over his six campaigns in Buffalo, Mogilny tallied 444 points in 381 outings and ranked 11th in the NHL in goals per game during that span.

Mogilny's impact on the Sabres also lasted longer than his tenure. Buffalo fetched future captain and 1996-97 Selke Trophy-winner Michael Peca from Vancouver in exchange for Mogilny.

His excellence is truly rare considering his draft position. Ranking 78th all time with 1,032 career points, only five players in the top 77 were selected with a later pick than Mogilny.

Detroit Red Wings

The pick: Pavel Datsyuk (No. 171, 1998)
GM responsible: Ken Holland (1997-2019)
Honorable mentions: Henrik Zetterberg (No. 210, 1999), Tomas Holmstrom (No. 257, 1994), Sergei Fedorov (No. 74, 1989), Niklas Lidstrom (No. 53, 1989)

There's no doubting Lidstrom's status as one of the greatest defensemen to ever grace an NHL blue line, but for the Red Wings to nab a franchise-altering center who would also leave a lasting impact on the game at No. 171 is incredible.

Datsyuk's legacy stretches far beyond his two Stanley Cups, three Selke Trophies, and four Lady Byng Trophies. With his advanced hockey acumen and electrifying skill set, the Russian superstar was somewhat of an icon for the sport. Datsyuk brought jaw-dropping, never-before-seen moves to the NHL, inspiring an entire generation of players to push the boundaries for what's possible on the ice.

His level of production is rarely seen from a player selected so deep in the draft. Datsyuk ranks third in points among all players selected in the sixth round or beyond since the 1999-2000 season. Among all Red Wings, he ranks eighth in goals (314), sixth in assists (604), and seventh in points (918).

Florida Panthers

The pick: Vincent Trocheck, (No. 64, 2011)
GM responsible: Dale Tallon (2010-16, '17-present)
Honorable mentions: Jaroslav Spacek (No. 117, 1998) Kristian Huselius (No. 47, 1997), Filip Kuba (No. 192, 1995)

The Panthers have traded away the few draft steals they've managed to acquire before they reached their primes. Though Trocheck was also moved by Florida, the 26-year-old at least had time to make an impact with the club.

Trocheck ranks third on the Panthers in both goals (111) and points (282) since entering the league in 2013-14 and mustered a career-best 31 tallies and 75 points during the 2017-18 campaign. He also sits 10th in points per game among all skaters selected in the 2011 draft.

The Panthers also hauled in a decent return when they dealt Trocheck to the Carolina Hurricanes this season. Florida received depth forwards Erik Haula and Lucas Wallmark, as well as prospect Eetu Luostarinen and forward Chase Priskie.

Montreal Canadiens

The pick: Andrei Markov (No. 162, 1998)
GM responsible: Rejean Houle (1995-2000)
Honorable mentions: Brendan Gallagher (No. 147, 2010), Jaroslav Halak (No. 271, 2003), Tomas Plekanec (No. 71, 2001)

There's certainly a case to be made for Halak after what he did for the Canadiens during the 2010 playoffs, but Markov's body of work over 17 seasons left a much more significant mark on the club's record books.

Markov ranks sixth in both games played (990) and assists (453) in Canadiens franchise history. Among Montreal defensemen, he sits second in both assists and points (572) behind Hall of Famer Larry Robinson and third in goals with 119.

The 6-foot Russian panned out to be the most productive defenseman by far out of the '98 draft. Markov registered 218 more points than the next closest rearguard and ranks 11th in scoring among all skaters selected.

In addition to adding Markov in the 1998 draft, Houle was able to nab forwards Mike Ribeiro and Michael Ryder with the 45th and 216th overall picks, respectively. The general manager also selected defenseman Francois Beauchemin with the 75th pick, though the Quebec native played only one game with the Canadiens.

Ottawa Senators

The pick: Daniel Alfredsson (No. 133, 1994)
GM responsible: Randy Sexton (1993-95)
Honorable mentions: Mark Stone (No. 178, 2010), Mike Hoffman (No. 130, 2009), Pavol Demitra (No. 227, 1993)

With the third overall pick in the 1994 draft, the Senators selected Radek Bonk, a skilled center who'd go on to have a successful NHL career. Little did Ottawa know that 130 picks later, the franchise would nab the greatest player to ever wear a Senators uniform.

Sexton and his staff can thank the late John Ferguson Sr. - the then-Senators director of player personnel - for finding Alfredsson and pushing management to draft him. Ferguson went to Sweden on multiple occasions to watch Alfredsson play and knew immediately that the 5-foot-11 winger had something special to offer.

Alfredsson earned the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie in 1995-96 and helped accelerate the Senators' growth. The Swedish superstar departed Ottawa 17 seasons later as the franchise's longest-serving captain and leader in every offensive statistical category. Alfredsson also paces all players in the 1994 draft in career goals (444), assists (713), and points (1,157).

Tampa Bay Lightning

The pick: Brad Richards (No. 64, 1998)
GM responsible: Phil Esposito (1991-98)
Honorable mentions: Brayden Point (No. 79, 2014), Nikita Kucherov (No. 58, 2011), Pavel Kubina (No. 179, 1996)

The Lightning have done a sensational job constructing their current roster by finding plenty of steals in recent drafts, but Richards accomplished things during his career that Point and Kucherov have yet to achieve.

Richards is the franchise's only Conn Smythe Trophy winner thanks to his dominant play during the Lightning's Stanley Cup run in 2004. As a 23-year-old, Richards notched 26 points in 23 games, which remains a franchise record for most points in a single postseason.

Esposito and his staff turned out to be major winners during the '98 draft. Richards finished second in career points (932) among all players selected in that class behind teammate Vincent Lecavalier, who was taken by Tampa Bay with the first overall pick.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The pick: Tomas Kaberle (No. 204, 1996)
GM responsible: Cliff Fletcher (1991-97)
Honorable mentions: Andreas Johnsson (No. 202, 2013), Alexei Ponikarovsky (No. 87, 1998), Sergei Berezin (No. 256, 1994)

It's doubtful Fletcher and his staff believed they had landed the Maple Leafs' defensive anchor for the coming 12 seasons when they selected Kaberle, the rosy-cheeked blue-liner.

A total of 203 players were selected before Kaberle in 1996, but none ended their careers with more assists (476) than him, and only four finished with more than his 563 points. Since the '96 draft, only two defensemen selected in the sixth round or beyond have recorded more career points than the Czech rearguard.

Kaberle ranks second among Maple Leafs defensemen in career points and assists while sitting fourth in goals. His 58-assist campaign in 2005-06 remains the third-highest single-season total by a defenseman in franchise history.

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After looking at each NHL team's biggest busts, theScore's hockey editors are examining the league's best draft steals. With some exceptions in extreme circumstances, the players included must have made significant contributions to the organization that drafted them. Today, we're focusing on the Pacific Division, excluding the Vegas Golden Knights due to their lack of draft history.

Central | Metropolitan | Atlantic

Anaheim Ducks

The pick: Corey Perry (No. 28, 2003)
GM responsible: Bryan Murray (2002-04)
Honorable mentions: Sami Vatanen (No. 106, 2009), Frederik Andersen (No. 87, 2012), Ondrej Kase (No. 205, 2014)

The 2003 draft was monumental for the Ducks. Anaheim went in with two late first-round picks, but ultimately struck gold. They selected Ryan Getzlaf at No. 19 and then took a shot with Perry at No. 28. Both instantly became franchise cornerstones, and helped lead the Ducks to a Stanley Cup in 2007.

Perry spent 13 seasons in Anaheim, racking up 751 points over 932 games. His tenure with the Ducks came to an end when he was bought out of the final two years of his contract in June 2019.

First-round picks aren't often seen as steals, but getting a franchise star with one of the final picks of the opening round doesn't happen often. Among all players drafted in the first round at No. 28 or later, Perry ranks second in games played and is tied for first in points.

Arizona Coyotes

The pick: Keith Yandle (No. 105, 2005)
GM responsible: Mike Barnett (2001-07)
Honorable mentions: Michael Stone (No. 69, 2008), Christian Dvorak (No. 58, 2014)

Getting a top-pairing defenseman in the later rounds is rare. However, the Coyotes managed to snag Yandle in the fourth round in 2005.

Yandle helped the Coyotes reach the Western Conference Final in 2012, logging big minutes on the blue line while contributing nine points in the playoffs. He played in 439 consecutive games from 2009 until his departure from Arizona in 2015. In eight seasons with the Coyotes, he managed 270 points in 495 games.

The Coyotes got a good haul for Yandle at the trade deadline in 2015, shipping him off to the New York Rangers in exchange for Anthony Duclair, John Moore, and a first- and second-round pick.

Calgary Flames

The pick: Theo Fleury (No. 166, 1987)
GM responsible: Cliff Fletcher (1972-91)
Honorable mentions: Gary Suter (No. 180, 1984), T.J. Brodie (No. 114, 2008), Johnny Gaudreau (No. 104, 2011)

Fleury dominated the WHL prior to his draft year, netting 104 goals and 237 points with the Moose Jaw Warriors. Still, teams were reluctant to grab him in the draft due to his 5-foot-6 frame. The Flames finally decided to take a shot on him in the eighth round, which was a choice they surely don't regret.

Fleury made an immediate impact, helping Calgary win a Stanley Cup as a rookie in 1989. In his third season, he set career highs in goals (51) and points (104). Overall, Fleury amassed 364 goals and 830 points in 791 games with the franchise over 11 seasons.

One of the smallest players of his generation, Fleury was doubtful to even make it as an NHL player. Against all odds, he went on to play over 1,000 games and tally over 1,000 points in his career. On top of his Stanley Cup, he also has an Olympic gold medal, and is second all time on the Flames' scoring list, trailing only Jarome Iginla. Not bad for an eighth-round pick.

Edmonton Oilers

The pick: Mark Messier (No. 48, 1979)
GM responsible: Glen Slather (1980-00)
Honorable mentions: Glenn Anderson (No. 69, 1979), Jari Kurri (No. 69, 1980), Esa Tikkanen (No. 80, 1983)

This one could have easily gone to either Kurri or Anderson, as all three are Oilers legends. The trio of players were a part of all five of Edmonton's Stanley Cups. However, Messier gets the nod due to his overall contributions to the Oilers as captain once Wayne Gretzky was no longer with the team.

After winning four Cups in five seasons from 1984-88, Gretzky was dealt. Messier was then named captain, and surprisingly helped lead the Oilers to their fifth Cup in 1990 without the help of "The Great One." Messier earned the Hart Trophy that season, leading the team with 45 goals and 129 points.

Though Messier ultimately spent less than half his career in Edmonton, his value to the franchise is nearly unmatched. He racked up 392 goals and 1,034 points across 12 seasons with the Oilers. On top of his key role in the Cup victories, he was named to seven All-Star Games during his tenure with the team and ranks third all time in franchise history in both games played and points.

Los Angeles Kings

The pick: Luc Robitaille (No. 171, 1984)
GM responsible: Rogie Vachon (1984-92)
Honorable mentions: Bernie Nicholls (No. 73, 1980), Rob Blake (No. 70, 1988), Jonathan Quick (No. 72, 2005)

Robitaille kicked off his career with the Kings in grand fashion, taking home the Calder Trophy in 1987. He remains the only player in franchise history to earn the honor. He didn't slow down afterward, scoring more than 40 goals in each of his first eight seasons.

Robitaille's biggest contribution to the Kings came in 1992-93, when he assumed captaincy with Gretzky injured for a big chunk of the season. He put up a career-high 125 points that season, helping lead the Kings to a playoff berth and their first Stanley Cup appearance in franchise history.

Robitaille was traded in 1994, but eventually returned for two other stints in L.A. from 1997-01 and 2003-06. He remains the franchise leader in goals (557), and is one of six players to have his number retired by the Kings.

San Jose Sharks

The pick: Joe Pavelski (No. 205, 2003)
GM responsible: Doug Wilson (2003-present)
Honorable mentions: Evgeni Nabokov (No. 219, 1994), Marc-Edouard Vlasic (No. 35, 2005), Kevin Labanc (No. 171, 2014)

The Sharks managed to snag a franchise center at the tail end of the draft when they selected Pavelski.

He served as captain during his final four seasons with the Sharks, and was integral to the team's success over the last decade. He helped lead the Sharks to their first-ever Stanley Cup appearance in 2015-16 - his first year as captain.

Pavelski ranks second in franchise history in goals, trailing Patrick Marleau, and sits third in points, behind only Joe Thornton and Marleau. Pavelski is one of the most important Sharks players in franchise history and San Jose couldn't have asked for a better pick at No. 205 in 2003.

Vancouver Canucks

The pick: Pavel Bure (No. 113, 1989)
GM responsible: Pat Quinn (1987-97)
Honorable mentions: Adrian Aucoin (No. 117, 1992), Kevin Bieksa (No. 151, 2001), Jannik Hansen (No. 287, 2004)

Controversy swirled around Bure's selection at the 1989 draft. The Canucks took him late in the sixth round, while many teams weren't sure of his draft eligibility due to his age. The pick was originally deemed illegal by league president John Ziegler, but the Canucks later won an appeal to uphold the pick.

Bure ultimately fell because teams were scared off by the idea of him choosing to play in the Soviet Union instead. While the Canucks didn't take a huge gamble on him at 113th overall, it was a risk that paid off extremely well.

He took home the Calder Trophy in 1992, and helped lead the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Final in 1994, which they ended up losing in seven games. He led the team in scoring that season with 60 goals and 107 points, and posted 31 points in 24 playoff games.

His career in Vancouver didn't end all that well - he demanded a trade in 1998 and held out into the 1998-99 season. He was soon traded to the Florida Panthers for several players, including Ed Jovanovski, and a first-round pick. Bure's seven-year tenure with the Canucks ended with him tallying 254 goals and 478 points in 428 games.

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Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.

Although the return of professional sports may be looming, Toronto mayor John Tory is cautioning that his city likely won't be hosting any games in the near future.

"I would just say to people, don't hold your hopes out that you're going to see professional sports played in Toronto, even in front of an empty stadium, before sometime into the fall," Tory said on Sportsnet's "Writers Bloc" podcast.

The mayor said he's spoken recently to Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri, Toronto Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro, and the Toronto Maple Leafs organization about the possibility of pro sports returning to the city amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NHL is considering potentially using Toronto as a hub city to host multiple teams in order to finish the rest of the season. Tory added that while he's spoken to the Maple Leafs about the matter, talks haven't gone into great detail.

"They described to us about how that would work with teams staying in hotels and going back and forth in busses and all of this, and we've really not heard much more about it," Tory said. "Suffice it to say, in respect of a lot of things, we are not contemplating any situation in which there would be large crowd scenes."

Tory added that even if teams were to play in front of empty arenas, it wouldn't necessarily remove the risk of the virus spreading. Focusing on hockey, he mentioned factors such as team size, players sitting next to each other on the bench, the physical nature of the sport, and having to test everyone involved.

Still, Tory remains optimistic about the return of sports to Toronto. He added that the decision isn't ultimately his, and said that one will come with the help of guidelines from local medical authorities.

"In Toronto, in stadiums, even without spectators, there's probably a way to work it out - subject to all those questions that I asked earlier about contact between players, size of teams, arrangements on the bench," Tory added. "As time goes on, if you were saying, 'OK, in September, is there a chance we could have some of that,' I would not say no."

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Former Edmonton Oilers forward Ales Hemsky has retired from pro hockey after 15 seasons, the team announced Friday.

Hemsky played 11 seasons with the Oilers from 2002-2014 and ranks eighth in franchise history with 477 points recorded in 652 games. He posted a career-high 77 points during the 2005-06 campaign and added six goals and 17 points in 24 playoff games during the Oilers' run to the Stanley Cup Final that spring.

The Czech winger is also responsible for scoring one of the most memorable regular-season goals in NHL history when he took advantage of Dallas Stars forward Patrik Stefan's infamous empty-net blunder in 2007.

After leaving Edmonton, Hemsky spent half of a season with the Ottawa Senators and three with the Dallas Stars before playing his final seven games as a member of the Montreal Canadiens in 2017-18.

He finishes his NHL career with 174 goals and 572 points in 845 games.

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