For the sixth consecutive season, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has earned a prestigious honor from his NHL peers.
The NHL Players Association's (NHLPA) Annual Players Poll was released on Tuesday, and Crosby was, once again, named the league's most complete player. He also got top marks as the league's smartest overall player and the one guy players would want taking a must-win faceoff.
Crosby also finished top-five in "Best Overall Forward" and "Best Playmaker."
These honors are nothing new to Crosby, who is well-known for having earned a high degree of respect among his peers. But, nonetheless, the captain is grateful for the distinguishment, which he wasn't even aware of when told by the Pittsburgh media this morning.
"It means a lot," Crosby said. "Those are the guys you compete against every night, and I think that's one of the best compliments you could have is from the people that you compete against every night. So that means a lot."
'When He Speaks, Everyone Listens': How Sidney Crosby's Mentorship Has Passed On To Multiple Generations Of TeammatesFollowing the team's regular practice on Dec. 16, Pittsburgh Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby took some extra time out of his day to do something pretty much everyone around him is accustomed to witnessing on a day-to-day basis.
Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan is certainly accustomed to seeing Crosby succeed, but he said that it's the captain's work ethic and dedication to details that give him the all-around skillset he possesses.
"He's the standard for what it means to be a Pittsburgh Penguin," Sullivan said. "When [younger guys] get an opportunity to be around him and see how he carries himself every day, there's no better mentor, there's no better example on how to be a pro than him. Everything from how he lives his life, to the choices he makes with his diet, to how hard he trains off the ice, to the detail and the work habits that he displays on the ice. He controls everything within his power to set himself up for success.
"That's a lot easier said than done. There aren't a lot of guys who are willing to go to that level of detail and that commitment to do that. And that's one of the things that separates him from any other athlete that I've been around."
Penguins' Crosby On Pace To Become Sixth Player To Score 90 Points At 37 Or OlderPittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is on the cusp of NHL history (again). With 87 points in 77 games, he's just three points shy of 90 for the season, possibly three consecutive seasons of reaching the plateau.
That work ethic was reflected in Crosby's words, too. Even though he happy to be recognized by his peers, he understands that along with that hard work is the motivation to do whatever it takes to help his team win.
And if that means becoming a little bit better at everything, he's ready and willing to do that.
"You're always trying to learn, and you're always trying to get better," Crosby said. "If that allows you to be in the conversation for [that distinguishment], then obviously, you're doing something right.
"But I don't think about that a whole lot. I'm like, minus-20-something. So, I look at that as I don't like being on for goals-against. So, you're always trying to get better and find different areas of your game that you can improve no matter how long you've played. Ultimately, those things, hopefully, translate to wins. So that's the motivation behind it, not necessarily individual things."
At the end of the day, the 20-year veteran seems to still be playing at the same level he was a decade ago, which is remarkable for a player at the age of 37. The fact that he's still in these conversations is remarkable in and of itself.
But that's just who Crosby is. And Sullivan knows his captain has earned every ounce of recognition and respect he has gotten.
"He controls what he can, and that's his own approach every day... his determination to be the best," Sullivan said. "You guys see that on display every night as well as I do. I think the fact that he's been recognized by his peers might be the highest compliment that any player could ever receive.
"When your peers think that highly of you, I think that just speaks volumes because these guys play with and mostly against him night-in and night-out. And he earns that respect that he's gotten from his peers year-in and year-out. That's not something that's handed to anyone. He earns that through his performance and how hard he competes out there."
Like Ovechkin's Capitals, Penguins Owe It To Crosby To Right The ShipOn Sunday, the hockey world got to witness Alexander Ovechkin - The Great “8” - surpass The Great “One” for the most goals in NHL history.
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