Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick. In many areas, one sport (typically field hockey or ice hockey^[1]) is generally referred to simply as hockey.

Etymology[link]

The first recorded use of the word "hockey" is found in the text of a royal proclamation issued by Edward III of England in 1363 banning certain types of sports and games.

"[m]oreover we ordain that you prohibit under penalty of imprisonment all and sundry from such stone, wood and iron throwing; handball, football, or hockey; coursing and cock-fighting, or other such idle games."^[2]

The word hockey itself is of unknown origin, although it is likely a derivative of hoquet, a Middle French word for a shepherd's stave.^[3] The curved, or "hooked" ends of the sticks used for hockey would indeed have resembled these staves.

History[link]

bas relief c.600 BC, in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens

Games played with curved sticks and a ball can be found in the histories of many cultures. In Egypt, 4000-year-old carvings feature teams with sticks and a projectile, hurling dates to before 1272 BC in Ireland, and there is a depiction from c.600 BC in Ancient Greece where the game may have been called kerētízein or kerhtízein (κερητίζειν) because it was played with a horn or horn-like stick(kéras, κέρας)^[4] In Inner Mongolia, China, the Daur people have been playing beikou, a game similar to modern field hockey, for about 1,000 years.^[5]

Most evidence of hockey-like games during the Middle Ages is found in legislation concerning sports and games. Similar to Edward's proclamation was the Galway Statute enacted in Ireland in 1527, which banned certain types of ball games, including hockey.

"...at no tyme to use ne occupye the horlinge of the litill balle with hockie stickes or staves, nor use no hande ball to play withoute walles, but only greate foote balle"^[6]

By the 19th century, the various forms and divisions of historic games began to differentiate and coalesce into the individual sports defined today. Organizations dedicated to the codification of rules and regulations began to form, and national and international bodies sprung up to manage domestic and international competition. Ice hockey also evolved during this period as a derivative of field hockey adapted to the icy conditions of Canada and the northern United States.

Subtypes[link]

Field hockey game at Melbourne University.

Field hockey[link]

Field hockey is played on gravel, natural grass, sand-based or water-based artificial turf, with a small, hard ball. The game is popular among both males and females in many parts of the world, particularly in Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. In most countries, the game is played between single-sex sides, although they can be mixed-sex.

The governing body is the 116-member International Hockey Federation (FIH). Men's field hockey has been played at each summer Olympic Games since 1908 (except 1912 and 1924), while women's field hockey has been played at the Summer Olympic Games since 1980.

Modern field hockey sticks are J-shaped and constructed of a composite of wood, glass fibre or carbon fibre (sometimes both) and have a curved hook at the playing end, a flat surface on the playing side and curved surface on the rear side. While current field hockey appeared in the mid-18th century in England, primarily in schools, it was not until the first half of the 19th century that it became firmly established. The first club was created in 1849 at Blackheath in south-east London. Field hockey is the national sport of India and Pakistan.^[7]

Ice hockey[link]

The Barrie Colts and the Brampton Battalion in an ice hockey game.

Ice hockey is played on a large flat area of ice, using a three-inch-diameter (76.2 mm) vulcanized rubber disc called a puck. This puck is often frozen before high-level games to decrease the amount of bouncing and friction on the ice. The game is contested between two teams of skaters. The game is played all over North America, Europe and in many other countries around the world to varying extent. It is the most popular sport in Canada, Finland, Latvia, the Czech Republic, and in Slovakia.

The governing body of international play is the 66-member International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Men's ice hockey has been played at the Winter Olympics since 1924, and was in the 1920 Summer Olympics. Women's ice hockey was added to the Winter Olympics in 1998. North America's National Hockey League (NHL) is the strongest professional ice hockey league, drawing top ice hockey players from around the globe. The NHL rules are slightly different from those used in Olympic ice hockey over many categories.

Ice hockey sticks are long L-shaped sticks made of wood, graphite, or composites with a blade at the bottom that can lie flat on the playing surface when the stick is held upright and can curve either way, legally, as to help a left- or right-handed player gain an advantage.

There are early representations and reports of ice hockey-type games being played on ice in the Netherlands, and reports from Canada from the beginning of the nineteenth century, but the modern game was initially organized by students at McGill University, Montreal in 1875 who, by two years later, codified the first set of ice hockey rules and organized the first teams.

Ice hockey is played at a number of levels, by all ages.

Inline hockey[link]

Rink hockey - Rollhockey - Hoquei em Patins

Inline hockey is a variation of roller hockey very similar to ice hockey, from which it is derived. Inline hockey is played by two teams, consisting of four skaters and one goalie, on a dry rink divided into two halves by a center line, with one net at each end of the rink. The game is played in three 15-minute periods with a variation of the ice hockey off-side rule. Icings are also called, but are usually referred to as illegal clearing. For rink dimensions and an overview of the rules of the game, see IIHF Inline Rules (official rules). Some leagues and competitions do not follow the IIHF regulations, in particular USA Inline and Canada Inline.

Roller hockey[link]

Roller hockey, also known as quad hockey, international-style ball hockey, and Hoquei em Patins is an overarching name for a roller sport that has existed since long before inline skates were invented. This sport is played in over sixty countries and has a worldwide following. Roller hockey was a demonstration sport at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics.

Sledge hockey[link]

Sledge hockey is a form of ice hockey designed for players with physical disabilities affecting their lower bodies. Players sit on double-bladed sledges and use two sticks; each stick has a blade at one end and small picks at the other. Players use the sticks to pass, stickhandle and shoot the puck, and to propel their sledges. The rules are very similar to IIHF ice hockey rules.^[8]

Canada is a recognized international leader in the development of the sport, and of equipment for players. Much of the equipment for the sport was first developed in Canada, such as sledge hockey sticks laminated with fiberglass, as well as aluminum shafts with hand carved insert blades and special aluminum sledges with regulation skate blades.

Based on ice sledge hockey, inline sledge hockey is played to the same rules as inline puck hockey (essentially ice hockey played off ice using inline skates) and has been made possible by the design and manufacture of inline sledges by RGK, Europe’s premier sports wheelchair maker.

There is no classification point system dictating who can play inline sledge hockey, unlike the situation with other team sports such as wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby. Inline sledge hockey is being developed to allow everyone, regardless of whether they have a disability or not, to complete up to world championship level based solely on talent and ability. This makes inline sledge hockey truly inclusive.

The first game of inline sledge hockey was played at Bisley, England, on the 19th of December 2009 between the Hull Stingrays and the Grimsby Redwings. Matt Lloyd is credited with inventing inline sledge hockey, and Great Britain is seen as the international leader in the game's development.

Street hockey[link]

Also known as road hockey, this is a dry-land variant of ice and roller hockey played on a hard surface (usually asphalt). Most of the time, a ball is used instead of a puck, and generally no protective equipment is worn. Street hockey is played year round.

Other forms of hockey[link]

Native Mapuches playing palín shown in Histórica Relación del Reino de Chile by Alonso de Ovalle. Rome, 1646.

Other games derived from hockey or its predecessors include the following:

Box Hockey being played in Miami, FL 1935

• Air hockey is played indoors with a puck on an air-cushion table.
• Beach hockey, a variation of street hockey, is a common sight on Southern California beaches.
• Ball hockey is played in a gym using sticks and a ball, often a tennis ball with the fuzz removed.
• Bandy is played with a ball on a football field-sized ice arena, typically outdoors, and with many rules similar to association football
• Box hockey is a school yard game played by two people. The object of the game is to move a hockey puck from the center of the box out through a hole placed at the end of the box (known as the goal). Each player kneels and faces one another on either side of the box, and each attempts to move the puck to the hole on their left.
• Broomball is played on an ice hockey rink, but with a ball instead of a puck and a "broom" (actually a stick with a small plastic implement on the end) in place of the ice hockey stick. Instead of using skates, special shoes are used that have very soft rubbery soles to maximize grip while running around.
• Deck hockey is traditionally played by the Royal Navy on the ships' decks, using short wooden 'L' shaped sticks.
• Floor hockey is a form of hockey played on foot,on flat, smooth floor surface. It is usually played inside in gymnasiums and such.
• Floorball, is a form of hockey played in a gymnasium or in sport halls. A whiffle ball is used instead of a plastic ball, and the sticks are made from composite materials. The sticks are only one meter long.
• Foot hockey or sock hockey is played using a bald tennis ball or rolled up pair of socks and using only the feet. It is popular at elementary schools in the winter.
• Gym hockey is a form of ice hockey played in a gymnasium. It uses sticks with foam ends and a foam ball or a plastic puck.
• Hurling and Camogie are Irish games bearing some resemblance to - and notable differences from - hockey.
• Indoor field hockey is an indoor variation of field hockey.
• Mini hockey In the United States is a form of hockey (also known as "mini-sticks") which is played in basements of houses. Players get down on their knees, using a miniature plastic stick, usually about 15 inches (38 cm) long to maneuver a small ball or a soft, fabric covered mini puck into a miniature goals. In England 'mini hockey' refers to a seven-a-side version of field hockey, played on an area equivalent to half a normal pitch for younger players
• Nok Hockey is a table-top version of hockey played with no defense and a small block in front of the goal.
• Power hockey is a form of hockey for persons requiring the use of an electric (power) wheelchair in daily life. PowerHockey is a competitive sports opportunity for the physically disabled.
• Ringette is an ice hockey variant that was designed for female players; it uses a straight stick and a rubber ring in place of a puck. Note: Ringette distances itself from hockey as it has its own set of rules and is closely related to a mix of lacrosse and basketball.
• Rinkball is a Scandinavian team sport, played in an ice hockey rink with a ball.
• Rossall hockey is a variation played at Rossall School on the sea shore in the winter months. Its rules are a mix of field hockey, rugby and the Eton wall game.
• Shinny is an informal version of ice hockey.
• Shinty is a Scottish game now played primarily in the Highlands
• Skater hockey is a variant of inline hockey, played with a ball.
• Spongee is a cross between ice hockey and broomball and is most popular in Manitoba, Canada. A stick and puck are used as in hockey (the puck is a softer version called a "sponge puck"), and the same soft-soled shoes used in broomball are worn. The rules are basically the same as ice hockey, but one variation has an extra player on the ice called a "rover".
• Table hockey is played indoors with a table-top game.
• Underwater hockey is played on the bottom of a swimming pool.
• Unicycle hockey is played on a hard surface using unicycles as the method of player movement. There is generally no dedicated goalkeeper.

References[link]

External links[link]

Sidney Crosby
Crosby pictured during the 2009-10 NHL Season.
Born	(1987-08-07) August 7, 1987 (age 24) Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada[1]
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight	200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position	Centre
Shoots	Left
NHL team	Pittsburgh Penguins
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	1st overall, 2005 Pittsburgh Penguins[2]
Playing career	2005–present

Sidney Patrick Crosby, ONS (born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Crosby was drafted first overall by the Penguins out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). During his two-year major junior career with the Rimouski Océanic, he earned back-to-back CHL Player of the Year awards and led his club to the 2005 Memorial Cup final. Nicknamed "The Next One",^[3][4] he was one of the most highly regarded draft picks in hockey history, leading many to refer to the 2005 Draft Lottery as the "Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes".^[5]

In his first NHL season, Crosby finished sixth in league scoring with 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists) and was a runner-up for the Calder Memorial Trophy (won by Alexander Ovechkin). By his second season, he led the NHL with 120 points (36 goals, 84 assists) to capture the Art Ross Trophy, becoming the youngest player and the only teenager to win a scoring title in any major North American sports league.^[6] That same season, Crosby also won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the Professional Hockey Writers Association's choice for most valuable player and the Lester B. Pearson Award as the NHL Players Association's choice for most outstanding player, becoming the seventh player in NHL history to earn all three awards in one year.^[7] Crosby started the 2007–08 season with the team's captaincy and subsequently led them to the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals, where they were defeated by the Detroit Red Wings in six games. The Penguins returned to the Finals against Detroit the following year and won in seven games; Crosby became the youngest captain in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup.^[8] In the 2009–10 season, Crosby scored a career-high 51 goals, tying him with Steven Stamkos for the Rocket Richard Trophy as the league-leader; with 58 assists, he totaled 109 points, second in the NHL. During the off-season, Crosby received the Mark Messier Leadership Award. In 2010–11, Crosby sustained a concussion as a result of hits to the head in back-to-back games. The injury left him sidelined for ten and a half months. However, after playing eight games in the 2011–12 season, Crosby's concussion-like symptoms returned in December 2011, and he did not return until mid-March 2012.

Internationally, Crosby has represented Canada in numerous tournaments for the country's junior and men's teams. After competing in the 2003 U-18 Junior World Cup, he represented Canada in back-to-back IIHF World U20 Championships, winning silver in 2004 and gold in 2005. At the 2006 IIHF World Championship, he led the tournament in scoring, while also earning Top Forward and All-Star Team honours. Four years later, Crosby was named to Team Canada for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Playing the United States in the gold medal game, he scored the game-winning goal in overtime.^[9]

Early life[link]

Crosby was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia,^[1] on August 7, 1987, to Troy Crosby and Trina Forbes-Crosby. Crosby's jersey number (87) and 2007 contract signing ($8.7 million per year) reflect his birthdate (8/7/87).^[10] Crosby grew up in nearby Cole Harbour, and has a younger sister, Taylor.^[11] His father was a goaltender who played for the Verdun Junior Canadiens in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Troy played in the 1985 Memorial Cup and had been drafted 240th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 1984, but never played at the NHL level.^[12] Growing up, Crosby admired Steve Yzerman and, like his father, was a Canadiens fan.^[13]

Crosby began playing hockey by himself in his basement at two years old, shooting pucks against the family's clothes dryer;^[14] he learned to skate at three.^[12]

From age twelve to fifteen, Crosby attended Astral Drive Junior High School. He was a straight-A student and, according to the vice-principal, "an amazing role model who was really kind to students in the learning centre and to special needs kids."^[15] When he was fifteen, Crosby transferred to Shattuck-Saint Mary's in Faribault, Minnesota, to play with the school's hockey program. While playing for the Rimouski Océanic of the QMJHL, Crosby attended and graduated in 2005 from Harrison Trimble High School, in Moncton, New Brunswick.

Playing career[link]

Minor hockey[link]

Early in his minor hockey years, Crosby began attracting media attention for his play and gave his first newspaper interview at age seven.^[16] At thirteen, the Nova Scotia Minor Hockey Council refused to allow him to play midget, a level of minor hockey designated for fifteen- to seventeen-year-olds. His family sued and lost.^[17] The following year, he entered the midget level with the triple-A Dartmouth Subways. Crosby went on to score a combined 217 regular season and playoff points, leading Dartmouth to a second-place finish at the 2002 Air Canada Cup.^[18] He won the MVP and Top Scorer awards at the national tournament after recording 18 points in 5 games. In addition to his accomplishments, Crosby was called up as a 14-year-old to play two games with the Maritime Junior A Hockey League's Truro Bearcats that season.^[19] Crosby had been drafted by the Bearcats in the 2001 MJAHL Draft as a 13-year-old.^[20][21][22]

During his midget season, he appeared on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Hockey Day in Canada telecast.^[12] Throughout Crosby's minor career, he was also negatively targeted for his talent, however. He has recalled numerous instances in which opposing players intentionally attempted to injure him, as well as constant verbal abuse from parents on and off the ice. Parents taunted and threatened Crosby so harshly, he took to not wearing his jersey between tournament games while he waited to play so that he would not be recognized.^[23] Partly because of this mistreatment, Crosby chose to leave the country to play for the renowned hockey program at Shattuck-Saint Mary's Boarding School in Minnesota for the 2002–03 hockey season.^[23] In 57 games with the Sabres, he recorded 72 goals and 162 points, leading the team to a U18 AAA national championship.

Junior career[link]

Crosby was selected first overall in the 2003 Midget Draft by the Rimouski Océanic of the QMJHL. In his first exhibition game, he scored eight points, leading his teammates to nickname him "Darryl" (in reference to Darryl Sittler's ten-point in the NHL in 1976).^[24] In his first regular season game in the QMJHL, he scored one goal and added two assists.^[25] He was named QMJHL Player of the Week for two consecutive weeks at the start of the season and won the honour four more times as the season progressed. He was named QMJHL Player of the Month and Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Player of the Week three times each.^[26] Crosby finished his rookie QMJHL season with 54 goals and 81 assists over 59 games to capture the Jean Beliveau Trophy as the league's leading point-scorer. He was further recognized with the RDS/JVC Trophy (overall rookie of the year) and Michel Brière Memorial Trophy (most valuable player), becoming the first QMJHL player to win all three major awards at once.^[26] Rounding out Crosby's accolades for the 2003–04 regular season were QMJHL All-Rookie and First All-Star Team honours, as well as Offensive Rookie, Offensive Player and Personality of the Year Awards. As a team, the Océanic led the Eastern Division with 34 wins and 76 points. After receiving a first-round bye in the 2003 QMJHL playoffs, they defeated the Shawinigan Cataractes in the quarterfinals, then were eliminated by the Moncton Wildcats in the semifinals. Crosby recorded 16 points (7 goals and 9 assists) over 9 post-season games.

During the off-season, the World Hockey Association, a major professional league proposed to rival the NHL, held an Entry Draft on July 17, 2004. Holding the first overall selection, Toronto chose Crosby. The following month, it was reported that Crosby turned down a US$7.5 million deal over three years to play for Hamilton. Crosby told reporters that while "it took a lot to say no to that much money", he "work[ed] hard most of his life to play in the NHL." The deal would have paid him $2.5 million annually and an additional $2 million payout regardless of whether the WHA was realized as a legitimate league or not. It was not clarified, however, how Hamilton could have signed Crosby, as Toronto held his WHA rights.^[27] Nevertheless, the WHA never materialized.

Returning to the Océanic for the 2004–05 season, Crosby continued dominating the league, leading the league with 66 goals, 102 assists and 168 points over 62 games to capture his second consecutive Beliveau Trophy. Joining Crosby on Rimouski's top line were wingers Dany Roussin and Marc-Antoine Pouliot, who finished second and third in league-scoring with 116 and 114 points, respectively. In addition to his scoring title, Crosby was once again named Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player and Personality of the Year honours, while repeating as a QMJHL First All-Star. The Océanic finished with the regular season with the best record in the league, registering 45 wins and 98 points, including a league record-setting 28-game undefeated streak. They went on to capture the President's Cup as QMJHL playoff champions, defeating the Halifax Mooseheads in the finals. Crosby led the playoffs with 31 points (14 goals and 17 assists) over 13 games, earning him the Guy Lafleur Trophy as post-season MVP. With their QMJHL championship, the Océanic qualified for the 2005 Memorial Cup, Canada's national major junior tournament. Meeting the London Knights in the final, the Océanic were shutout 4–0. Despite the loss, Crosby was named to the Tournament All-Star Team and captured the Ed Chynoweth Trophy as the competition's leading scorer 11 points (6 goals and 5 assists) over 5 games. Knights forward Corey Perry was awarded the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the MVP.

Soon thereafter, Crosby attended the NHL prospect combine in preparation of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. In addition to his fitness and strength, teams were reportedly also impressed by his personality and self-assurance.^[28] During Crosby's amateur years, Wayne Gretzky was asked if he thought anyone could break his records. He answered that Crosby could, while adding that he was the best player he had seen since Mario Lemieux.^[29]

NHL career[link]

2005–06[link]

Crosby in 2006, after being designated an alternate captain

Entering the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Crosby was listed first overall in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau and International Scouting Services' respective rankings of prospects.^{[notes 1]} He had also won the Mike Bossy Trophy as the QMJHL's best prospect. Crosby went on to be selected first overall in the draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 30, 2005. Due to the labour stoppage that suspended the entire 2004–05 NHL season, positioning for the 2005 draft was conducted via a weighted lottery based on each team's playoff appearances and draft lottery victories in the last four years. This lottery system led to the draft being popularly referred to as the Sidney Crosby Lottery or the Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes.^[5]

Crosby made his NHL debut on October 5, 2005 against the New Jersey Devils, and registered an assist on the team's first goal of the season, scored by Mark Recchi in a 5–1 loss.^[30] He scored his first NHL goal in the Penguins' home opener on October 8 against the Boston Bruins. Despite also having registered two assists for a three-point night, the Penguins were defeated 7–6 in overtime.^[31] Crosby began his rookie season playing alongside Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux. Unfortunately, Lemieux was forced to retire due to an irregular heartbeat after having played just 26 games of the season.^[32]

Near the midway point of the season, Penguins head coach Ed Olczyk was fired and replaced by Michel Therrien on December 15, 2005. The following day, Therrien designated Crosby as an alternate captain for the Penguins. The move drew criticism from some hockey pundits, including Don Cherry, who claimed that Crosby did not have the experience for the position. He stated, "An 18-year-old kid says he's going to give us ideas. What, from the Quebec League, he's going to give them ideas? Come on. That's ridiculous".^[33] Although hopes were high in Pittsburgh for the club to succeed, largely in part to the beginning of Crosby's NHL career and bolstered by the acquisitions of Sergei Gonchar, Zigmund Palffy and Mark Recchi, the Penguins still finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference.

Nevertheless, Crosby's first NHL campaign was a personal success as he established franchise records in assists (63) and points (102) for a rookie, both of which had been previously held by Mario Lemieux. He additionally became the youngest player in NHL history to score 100 points in a single season, and only the seventh rookie ever to hit the benchmark.^[34] Overall, Crosby finished sixth in the NHL scoring race and seventh in the NHL in assists. Among Canadian NHL players, he trailed only Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley. Throughout the season, Crosby had battled with Washington Capitals forward and 2004 first-overall pick Alexander Ovechkin for the rookie scoring lead. He would finish second to Ovechkin's 106 points and also lose out to the Capitals forward for the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL rookie of the year.^[35]

Throughout his first season, Crosby was accused by opposing players and coaches of taking dives and complaining to officials, which was typically attributed to his youth.^[36] He became the first rookie to earn 100 penalty minutes and 100 points in the same season, which magnified his reputation for complaining to NHL officials.^[34] Hockey analyst Kelly Hrudey compared Crosby to Wayne Gretzky, who had a similar reputation as a "whiner" in his youth, and suggested that as Crosby matured, he would mellow out and his reputation would fade.^[34]

2006–07[link]

Crosby during the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs

In his second NHL season, Crosby built on his rookie success. On October 28, 2006, Crosby scored his first NHL hat trick in an 8–2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.^[37] His success against the Flyers continued as just over six weeks later, on December 13, he recorded the first six-point game of his career (one goal, five assists).^[38] The multi-point effort vaulted Crosby into the NHL scoring lead, which he would retain for the remainder of the season. He finished the 2006–07 NHL season with 36 goals and 84 assists in 79 games to become the first teenager to lead the NHL in scoring since Wayne Gretzky in 1980. Being only nineteen years old at the time, he became the youngest player in NHL history to win the Art Ross Trophy and the youngest scoring champion in any major North American professional sport.^[6]

Crosby's second NHL season also saw significant improvements for the Penguins franchise as a whole, as the emergence of Calder Trophy-winner Evgeni Malkin and runner-up Jordan Staal complemented the club's offence. As a result, the Penguins jumped from last place in the Eastern Conference the previous season to fifth for the club's first playoff appearance since 2001. Playing the Ottawa Senators in the opening round, Crosby scored a goal in his Stanley Cup playoff debut in a 6–3 losing effort.^[39] He finished the series with 5 points in 5 games as the Penguins were ousted by the eventual Stanley Cup runner-up.

Following the Penguins defeat, Crosby was named Pittsburgh's team captain on May 31, 2007, making him (at 19 years, 9 months, and 24 days) the youngest team captain in NHL history.^[40][41] During the season, the Penguins had offered him the captaincy, but he had turned it down. In the press conference naming him the team captain, he explained:

"I just thought it wasn't right for me. As a team, we were playing great and you don't want to disrupt things like that. Individually, I was not ready to accept that responsibility quite yet. Going through the playoffs and having that experience has probably given me more confidence. I understand there is going to be a lot more responsibility on my shoulders with this, but it's something I'm ready for, I feel very comfortable with it and I'm just excited to get things going."^[42]

At the NHL's annual awards show later in June 2007, Crosby completed a rare off-season hat trick, winning the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Lester B. Pearson Award in addition to his previously clinched Art Ross Trophy. He became the youngest player in NHL history to win the Lester B. Pearson,^[43] and only the second youngest player ever to win the Hart (after Gretzky).^[44] He also became the youngest player ever to be named to the NHL's First All-Star Team.^[45]

2007–08[link]

Crosby with the Penguins against Washington, March 9, 2008.

With Crosby's initial three-year, entry-level contract set to expire at the end of the following season, the Penguins signed him to a five-year, $43.5 million dollar contract extension on July 10, 2007, ensuring his stay with the Penguins through the 2012–13 season.^[46] Midway through the subsequent season, Crosby recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick on December 20, 2007, in a game against the Boston Bruins. His first assist came 55 seconds into the first period. At 8:26 of the same period, Crosby scored to give the Penguins a 2–0 lead. Then, five minutes and nine seconds into the second frame, Crosby fought defenceman Andrew Ference to complete the hat trick.^[47] Nearly a month later, however, on January 18, 2008, Crosby suffered a high ankle sprain crashing leg-first into the boards in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. As a result, he missed the 2008 All-Star Game, to which he was named a starter.^[48] After missing 21 games, he returned on March 4 against the Lightning and earned an assist.^[49] Two games after his return, however, he felt his ankle was not up to shape and decided that he needed more time for it to heal.^[50] Crosby consequently sat out of the Penguins' next seven games and returned on March 27, 2008 to help the Penguins defeat the New York Islanders 3–1.^[51] In spite of the injury-shortened campaign, Crosby still managed 72 points in just 53 games.

His absence from the Penguins' lineup served as a stepping stone for teammate Evgeni Malkin, who, now in his second season, was developing into a superstar in his own right. Picking up the offensive slack, Malkin finished second in league scoring to Alexander Ovechkin and was also a Hart Trophy nominee as MVP honours also went to Ovechkin. In addition to Crosby's return to the lineup late in the regular season, the Penguins acquired star winger Marian Hossa from the Atlanta Thrashers at the trade deadline, placing the club in a strong position to make a deep playoff run. Pittsburgh finished the regular season as Atlantic Division champions and just two points shy of the first-seeded Montreal Canadiens. In a rematch of the previous year's opening round, the Penguins began the 2008 playoffs facing the Ottawa Senators, whom they quickly swept in four games. After then defeating the New York Rangers and hated Philadelphia Flyers, each in five games, the Penguins reached the final round for the first time since 1992, to face the Detroit Red Wings. After being shutout as a team for the first two games of the series, Crosby scored the first two goals of game three as the series shifted to Pittsburgh to fuel a 3–2 win.^[52] The Penguins, however, lost the next game and despite staving off defeat in game five, they were overcome by the Red Wings in six games. Crosby finished the playoffs with 27 points (6g, 21a in 20 games), tying Conn Smythe-winner Henrik Zetterberg (13g, 14a in 22 games) for the playoff scoring lead.

2008–09[link]

Early in the following season, on October 18, 2008, Crosby scored one goal and three assists to surpass benchmarks of 100 goals, 200 assists, and 300 points for his career.^[53] On the scoring play in which Crosby scored, teammate Malkin assisted to record his own 200th point. As a result, Crosby had a team trainer cut the puck in half so both players could commemorate the achievement.^[54] Minor injury troubles kept Crosby from five games early in the season as he was listed day-to-day,^[55] but he was, for the most part, able to bounce back from the previous injury-riddled season and stay healthy. He recorded 33 goals and 70 assists to finish third in league scoring, as Evgeni Malkin captured his first career Art Ross Trophy.

Crosby with Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz, 2009 Stanley Cup Finals Game 6.

Entering the 2009 playoffs as the defending Prince of Wales Trophy winners, the Penguins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in the opening round before meeting the Washington Capitals for a highly publicized second-round matchup. The series was heavily followed as it pitted Ovechkin of the Capitals against both Crosby and Malkin, who together finished as the league's top three scorers that season. In the second game, Crosby and Ovechkin recorded matching three-goal efforts for their first career playoff hat tricks in a 4–3 losing cause for the Penguins.^[56] Despite being down 2–0 in the series, Crosby and the Penguins took the next three games and eventually defeated the Capitals in a seventh and deciding game, in which Crosby added another two goals.^[57] Following a sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final, Crosby opted against recent NHL tradition and picked up the Prince of Wales Trophy, which he had left untouched the previous year. In explanation of the change of heart, Crosby said, "We didn't touch the trophy last year, and obviously we didn't have the result we wanted ... Although we haven't accomplished exactly what we want ... we can still enjoy it."^[58]

Crosby with Marc-Andre Fleury (left) and the Stanley Cup during the Penguins victory parade.

Meeting the Detroit Red Wings for the second straight year in the Finals, Crosby won his first Stanley Cup with the Penguins in seven games. At 21 years, 10 months, and 5 days, Crosby became the youngest NHL captain to hoist the Cup.^[8] (The youngest captain to lead his team to the Stanley Cup in the history of the trophy is Mike Grant of the 1895 Montreal Victorias, who was 21 years and 2 months at the time.) In the deciding game seven, Crosby was forced to watch all but 32 seconds of the third period from the bench after suffering a knee injury less than halfway through the second period due to a hit from Johan Franzen.^[59] Following the game, Crosby was criticized by Detroit forward Kris Draper for neglecting to shake hands with some of Detroit's players, most notably captain Nicklas Lidstrom. An irate Draper was quoted as saying "Nick was waiting and waiting, and Crosby didn't come over to shake his hand. That's ridiculous, especially as their captain."^[60] Crosby replied afterward, saying, "I just won the Stanley Cup. I think I have the right to celebrate with my teammates. I know it's not easy waiting around...I understand if they don't feel like waiting around. But you know what? It's the easiest thing to do in the world, to shake hands after you win. I had no intentions of trying to skip guys and not shake their hands. I think that was a pretty unreasonable comment."^[61]

2009–10[link]

In the 2009–10 NHL season, Crosby tied Tampa Bay Lightning centre Steven Stamkos for the lead in goals scored, with 51 goals, earning the Rocket Richard Trophy.^[62] He also garnered 58 assists for a total of 109 points, good enough to tie with Alex Ovechkin for second in league points, trailing only the Vancouver Canucks' Henrik Sedin's 112. Additionally, Crosby won the Mark Messier Leadership Award, getting recognized as a 'superior leader within the sport, setting a positive example through on-ice performance, motivation of team members and a dedication to the community'. This was the second time he had received this honor, the other being in January 2007, during the award's first year when it was presented monthly.

Crosby's Penguins were defeated in the second round of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, losing to the Montreal Canadiens in seven games. Crosby had 19 points in 13 games in the playoffs, though through seven games against the Canadiens he had only 1 goal and 4 assists for a total of 5 points. This was due in part to the Canadiens putting focus on defending against Crosby during the series, and Canadiens' goaltender Jaroslav Halak's solid play was also considered a factor.

2010–11[link]

Crosby's 200th NHL goal, November 27, 2010.

Crosby had a 25 game point streak, which began November 5, 2010, against the Anaheim Ducks, and ended December 28, 2010 against the New York Islanders. During this streak he had 27 goals (including three hat-tricks), 24 assists, and 51 points. This streak is tied for 11th longest point streak in NHL history.^[63]

On January 3, 2011, Crosby was selected as a 2011 All-Star, along with teammates Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Kris Letang, as well as the Chicago Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith, in an online fan vote.^[64] However, neither Crosby nor Malkin were available to play in the All-Star Game due to injuries and rookie Jeff Skinner along with Paul Stastny were named as replacements.

In consecutive games, the 2011 NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2011 against the Washington Capitals and January 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Crosby suffered hits to his head from Dave Steckel and Victor Hedman, respectively.^[65] After experiencing several concussion symptoms, Crosby did not return for the rest of the regular season, and he missed the 2010–11 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Penguins were further crippled when Evgeni Malkin suffered a torn ACL and MCL, taking him out for the rest of the season. This left the Penguins without the services of their two highest scoring players.^[66] Despite Crosby's injury and subsequent absence for the final 41 games of the season, he finished as the Penguins' leading scorer. His 66 points in 41 games were 16 points ahead of the second highest team scorer, defenceman Kris Letang.^[67] In doing this, Crosby set an NHL record for fewest games played by an NHL team's points leader.^[68]

2011–12[link]

Crosby missed the first 20 games of the 2011–12 season due to the lingering effects of his concussion. He returned on November 21, 2011 against the New York Islanders, scoring two goals and two assists in a 5–0 shutout win for the Penguins.^[69] However, after playing another seven games, for a total of 12 points in 8 games, Crosby's concussion-like symptoms returned in December 2011, possibly following an elbow hit by David Krejci in his eighth game of the season. Despite passing a successful ImPACT test, Crosby decided not to return on the ice until he felt perfectly fine, stating that he also needs to "listen to [his] body".^[70] Crosby returned to action on March 15, scoring an assist in a 5–2 win against the New York Rangers.^[71] Despite only playing 22 games, Crosby tallied 29 assists to go with 8 goals for 37 points, including his 600th career point.

International play[link]

Medal record
Crosby after winning the gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Competitor for  Canada
Ice hockey
Winter Olympics
Gold	2010 Vancouver
World Junior Championships
Gold	2005 Grand Forks
Silver	2004 Helsinki

Junior[link]

Crosby debuted internationally for Team Canada at the 2003 U-18 Junior World Cup in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. He was the youngest player on the under-18 team, having turned 16 shortly before the beginning of the tournament.^[72] After seven consecutive gold medals at the tournament, Team Canada lost in the bronze medal game to the Czech Republic 8–2.^[73] Crosby scored four goals and six points over five tournament games.^[74]

Crosby went on to compete in two World Junior Championships with Team Canada's under-20 team. When he was named to the team in December 2003, he became the fifth sixteen-year-old to represent Canada at the tournamen, following Jay Bouwmeester, Jason Spezza, Eric Lindros, and Wayne Gretzky. Competing in the 2004 World Junior Championships in Helsinki, he then became the youngest player to score a goal in the history of the tournament at 16 years, 4 months, and 21 days when he scored against Switzerland in a 7–2 win;^[75] This record would last until the 2012 World Juniors, when Aleksander Barkov of Finland scored a goal aged 16 years, 4 months.^[76] Crosby finished the tournament with 2 goals and 3 assists in 6 games, helping Canada to a silver medal finish. The following year, he returned for Team Canada at the 2005 World Junior Championships in Grand Forks. He improved to 6 goals and 3 assists as Canada earned gold. Crosby stated the following year that his most memorable hockey moment was winning his World Junior gold medal.^[13]

Men's[link]

Crosby (against glass) celebrates moments after scoring the gold-medal winning goal at the 2010 Winter Olympics over the United States.

After completing his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Crosby competed in the 2006 World Championships as an alternate captain for Team Canada. Tallying a tournament-best 8 goals and 8 assists in 9 games, he became the youngest player ever to win a World Championship scoring title.^[77] Despite his performance, Canada failed to medal, being shutout by Finland 5–0 in the bronze medal game. Crosby was named the tournament's top forward and to the competition's all-star team.^[77]

After having been left off the Olympic team in 2006, Crosby was named to Team Canada on December 30, 2009, as an alternate captain for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.^[78] He scored the game-winning shootout goal for Canada in the second game of the preliminary round against Switzerland. After going pointless in the quarter- and semi-final against Russia and Slovakia, respectively, Crosby scored the winning goal seven minutes and forty seconds into overtime against the United States in the gold medal game.^[79]

Following the Penguins' second-round elimination in the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, Crosby declined an invitation to join Team Canada midway through the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Germany.^[80]

Jerseys[link]

Crosby's 87 Pittsburgh Penguins jersey was the top seller on the NHL's website from September 2005 to February 2008.^[81] In January 2005, an Air Canada baggage handler in Montreal stole Crosby's red Canada jersey from the World Junior Hockey Championship. It was recovered later in a mailbox.^[82] His white jersey from the tournament was temporarily delisted from an auction while the red one was missing. It eventually sold for $22,100, which went to youth hockey charities and 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake relief.^[83]

Less than a year later, one of Crosby's game-worn sweaters disappeared. The jersey he wore in his first NHL game, played against the New Jersey Devils, disappeared from his father's luggage during a flight from Pittsburgh to Buffalo. The jersey was later found at the Pittsburgh International Airport between a piece of equipment and a stairwell.^[84] Crosby's jersey from his third NHL game was the highest-selling NHL jersey in an auction for Hurricane Katrina relief – it sold for $21,010.^[85]

During an online auction held by the NHL and the NHL Players Association to benefit Hockey Fights Cancer, Crosby's game-worn jersey from the first period of the 2007 All-Star Game earned the most money. Crosby's sold for $47,520, more than eight times the next highest price—$5,681 for the jersey worn by Brendan Shanahan of the New York Rangers.^[86]

Following Crosby's Olympic gold medal victory with Canada in 2010, it was announced that his stick and glove were missing. It was initially suspected that they might have been stolen; Reebok Canada offered a reward of CAD$10,000 for their return—no questions asked.^[87] On March 10, the items were found; Crosby's stick had been placed in a shipment bound for the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in St. Petersburg, Russia (the shipment was intercepted in Toronto) and his glove was found in a hockey bag belonging to Patrice Bergeron whose stall was beside Crosby's in the locker room.^[88]

Personal life[link]

Crosby lived with the Lemieux family in Sewickley, Pennsylvania from 2005 until 2010. In the spring of 2010, Crosby purchased his own home in the same area.^[89] In the summer of 2006 he bought his first house in Halifax, Nova Scotia.^[90]

In time for Crosby's first season, Gare Joyce issued a biography, Sidney Crosby: Taking the Game by Storm. The November 2005 edition of GQ Magazine featured him in a series of shirt-less photos.^[91] In 2007, Crosby was nominated for Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People list.^[92] Crosby holds an endorsement deal with Reebok and designed a fashion line in 2007.^[13] On May 29, 2010, it was announced that Sidney Crosby will sign the richest endorsement deal in National Hockey League history with Reebok. The deal is expected to pay Crosby $1.4 million a year for five to seven years. Crosby also has endorsement deals with Bell, Tim Hortons and Gatorade.^[93]

In 2008, Crosby appeared in the documentary film Pond Hockey, where he discusses his experiences of playing pond hockey.^[94]

Awards[link]

Records[link]

IIHF[link]

• Youngest player to win a World Championship scoring title^[77]

Pittsburgh Penguins[link]

• Assists (63) and points (102) in a season by a rookie^[98]

NHL[link]

• First rookie to record 100 points and 100 penalty minutes in a season^[99]
• Youngest player to record 100 points in a season (18 years, 253 days) ^[34]
• Youngest player to record 200 career points (19 years and 207 days)^[100]
• Youngest player to record 2 consecutive 100 point seasons (19 years, 215 days).^[101]
• Youngest player voted to the starting lineup in an All-Star Game^[102]
• Youngest Art Ross Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award winner^[6][43]
• Youngest player to be named to the First All-Star Team^[45]
• Youngest full team captain (In January 1984, Brian Bellows of the Minnesota North Stars was made interim captain at 5 months younger than Crosby, but he only served the latter half of the 1983–84 season replacing injured captain Craig Hartsburg)
• Youngest Player to Lead NHL Playoffs in scoring (20 years, 9 months, and 28 days)
• Youngest NHL captain to win Stanley Cup (21 years, 10 months, and 5 days)
• Fewest games played by an NHL team's leading scorer (His 66 points in 41 games were the most of any player on the 2010-11 Penguins squad)^[68]

Career statistics[link]

Crosby in 2010

Regular season and playoffs[link]

Bolded numbers indicate league leader.

• 1999–2000 stats are from: "Age-old question: Cole Harbour hockey association bars peewee player from bantam tourney". The Halifax Daily News. April 5, 2000. 

International statistics[link]

See also[link]

Nova Scotia portal

• List of Pittsburgh Penguins players

Notes[link]

References[link]