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×ÅÌÏÈÎÍÀÒ ÌÈÐÀ 2015 ÃÎÄÀ - ÏÐÅÑÑÀ
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Sid the Kid is now the grand old man in the room
14.05.2015. Schram, Carol. The Globe and Mail.
When Sidney Crosby decided to play at the world hockey
championship after his Pittsburgh Penguins were ousted from the NHL
playoffs, it didn't occur to him that his role on Team Canada would be
much different than the previous time he competed at the tournament.
Back in 2006, Crosby was a fresh-faced 18-year-old who had just
finished his rookie season in the NHL. Nearly a decade later, he has
two Olympic gold medals, two Hart trophies and a Stanley Cup to his
name.
"I never thought I was going to be one of the older guys on the team,"
the 27-year-old Canadian captain said after practice Wednesday. "But
it's kind of worked out that way."
Crosby was Canada's offensive catalyst in 2006, amassing 16 points in
nine games and becoming the youngest player to win a world championship
scoring title.
He's still a big part of Canada's attack this year with three goals and
four assists in six games, but he also provides veteran leadership for
a talented but young team.
That steadying presence is crucial for Canada as it heads into its
quarter-final match against Belarus on Thursday. "He has provided
tremendous leadership both on the ice and off the ice, as he should,"
Team Canada coach Todd McLellan said. "He's been to so many of these
events. He's won so much that guys look to him and he continues to
carry that torch for our country."
Crosby said Canada's key to success is making sure that the team comes together quickly and buys into the program.
"Having everyone understand that pretty quickly is most important and I
think we do - the comfort zone and just making sure everyone feels
comfortable with the group," he said.
"You have some rival teams in that dressing room, so it's important
that it happens quickly and I think it has. You can see the group
getting closer with each day so that helps a lot."
For Crosby, that means setting aside his differences with Philadelphia
Flyers Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn. "It's been
good," he said of working alongside his Pennsylvania rivals. "You have
so many tough games and intense battles against them over the years and
you come here and put on the same jersey and all of a sudden you're
working for the same thing.
"I think it's kind of the cool thing about this, and the fact that
everyone's willing to do whatever it takes no matter what their role is
at home. Coming here, it's 'What do you need me to do to help the team
win?' It's a great attitude and says a lot about the character of guys."
A championship in Prague would make Crosby the ninth Canadian member of
the Triple Gold Club, with a Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal and
world championship gold.
But he's not looking that far ahead. "Let's worry about the quarter-finals first," he said.
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