Thrashers coach Bob Hartley said it was Crosby’s emotion…

“In the second period, he hit the crossbar, and the fans chanted in singsong, “Overrated!” and “Parise’s better!”

— Shawna Richer

“Before I even saw him in shorts, I knew his legs would probably be like tree trunks. When I finally saw them, I was…

— Shawna Richer

“The thing I noticed immediately about Crosby the first time I saw him in the Penguins’ dressing room that September was his thighs. They…

— Shawna Richer

“The morning skate was a game-day ritual dating back to the seventies, introduced in North America by the Russians, and used as an attendance…

— Shawna Richer

“In particularly trying times, Crosby would look to a handful of motivational sayings and poems he had collected over the years. They helped him…

— Shawna Richer

“A few years ago, Crosby fashioned a replica Stanley Cup out of a small garbage can and a bowl, using a label-maker to add…

— Shawna Richer

“Whenever a ball of tape or an empty water bottle didn’t land in the waste basket, Crosby would throw it again and again until…

— Shawna Richer

“A clever, blond-haired fourth-grader named Damen McDermott got Sidney as his shopping pal. They picked out boots, a coat, ski gloves, and a Pittsburgh…

— Shawna Richer

“Often Crosby would head out into the backyard “to goof around” or play video games and sing karaoke with them. The kids were always…

— Shawna Richer

“But Crosby spoke better than just decent French. He had learned over two seasons in Rimouski and continued to practise it in Pittsburgh when…

— Shawna Richer

“A rookie centre from Saskatoon, “Endo” was as laidback as they come, kind of the team’s Spicoli.”

— Shawna Richer

“He had looked up at the scoreboard to watch the replay, and a video of the highlights from his season that Billy Wareham, the…

— Shawna Richer

“As well, the Penguins arranged for Sidney to open a bank account in Pittsburgh. He had been keeping his nhl paycheques in his sock…

— Shawna Richer

“He grew up never letting his mother wash his hockey equipment, preferring instead to air it outdoors, because he loved the smell so much.”

— Shawna Richer

“He’s a sponge. His eyes are wide open. You can see him absorbing his surroundings, feeding off everything that’s going on. No matter how…

— Shawna Richer