No showcase for sidelined Sid

The NHL’s marquee player will most likely be missing his all Star appearance and more importantly will most likely be out of his own team’s line up for a month.

Sidney Crosby suffered a hyper extended ankle injury in Friday nights match up with the Tampa Bay Lightning, crashing into the boards at 7:37 of the first period; Crosby was done for the night and now apparently for the month.

The injury is more than just a setback for the Penguins, who went on to lose the game against the Lightning, but for the NHL’s marketing campaign, which has heavily focused on the rising star of the Penguins.

From next week’s all star game to the NHL on NBC, Crosby was set to be the face of the NHL in America, now all of those plans will be put on the back burner while he convalesces.

While its probably not the way he might have wanted it, Evgeni Malkin is most likely to be the nominee to fill in for Crosby, should his injury as is expected keep him from the All Star game. Malkin who has been overlooked by the NHL twice now when it comes to all star appearances, has been providing a fair amount of offence for the Penguins in the last few weeks and would be a deserving if now uneasy candidate to step in for Crosby.

The Penguin's star's absence will also impact on the CBC, which had switched national games for Saturday from the woeful Toronto Maple Leafs, to the Penguins - Montreal match up; the prime time game will now go on without the star attraction.

Friday night’s game was a much anticipated showdown between Crosby and Vincent Lecavalier; the two players who are both dominant members of their respective clubs were expected to provide some of the fast paced river hockey that they like to showcase from time to time.

Friday night’s untimely accident brought that plan to an end, what the NHL must desperately be hoping is that the recuperation time won’t be as long as presently feared.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette--Crosby hurt; Penguins fall, 3-0
Pittsburgh Tribune Review--Pens lose Crosby in loss to Lightning
Beaver County Times--Penguins lose game, Crosby
National Post--Crosby leaves game after crashing into boards
Globe and Mail--Crosby hurt, could miss a month

Crosby awarded the 2007 Lou Marsh Award

Sidney Crosby can ask Mom to make some room on the mantle, there’s a new award coming her way in the near future.

Crosby was named as Canada’s Sportsman of the year, and will be awarded the Lou Marsh Award, the first hockey player to receive the accolades of the nation’s sports press since Mario Lemieux back in 1993.

The announcement comes in the wake of his recent tour of Western Canada, where the Pens played in front of sold out crowds in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, commanding scalpers prices and providing a sense of event that few NHL regular season games seem capable of doing anymore.

It was like a scene out of Spinal Tap, as Crosby and his team mates wandered from city to city, through the inside of the arenas to the ice surface and the electric buzz that would greet them on each occasion.

For Crosby receiving the Marsh trophy is one of the final steps in conquering the Canadian sports establishment, which in recent years has tripped over itself to avoid hockey players.

Speed skater Cindy Klassen was last year’s recipient, narrowly beating out Victoria’s Steve Nash, who once again was a runner up, this time just edged out by Crosby.

It's perhaps a bit unfortunate that Crosby's success came at the expense of Nash, who has single handedly done more to put Canadian basketball into the international arena over his many years. His has been a most remarkable career and won the Marsh award back in 2005, and it's doubtful that anyone would have argued had his name been selected as the recipient for this year. In fact, a passionate defence for Nash was made in the National Post which certainly made the case for Canada's best known ever basketball player.

But, the brighter star in the Canadian sky at the moment seems to be emanating out of Pittsburgh and not Phoenix, as Crosby has become the topic of seemingly every sports cast, every news paper article and every sports talk show.

Crosby at 20 and just beginning to dominate the game like the icons of the past, will most likely have more opportunities to collect the Marsh trophy, then again maybe not, the sports press of the nation is a fickle lot, just as willing to have you take a few steps back as they are to propel you a few steps up.

In the end, the talent will win out, but not before a little politics gets in the way.

On Tuesday, Talent triumphed over politics for one year. Making for just another accolade in what is quickly shaping up to be Sidney Crosby’s coming out party.

The Toronto Star-Sidney Crosby wins Lou Marsh award

The Toronto Star-Cox: A Crowded Field

Globe and Mail-Crosby wins Lou Marsh Award

Globe and Mail-Maki: Crosby, the one and only choice

Globe and Mail-Duhatschek: Finally hockey gets recognized

National Post-Sidney Crosby wins Lou Marsh award

CBC News-Sidney Crosby wins Lou Marsh Award

Crosby gets a "C"

It’s only been a few weeks since the season came to an end, and already the off season has been a rewarding one for Sidney Crosby.

The Pittsburgh Penguins made their franchise player the youngest captain to ever don the C in the NHL, as Crosby accepted the black Pens jersey from Mario Lemieux complete with a letter that Mario once wore himself.

The official handover has been long anticipated, though Crosby was not in any hurry himself to take on the responsibility, preferring to concentrate on his on ice job at hand, content to share the Assistant duties with a number of fellow Pens, Mario’s C to remain absent as it had since he retired due to health concerns.

However, with Crosby establishing himself in this past season as a force to be reckoned with on the ice, it seemed that only time stood between he and his destiny as leader of the team that has become his.

Now that the laundry requirements have been taken care of, it seems that ensuring that he’s around long enough to wear it well into his mid career phase. The Pens are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Crosby’s 20 birthdays on July 1st and the opportunity to extend his contract well into the next decade.

While Crosby isn’t spending much time worrying about the details of any pending negotiations, but he’s aware that as the days grow short towards September’s training camps, his attorney’s and agents will become very busy workers.

He’s already made the Pens happy with one decision, they’re no doubt hoping he signs on for the long term as Captain of the up and coming team.

Saving Private Crosby

It would seem that young Sidney is getting a little tired of being the designated hittee. In two games against Montreal in the last week, Crosby found himself frequently laid out on the ice, the victim in his eyes of flagrant assaults by the bullies of the Bleu, Rouge et Blanc.

For the Habs and their fans, it was more a case of young Sid playing the seal on the ice, flopping around anytime a stray elbow, hip, shoulder or stick might come his way. In fact, Sunday in Montreal saw Sid the Kid the target of the catcalls normally associated with the current resident of the doghouse on the Canadiens side of the ice.

So saddened was Crosby by the reception that he pointed out that he at one time was a great fan of the Habs, but now perhaps that wasn’t so anymore. Strike Montreal from any free agency aspirations in a few years we guess.

A more immediate concern for the Penguins however is the need to make a decision about their most valuable asset today. While he may seem to go down a fair amount, there is no mistake that teams are taking liberties with the league’s leading scorer at the moment. He is receiving a fair amount of attention and more than one scrum this year has seen him planted on his backside on the ice, with few in Penguins uniforms offering up as much as a “hey don’t do that.”

Part of the onus is on Crosby to fight a few of his own battles, much like those in the far past had to, the Howe’s, Hull’s, Orr’s and Richards were never shy in seeking their own payback. But they also had compatriots willing to step in and keep the opposition honest from time to time.

Wayne Gretzky of course rarely had to worry about the need to drop the gloves; Glen Sather was more than willing to make sure that the word got out to keep a distance, usually delivered by a Marty McSorley or a Dave Semenko. Now that was a different NHL we grant you, one in which the policeman or bodyguard had a role.

In the new NHL, they are a burden to a line up it seems, apparently because the officials are cracking down on infractions. A crack down that Crosby probably figures hasn’t involved many Penguin games this year (though Sunday's game with the march of Habs to the penalty box would dictate otherwise) . Crosby however, very well may have a point, officiating to this point has been a tad inconsistent, one night it’s a hard hitting affair the next night it’s almost like a game of no contact house league hockey. As the schedule turn comes for the playoff stretch it appears that the more physical brand is on the rise, one which will see space to skate decreased and more of the stars crunched.

So, if the Pens wish to keep their young franchise player on skates for the rest of the season and maybe even the playoffs, they may want to look back to a less gentle time and find someone to ride shotgun on the Crosby express.

Two weeks ago the rumour was that the Pens were chatting with the Sens, inquiring as to the services of Brian McGrattan. A player who would certainly create some space for Crosby and perhaps keep a few liberties from being taken. He may yet be available, with the return of Mike Fisher and Bryan Murray's thoughts on the need for toughness towards the playoffs. But, he makes a pretty good insurance policy what with an Alfredsson, a Heatley and a Spezza as high value targets of their own.

One possible solution, Sean Avery was gobbled up by the Rangers today. He might have been a pretty good choice to keep an eye out for the Kid, and as for heating up that now boiling Montreal rivalry he would have been a natural (all be it controversial natural). Instead, he’ll be bulking up the Rangers line up for the playoff stretch run.

Pittsburgh has been in this territory before; in fact they need look no further than the owner’s box for advice. Mario Lemieux spent many a night taking the whacks, the hits and the catcalls from the opposition. Like Crosby for the most part he was left to deal with the troubles on his own, maybe he should whisper a few suggestions to Ray Shero down the food chain and find some back up for his household tennant and the new face of the franchise.