Stars Want Crosby Back

 

Ever since Sidney Crosby was a teen growing up in Nova Scotia, he was deemed “The Golden Boy” or “The Next One.” Titles such as these have kept Crosby in the headlines for years. Now with hockey fans across the world wondering about Crosby’s health, his name is again in the headlines, just not for the right reasons. Crosby’s agent Pat Brisson released a statement saying he would comment on his condition at the “appropriate time” after having rumors swirling about Crosby cancelling workouts and suffering another setback. Having the biggest face of the NHL possibly unable to return to the lineup in the near future will impact not only the Penguins, but also the league in general. As a Penguin fan, I know how important it is for Sidney to return to the lineup, since last year’s playoff series against the Lightning was a perfect representation of how much he means to our team. As a hockey fan in general, I know that the NHL will lose a lot if the face of their league is unable to return.

Over the past week, stars such as the Lightning’s Steven Stamkos have been quoted as saying how important Crosby’s comeback is to the league. Stamkos says that many things would be taken away from the league if Crosby is unable to return. He also emphasizes the impact concussions have had with not only Crosby, but the rest of the league. “As a fellow player in the league, you want to prevent that sort of thing” Stamkos tells TSN. Stamkos goes on to say how he believes fans and the league shouldn’t rush Crosby because he will return when he is ready. Even Anaheim Duck center Andrew Cogliano addressed Crosby’s importance to the game. He also tells TSN, “Sidney’s a great player, he’s a great ambassador for the game.”

Sorting out the rumors of whether Sidney has actually had setbacks this summer or whether he is indeed continuing to progress is hard to do. With networks reporting they have multiple sources that say Crosby will be unable to start training camp on September 17th, the only thing we as fans can do is wait. The puck drop on October 6th in Vancouver is still weeks away. Hopefully in the next couple of months instead of worrying about the severity of Crosby’s symptoms, we can worry about the Penguins power-play problems even with Crosby and Malkin back and healthy.

• Sidney Crosby