OT: Sidney Crosby A Legacy that Never Was?

Submitted by WingsNWolverines on

He's a nice kid and means well plus he's incredibly talented and truly is an amazing hockey player but it is looking more and more like we might of seen the last of this young sensation possibly for a long time. Sidney Crosby in his 3rd year in the NHL he went to the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals only to lose to Detroit in 6 games. In 2009 a year older and a new Pittsburgh coach (Bylsma) at the head the Penguins without Hossa (then a Red Wing) took on the Wings in the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals in a rematch this time the Penguins coming out victorious winning in game 7. It was Crosby's first ever Stanley Cup championship and it looks like it might very well be his last. Memories with team Canada would follow in 2010 after he scored the winning goal that gave the Canadian team a gold medal victory in overtime. Since his concussion in the Winter Classic Crosby has been in and out of treatment for his head injury. A season went by without him playing a game for the Pens last year and it appears that with his symptoms acting up it might be even longer before he returns. He may never play in the NHL again. Young and talented he now faces the worst fear a young athlete can imagine. "Am I done already?" With Crosby being out indefinitely once again it seems the ghost of Lemieux's fate has returned to the Penguins.

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/7345193/sidney-crosby-pittsburgh-penguins-indefinitely-concussion-symptoms

teldar

December 13th, 2011 at 7:25 AM ^

Supposedly the next Gretzky when he was drafted. Far and away the best player to come into the league in a long time. What happened? Concussions. Like 6 of them. Now?.
I'm sure people recognize the name, do they know the hype he carried? My guess is no, unless you're 35+.

NorthSideBlueFan

December 13th, 2011 at 8:11 AM ^

It would be really unfortunate if he were to not be able to compete at the highest level anymore. Not only for Penguin fans, but for all hockey fans.

EDIT- yes, I am a die hard Wings fan.

Trebor

December 13th, 2011 at 8:06 AM ^

Concussions are a scary beast, but I do give credit to Crosby and the Penguins organization for not putting the success of the team over the health of, for better or worse, the face of the NHL right now.

I was reading an article on Pat LaFontaine yesterday, and it blows my mind not only how the Sabres handled it, but how non-chalant LaFontaine was until things got really bad. As much as I don't like the Penguins or Crosby, I would hate to see his career end up like this. We all like to think concussions get better over time, but there's no telling what kind of damage is already there for Crosby, given that he (reportedly) had a pair of concussions from his time in juniors.

Nardudeski

December 13th, 2011 at 6:45 PM ^

He's there today because he played right after the disastorous hit at the Witner Classic. They tried to play him, and then this happened. With how long the symptoms have lasted, and how mundane his "first concussion" hit was, I seriously doubt that he didn't get a concussion in the Winter Classic. He was doubled over at the bench for about a minute, and the hit was directly onto the side of his head, nothing but his head was there to absorb the blow. If they sat him out properly he's probably fine today.

Clarence Beeks

December 13th, 2011 at 9:33 PM ^

I get what you're saying, and it's probably (more than) a bit conspiratorial, but I just have to believe that if he did suffer the concussion in the WC game (which I agree with you about) there would have had to have been pressure from the NHL to find some other hit to take the blame for the concussion.  No way the NHL wanted to admit that such a devastating hit occurred one of their precious Winter Classic games.

Blue in Yarmouth

December 13th, 2011 at 8:11 AM ^

I have seen a few posts about Crosby being whiney and it would be good for the game if he were gone and to those few I say get a f*ing life. You aren't a fan and that's fine, but the extent to which people take things personally where professional athlete's are concerned is ridiculous. You've neevr met the guy and are pissy because he beat your redwings and team USA...get over it.

Secondly, I have to think it is a bit premature to write the guy off. I am not a neurologist, but I am a Dr. and know that concussions are serious business, but it isn't even clear that there is a problem right now. Having met Sidney personally and had many conve4rsations with him I can say he will be back if it is possible. He's a smart kid and will put his health first, but I see him returning to play.

Lastly, being a person who has played hockey my entire life I honestly don't know what more the NHL can do without banning hits altogether, and that would ruin the game. Even what they have done to this point has taken a lot out of them game.

When I was playing in the QMJHL nealry 20 years ago you rarely saw people going into corners blindly. You always looked over your shoulder to see what was coming behind. Now people do it all the time. In fact, you often see guys turn their backs to oncoming players intentionally when going into the boards so they won't get hit...That is crazy and when injuries occur as a result, it should be the player who turned his back who is at fault. 

I hate to see guys getting injured playing the game that I love, but I honestly think guys need to take more responsibility for their health when they play. A few mentioned Lindros earlier and he was a fantastic talent but didn't ever learn to play hockey with his head up. That was fine in Junior when his was twice the size of everyone else, but in the NHL it doesn't work out so well. I was a big fan of his, but his injuries were a result of the way he played.

stetgor

December 13th, 2011 at 8:27 AM ^

I never hated Crosby but despised the fact that he was the annointed one before he'd done anything.  It turns out he's probably as good as they said, but to me a player has to do something first.  Regardless, I truly hope he's ok.  I fractured my skull early in life and fortunately have avoided the great majority of what a lot of people go through with similar issues.  People suffering from head injuries hold a special place in my heart and hockey aside, I hope Crosby doesn't have to go through life with related issues.

Blue in Yarmouth

December 13th, 2011 at 1:10 PM ^

Sidney had accomplished plenty in hockey before people annointed him the next great one. Look at his junior stats with Rimouski and check the ages at which he was putting up those numbers....maybe you should think a little before you post. Just because you never heard of what he did prior to his time in the nhl doesn't mean most other people weren't aware.

JimLahey

December 13th, 2011 at 10:33 AM ^

This would be a shame and a massive blow to hockey. I always find it hilarious when people say he's good but not "that good". That's a joke. Find me another hockey player that accomplished more by age 24 and we'll be talking only about the game's greatest players.

He currently has the 5th highest points per game average in NHL history and he plays in an era when it's much harder to score than the people ahead of him on the list.

BrownJuggernaut

December 13th, 2011 at 11:22 AM ^

This is the play he reconcussed himself (note the phrasing, he skated right into a turning Krejci, who was making a hockey play, I don't care what Crosby or the Penguins coach have to say). The bump seems pretty minor and anyone without a past history is probably fine. I worry that Crosby has taken enough dangerous hits where he is more susceptible to getting concussed when taking any type of hit to the head. Perhaps he came back too soon like Savard, even though the Pens clearly took every precaution they could. It's unfortunate. He's the best player in the game at the moment.

Mattinboots

December 13th, 2011 at 1:35 PM ^

That was not even really a hit.  The slow-motion only exaggerates the elbow movement, but all intentional attacks should be viewed in real-time.  That was no elbow and there was no penalty for a reason.

Regardless, sucks for Crosby.  My sister played D-3 hockey and soccer and at the start of her junior year was told she could no longer play either because of the seven concussions she had received (surprisingly, 4 came from soccer...probably because she's a tenaciosu 5' 2").  Right decision but she was miserable for easily 6 months.  Not nearly the same level of play as Crosby, so I can only imagine this would be 100 times harder than what my sister had to go through.  I feel for the guy. 

we the roses

December 13th, 2011 at 11:44 AM ^

As much as people in Michigan hate the Penguins and dislike Crosby, if he does retire or cannot play at the highest level anymore, this is truly a sad moment for hockey.

I'm not one to say he was the next Wayne or anything, but he could be the closest thing we will ever see to a true phenom on the ice. All feelings aside of who I root for, this is not what I wanted to see happen with the young man.

Hopefully if he does retire he will still stay a part of the NHL and promote helmet safety and the risks and symptoms of concussions to coaches and athletes around the world. It would be a shame for him to fall back into nothing.

yeahrice

December 13th, 2011 at 1:32 PM ^

I have to say that the NHL basically gave the Pens the cup in 2009 though. They tried so hard in 2008, but the Wings were just too good. In 2009, it seemed as though the wings were gassed, Hossa didn't produce in the playoffs, and Bettman decided Sid needed the cup to get people back into hockey

 

homer thoughts over.

now_a_hoo

December 13th, 2011 at 2:19 PM ^

Neither the refs nor Bettman allowed Staal to score his shorty in Game 4. Neither the refs nor Bettman put Osgood completely out of position on Talbot's second goal in Game 7. And since the Pens had obviously also been to the finals the year before, shouldn't they have been "gassed" as well?

Finally, understand that your thesis requires Gary Bettman to be so competent that he can successfully influence the outcome of a really close SCF.

budeye

December 13th, 2011 at 5:25 PM ^

but when you are a rookie and the comish decides to prop you up as the savior of a league, then there is a chance that veterans will take that as an insult and a target gets put on the kids back.