There was no question it would be Sid the Kid. After winning the draft lottery, the Penguins made it known in advance they would be taking Sidney Crosby, the consensus first overall pick, in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Everything after that was just a formality. On July 30, to no one’s surprise, Pittsburgh used its top pick to select Crosby. The native of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, whose name had been uttered in the same breath as Mario Lemieux, was the most highly touted prospect in years. In 121 regular-season games with the Rimouski Oceanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Crosby scored 120 goals and 183 assists.
Even before he played his first NHL game, his ascension to the league had been a long time coming. From an early age, it was clear that Crosby was a hockey prodigy. He was peerless on the ice. His playmaking skills, ability to see the game, and puck control made him a difference maker. Off the ice, he seemed destined for stardom. He did his first interview with a reporter at the age of seven, and by 14, he was the subject of a nationally televised feature in Canada. Crosby was the complete package. For the Penguins, the timing could not have been any better. Although the franchise was just a little more than a decade removed from its last Stanley Cup, its on-ice product bore little resemblance to the championship-winning teams of recent memory. After losing to the Devils in the Eastern Conference final in 2001, the Penguins failed to qualify for the post-season for the next three years. As a result, attendance declined and the team struggled mightily at the gate. But Crosby had the potential to change all that. Something that Pittsburgh general manager Craig Patrick acutely recognized. “It’s a very, very, very lucky day for our organization, our city and our fans worldwide,” he told reporters after the draft. Four years later, Crosby guided the Penguins to a Stanley Cup. At the time, he was the youngest captain in NHL history to lead his team to a championship.
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