I am by no means a Crosby fan, but I am an avid hockey fan, and Crosby’s impact on the game is undeniable. Even if you aren’t a fan of Crosby or the Penguins, if you have even the slightest amount of interest in the sport of hockey you will know the face of Sidney Crosby. For the reason, I feel as though Crosby could be considered the face of the NHL. As much as it hurts to admit it, being a Philadelphia Flyers fan, between his skill on the ice and his impact on the game off the ice, Crosby is without a doubt the most recognizable figure in the sport. For this reason, I would say that Crosby is comparable to Gretzky, as discussed in the classroom, and perhaps you could connect his contribution to the sport in a similar way that Jordan changed basketball, the impact on the game both directly and indirectly is remarkable.
For one, there is Crosby’s on-ice contributions. Even as of late, while battling back from a concussion and missing a considerable amount of time, Crosby has put up quite impressive numbers. Before being restricted from the ice, Sid the Kid had scored 32 goals and recorded 66 points in just 41 games, a span which included a 25-game point streak. Immediately following his injury, the Penguins were a dismal 21-11-9 after beginning the season 26-12-3. This past season, with Crosby missing a substantial amount of time, the Penguins once again struggled to find a consistent source of offense. The absence of Crosby from the Penguins lineup was not just significant to the team, but also to the NHL. Sid still had a stronghold on the media headlines, with fans checking on the status of Crosby with each passing day awaiting his return. Television numbers were also down, as previously slated matchups with the Penguins playing host to NBC’s weekend matinee were considerably less meaningful, especially when Crosby was absent for the matchups between the Penguins and Capitals, a rivalry that has been a water-cooler debate topic when deciding who is more superior between Crosby and Ovechkin. Clearly, Crosby presence on the ice was missed by all, and his return was equally as significant, putting up a strong opening argument for his place as the face of the NHL.
Crosby would arguably be the face of the NHL with solely his on-ice contributions to the game, but what secures his place of NHL cover boy is his additional impact on the game off the playing surface. His impact on the youth in both the United States and Canada is undeniable. If you were to walk into any rink in North America, you would most likely see the number 87 plastered on the back of a jersey. Whether you are in the vicinity of the city of Pittsburgh or even in America, there are thousands of young hockey players who see Crosby as their role model. He has a substantial influence on youth hockey nationwide, but his impact on the Pittsburgh-area youth registration has been phenomenal. According to USA Hockey’s regional registration numbers on USAHockey.com, Western Pennsylvania’s hockey membership was at 8,665 in 2005, Crosby’s first season in the NHL. Membership rose very slightly, by just 27 players in 2006. With Crosby putting up big numbers and the Penguins finding more success, membership rose to 8,986 in 2007. The following season, coming off an NHL finals appearance, membership continued to rise to 9,512. Fast-forward to present-day, with Crosby’s impact on the game constantly increasing and his on-ice contributions leading the team to a Stanley Cup and Crosby finding even more success in his individual statistics, youth numbers have correlated. To date, there are 12,311 youth players registered in Western Pennsylvania. Aside from his impact on the youth involvement, Crosby has also been an influential figure for the NHL throughout the labor discussions and in research and development regarding concussion studies. After suffering the concussion that led to a significant loss of playing time over the past two seasons, Crosby has been an advocate for increased concussion testing league-wide and more studies related to head contact and equipment.
Between his on-ice contributions and the impact he has had off the ice, it is undeniable that Crosby is the poster child of the National Hockey League. As much as it hurts to say as a fan of the Penguins cross-state rival, Crosby is great for the game of hockey and his impact on the game has been very beneficial. I am sure that as he continues to flourish in the league, youth numbers will certainly increase and he will be an even more significant advocate for player safety concerns. Crosby is without a doubt the face of the NHL.
I have to agree with you Marc. NOw i am not that big of a hockey fan but i am a fan and i have seen crosby play a couple times on tv and his talent is unbelieveable. I dont think however that he is as good yet as Wayne Gretzky, but he certainly can be. Marc you are certainly right about that in todays game Crosby is the poster boy for the National Hockey League there is no doubt about that.
ReplyDeleteTyler Clifton
I agree that Crosby is the face of the NHL. I am a big fan of hockey and have been since I was a child. Being Canadian we heard about Crosby since he was 15 years old and the media dubbing him the “next one”. So far I believe he’s lived up to the hype, winning the Stanley Cup, Gold Medal, scoring title, league MVP and numerous All-Star games. On the ice he is no doubt a superstar, it his persona off the ice that makes him a role model. He is never the one to bash or blame others, he is humble and modest when talking about his awards and accolades. He puts the NHL ahead of himself and that’s what makes him the face of hockey. He wants the best for the game and being involved in the business aspect with the players association shows that he wants his voice to be heard. He is a role model to kids, which is great for the growth of hockey especially in the United States because hockey is still not as popular as football and basketball and the more exposure of the games superstar the more notoriety will be gained. He took on the responsibility of being the face of the NHL from the time he got drafted and has taken the reigns from Gretzky as Canada’s hero and the NHL’s next golden boy.
ReplyDeleteRyan Viselli
Coming from a guy who doesn't watch hockey unless it is the final game of the Stanley Cup, I have to agree and say Crosby is the face of the NHL. I know of his accolades mainly because whenever ESPN is on, and they are talking about hockey Crosby is someway always brought into the conversation. If ESPN deems it necessary to always have Crosby on their program, then he must be the real deal. Like I said I know absolutely nothing about hockey, but Gretzky to me is still the bigger household name. Not only because of his success, but also the big ordeal about him being traded to an American team. While I think Crosby is on the right track to maybe be mentioned in the same sentence as Gretzky, he is nowhere near him at the moment. I eventually think one day with the current path Crosby is on with winning all these awards, and having already won the Stanley Cup, he could easily go down as the greatest to every lace up a pair of hockey skates.
ReplyDeletePatrick McFall
I have to agree with your statements, as I made a very similar point in class last week. I do not watch hockey at all, but know the names "Sidney Crosby" and "Sid the Kid" pretty well. I can identify Crosby's face because of the amount of times I have seen him on television for different reasons, including his amazing on-ice highlights. As far as the debate of being the new Gretzky, I can't make much of an argument because Gretzky was slightly before my time and I have never been a fan of hockey. However, I can say that I can't think of any endorsements or advertisements that Crosby is involved in. I would say that is strange for the top player in any professional league. I know that Michael Jordan is a face for Nike, why can't I recall what Crosby endorses?
ReplyDeleteJoey Durant