º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍø

And while the end of his NHL career might soon approach, it doesn’t look anything like it on the ice.

Last season, at 36, Crosby had 94 points and played all 82 games. The year before: 93 in 82 games. He picked up an assist in Saturday night’s 4-2 loss to the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena, giving him three points in as many games this season.  

Players, coaches, fans and media members take notice whenever he plays.

“What he’s been able to do over the course of his career has been pretty incredible,” Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews said. “Year 20 in the league and he’s still one of the top players.” 

“The way he takes care of himself off the ice and the way he plays the game is at such a high level,” Leafs forward William Nylander said. “He’s been doing that for such a long time. He’s one of the guys I looked up to when I was young. He’s doing an unbelievable job.”  

For Crosby, it’s business as usual. He has dealt with the attention and high expectations since his teens and doesn’t let it affect his performance, teammates say — on or off the ice.

“You wouldn’t even know it when you talk to him,” Penguins forward and former Leaf Michael Bunting said. “He’s just a very humble guy. He’s great to be around and he’s great to talk to about anything, not even hockey ... You learn so much from the way he carries himself. He’s a great leader, and I’m sure everyone around here will say the same.”

Rookie teammate Rutger McGroarty said he sometimes finds himself in awe of Crosby and other Hall of Fame-calibre players, such as Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson, in the Pittsburgh dressing room. 

“The first time (walking into the room), I was definitely a little star-struck,” he said. “That’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

”(Crosby) is who he is for a reason. He says all the right things, and he doesn’t say stuff to say it; there’s meaning and intent behind it. It’s really cool to see and be a part of.”

One word to describe Crosby is consistency.

He has scored 80 points or more in 13 seasons in which he played at least half  the games, excluding the COVID-19 and lockout-shortened years. Last month, he signed a two-year contract extension worth $8.7 million (U.S.) annually, the figure (a nod to his uniform number) that he has earned since 2008. He’s entering his 18th season as Penguins captain. After his rookie year, they made the playoffs for 16 consecutive seasons.

He has won two Olympic gold medals, two Art Ross trophies (top point-getter), two Harts (MVP), three Ted Lindsays (MVP in player voting), two Rocket Richards (most goals) and, most important, three Stanley Cups. 

It’s that kind of consistency that Matthews and the Leafs have strived for in the Core Four era. 

In the off-season, Matthews was named the Leafs’ 26th captain, taking over from John Tavares. As he prepared to face the Leafs, Crosby commented on the challenge of wearing the C in a hockey hotbed.

“Here, everything is magnified that much more,” Crosby said. “There’s a lot of pressure, and there’s always pressure being a captain, but ... you’ve just got to be yourself. There’s going to be a lot of experiences to learn from. No matter how long you’ve done it or where you are, you’re always learning.”