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Proclamation honoring Pittsburgh Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby for his outstanding accomplishments on and off of the ice.
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WHEREAS, hailing from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada, “Sid the Kid” Sidney Crosby was the top overall pick in the 2005 National Hockey League (NHL) draft and brought the Pittsburgh Penguins and their fan base back to life; and
WHEREAS, in his first NHL season, Sidney Crosby finished sixth in league scoring with 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists) and was a runner-up for the Calder Memorial Trophy. By his second season, he led the NHL with 120 points (36 goals, 84 assists) to capture the Art Ross Trophy, becoming the youngest player and the only teenager to win a scoring title in any major North American sports league. That same season, Crosby won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the Professional Hockey Writers Association’s choice for most valuable player and the Lester B. Pearson Award as the NHL Players Association’s choice for most outstanding player, becoming the seventh player in NHL history to earn all three awards in one year; and
WHEREAS, on May 31, 2007, Sidney Crosby was named captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and in 2009, became the youngest captain in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup. In the 2009-10 season, Crosby scored a career-high 51 goals, tying him with Steven Stamkos for the “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the league-leader; with 58 assists, he totaled 109 points, second in the NHL. During the off-season, Crosby received the Mark Messier Leadership Award. In the 2012-13 season, Crosby received the Ted Lindsay Award, given to the NHL’s most outstanding player as voted on by the members of the NHLPA. The 2013-14 season culminated in an award hat-trick where Crosby was the recipient of the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award. In 2016, he became a Stanley Cup champion for the second time and received the Conn Smythe Trophy; and
WHEREAS, internationally, Sidney Crosby has represented Canada in numerous tournaments for the country’s junior and men’s teams. He won gold medals in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, and in 2015, he captained Team Canada to a gold medal at the IIHF Men’s World Championship, and became a member of the Triple Gold Club by winning the IIHF World Championship, Olympic Gold, and the Stanley Cup. To date, Crosby is the only member of the Triple Gold Club who served as Captain of each respective team. He helped Team Canada win the 2016 World Cup of Hockey gold medal and was selected as the most valuable player. He joined Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky as the only players to win the Conn Smythe, Hart Trophy and World Cup MVP; and
WHEREAS, Sidney Crosby established the Sidney Crosby Foundation in 2009 to financially assist charities that improve the lives of disadvantaged children. He founded the Sidney Crosby Hockey School in his hometown of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, and his commitment to giving back to his community has extended to Pittsburgh, his home away from home; and
WHEREAS, Sidney Crosby has made multiple visits to patients at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh; he regularly purchases a luxury suite, where he hosts Big Brothers Big Sisters, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Special Olympics, among dozens of other local charities; he is a major sponsor of the Little Penguins Learn to Play hockey program in which boys and girls aged 4-8 in the greater Pittsburgh area receive head-to-toe equipment for a marginal fee and ten hours of on-ice instruction. More than 6,000 children have participated in the Little Pens Program to date; and
WHEREAS, Sidney Crosby serves as a role model of hockey skill, sportsmanship and leadership for young hockey players throughout western Pennsylvania, Canada, and around the world; and
WHEREAS, Sidney Crosby has made a tremendous impact on the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County through his kind and generous acts, and it is fitting that this Council recognize his contributions to our community;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Allegheny County Council does hereby congratulate Sidney Crosby, captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, for his incredible accomplishments on and off of the ice, for promoting the sport of hockey with grace and humility, and for your dedication to serving the people of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.