Having turned 19 earlier this month, Sidney Crosby is too young to
remember the days of hockey stars defecting from Eastern Bloc
countries to play in the NHL. But he has heard the stories.
The Pittsburgh Penguins' star got a sense of the old days by tracking
the events surrounding soon-to-be teammate Evgeni Malkin, the hulking
Russian center whose trip from Magnitogorsk this summer has been
immersed in tension and foreign intrigue.


For Crosby, it provided not only a history lesson, but also some
insight to Malkin.

"I can't imagine (going through that), but I know that for anyone who
has a dream of playing in the NHL and a passion to play, this is the
league you want to be in. For him, that's the way it is," Crosby said
Tuesday between sessions of the Penguins' youth hockey school, where
he served as a special guest instructor.

"I think when you get that opportunity, you're willing to do whatever
it takes and take those risks to get here. It shows that he wants to
be here. He went through a lot of adversity to get here, so, when he
does come, I think he's going to want it bad and want to play well and
expect a lot of himself.

"That's only going to make everyone around him better."

Crosby has the same agent as Malkin, Pat Brisson, and got a little bit
of the inside scoop on Malkin's journey - being pressured late one
night into signing a new contract with Metallurg, then slipping away
from the team in the Helsinki airport and hiding in that city until he
got a visa last week and flew to Los Angeles, where he has been
working out.

"It showed a lot of guts for him to go through that and come over
here," Crosby said. "I'm just looking forward to having him here and
making him feel as comfortable as possible."

Crosby, the top overall pick in the 2005 NHL draft, is a year younger
than Malkin, the second overall pick in 2004. Although he had intense
scrutiny as a rookie, Crosby led the Penguins with 39 goals, five of
them game-winners, and 63 assists for 102 points.

He had advantages Malkin won't have, such as speaking English (and
French) and growing up in a North American culture.

Nevertheless, once the Penguins sign Malkin, the two centers could
help give the Penguins a couple of formidable forward lines.

"If we're both at our best and if both lines are at their best, it's
going to be tough," Crosby said.

Crosby is eager to get into training camp and see Malkin there.

"I can't wait," he said. "I've played against him and seen him play a
lot. I'm just looking forward to getting out there and learning from
him, too. Hopefully, we can build some chemistry and make some things
happen out there. We're going to be a deeper team and a harder team to
play against."

"I think the attitude coming into the season is (that) a lot of guys
want to prove that we're a better team than last year. We all have
high expectations. We know we're young, but I think we're coming in
with the right attitude - to start off strong and win."

Malkin will be one of many new faces, thanks to changes made by
first-year general manager Ray Shero after a 58-point season that left
the Penguins second-to-last in the NHL standings.

One of the new players is Mark Recchi, who re-signed with the Penguins
after being traded to Carolina in March. Recchi and Crosby had a
falling out over a locker-room incident. Recchi and Shero have claimed
all was well, and Crosby confirmed it.

"Things happen," he said. "We just have to make sure we move forward.
That's the most important thing."

Crosby's stop in Pittsburgh will be brief. Under the NHL's collective
bargaining agreement, he can't be compensated, so he paid his way here
and donated his time at the youth camp.

On the ice, he smiled nonstop while encouraging the budding players
ages 5-17.

"I can remember being 6, 7 years old, Brad Richards (of Tampa Bay)
taught me at a hockey school, and now I play against him," Crosby
said. "It's kind of funny how things work like that. You always
remember those times in your life when you meet people like that. To
be able to do it here is nice."

He will return to his hometown in suburban Halifax, Nova Scotia,
briefly before heading to Rimouski, Quebec, where he played junior
hockey and where he and several other pros will work out before
training camps open next month.

After playing in the world championships and vacationing in Europe,
Crosby felt like he didn't have a terrifically long offseason.

"It wasn't much of a vacation," he said.