from ESPN:
Pittsburgh provides perhaps the perfect landing area for the young phenom, or more to the point, the perfect safety net.
The team is rife with players and staff who have made their lives in Pittsburgh, who understand the game and the city, from the training staff to GM Craig Patrick to coach Ed Olczyk to assistant coaches Joey Mullen and Randy Hillier to Mark Recchi.
"There's a large family here that I think will help because people help in different ways"
The team already is planning to add an extra public relations person to travel with the team, and the team will assist in setting up lodging as the Penguins have traditionally had younger players live with local families. Lemieux, for instance, remains close to the family with whom he stayed when he first came to Pittsburgh. And during the early part of the 2003-04 season, it was Lemieux opening his doors to Fleury.
"He's an 18-year-old kid. You can't take that for granted. We know we carry a responsibility for the league and the sport, as well," McMillan said of Crosby. "We certainly feel the responsibility as an organization, and we take that seriously. But we're glad we have it."
Lemieux, with whom Crosby worked out last summer, will be the focal point in helping with the teenager's assimilation into the NHL culture. He also will be invaluable in absorbing some of the pressure, some of the attention.
"The one thing Mario didn't have when he came here was a Mario to play with," McMillan said.
Olczyk also will be crucial to Crosby's evolution from cult phenom to everyday NHL player. A former Penguin who came to coaching from broadcasting, Olczyk quickly has established a reputation as a fine teaching coach.
"Edzo understands all of the things [Crosby's] going to face, and not just the hockey," McMillan said.
Said Olczyk: "It's going to be important to put him in situations where he's going to have an opportunity to succeed.
"We're going to help him become a good player. Any young player's going to go through a transition period," said Olczyk, who recorded 794 points in 1,031 regular-season games. "At times, it'll probably get a little hectic and a little crazy."
But it's the expectations of the team and the expectations Crosby has set for himself that will matter most to Crosby, Olczyk said.
Maybe it doesn't matter that Crosby can't possibly become the person his clippings suggest. Maybe no one really expects him to. But maybe, against all odds, he'll be enough to make everyone happy.
