Kyle's Position

Sidney Crosby

Finally, hockey is back. For months fans have dreamt of

such a day, and Sidney Crosby’s arrival was just the

thing to kick off next season. Crosby is becoming a star

before he even hits the ice as an NHL hockey player. All

the hype surrounding this soon to be eighteen-year-old

has really spiked interest in the upcoming season.

Before the Pittsburg Penguins ever drafted Crosby, two

different companies endorsed him.

In March, Crosby signed with Reebok in what was

reported to be a five-year, $2.5-million US endorsement

deal for equipment and apparel. Crosby then signed a

deal with Gatorade, which was reported to not be as

lucrative, but over three years. Crosby joined Montreal

Canadiens goaltender Jose Theodore, former NHL star

goalie Patrick Roy, NFL quarterback Peyton Manning,

baseball's Derek Jeter and international soccer star

Ronaldinho as athletes who have endorsed Gatorade.

Crosby, although a Canadian Hockey League MVP the

past two seasons, has yet to play an NHL-calibre game,

yet these companies seem to be feeding off the hype

like most NHL fans around the world.

Crosby's agent, Pat Brisson of IMG, says, “We've been talking with many brands in different categories, but also, Sidney doesn't want to be a walking billboard.”

"He's not just going to put his name to a brand for the heck of it or the money."

No one really knew if the NHL lockout would ever end for a new season this year, but these companies still had faith in the media savvy Sidney Crosby. Luckily for everyone the NHL has come back and Crosby has signed a deal alongside Mario Lemieux.

Honestly, what could be better for Crosby’s career? It is utterly perfect. Personally, I am not a Penguins fan, but I must say that if he wasn’t going to be on a Canadian team, that would be my next choice. He has an opportunity of a lifetime to grow at an accelerated rate learning alongside one of the NHL’s finest and most experienced.

"He creates a lot of excitement," said Lemieux. "He has all the tools to be a great player. He sees the ice well; he's a great skater. He says he needs to work on his shot, but it looks pretty good to me."

Crosby is definitely going places – there is no getting around it. It isn’t just hype anymore - it is reality. The NHL is back, Lemeiux is Crosby’s new mentor, and the anticipation has now become pure excitement. I absolutely can’t wait to see the day Crosby gets his first chance on that NHL ice.