Canadian captain has come up big for Canada on nearly every stage
TORONTO — When Sidney Crosby first stepped onto the international stage, Team Canada fell flat.
It was 13 years ago in the summer of 2003 and Crosby had just turned 16. He was by far the youngest player on an under-18 squad shooting for an eighth consecutive gold medal at the junior World Cup. But that year, even with the prodigy on hand, Canada finished a distant fourth, trounced 8-2 by the hometown Czechs in the bronze-medal game.
It was by no means a preview of what was to come for Crosby on the world stage.
The Cole Harbour, N.S., native has won nearly everything there is to win while wearing the Maple Leaf, save the World Cup of Hockey, which he’ll play in for the first time later this week.