"He's the best player in the game," said Gretzky. "He's earned that mantle, and his work ethic is as good or better than anybody in hockey."
Right now there's only one player in the NHL with more points than Crosby, and that's Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who in just his second season has 59 points in 51 games.
Gretzky says McDavid is a player chasing Crosby right now, and that should be encouraged.
"Connor sees him in his vision, and that's what makes the game wonderful is that you want to be as good as the best player," said Gretzky. "Right now, Crosby is the best player, and you have to earn your stripes. Until somebody knocks him off the castle, that's the way it's going to be. He won two Stanley Cups and two (Olympic) gold medals, and he's handled pressure and handled everything with grace and dignity, and he deserves all the accolades he's getting."
