Crosby, Ovechkin Appreciate Opportunity to Team Up at All-Star

SUNRISE, Fla. - After hanging up the skates someday in the future, Alex Ovechkin would love to sit down with Sidney Crosby, have a couple of beers, and talk about everything that happened since they entered the league back in 2005.
The feeling is mutual.

"Oh, yeah," Crosby said with a grin. "Yeah. We've got a lot to catch up on there."
They've been part of one of the league's best and longest-standing rivalries that began before the two of them even played a game against each other, and has featured so many epic battles in the years since. Crosby and Ovechkin have had to go through each other to win their four combined Stanley Cups, with the dueling hat tricks in Game 2 of the 2009 Eastern Conference semifinals the stuff of legend.
"I think it's great for hockey, for previous generations and future generations," Ovechkin said. "To see the kind of comparisons, the kind of battles between the two of us, the two organizations… I think it's great for the game."
But as they've gotten older, while the competition between them continues to remain fierce, Crosby and Ovechkin have developed a unique sort of relationship that revolves around mutual respect for each other's longevity and success. They've reached a point where being on the same side during NHL All-Star festivities, like they are this weekend in Florida, is something they can appreciate.
"We've played against each other for a long time, but being able to share experiences like this, I think is pretty unique," Crosby said. "We've always had big games against each other, and obviously, always had a microscope on us. But to be able to be in a relaxed environment like this and just catch up a bit, it's nice to share that with him."

"We're good friends, you know?" Ovechkin said. "We can call each other. If he has some milestones coming up, I call him or shoot him a text. First couple years, it was kind of a different relationship. We were young. But now, we matured."
And speaking of those future generations Ovechkin mentioned - his young son Sergei joined him and Crosby for the Breakaway Challenge as part of Friday's NHL All-Star Skills at FLA Live Arena, after the three of them had walked the red carpet earlier.
It started with the recently retired P.K. Subban, now working as a broadcaster for ESPN, gathering Sidney and Alex at center ice for an interview before it was their turn to go. He wrapped it up by asking them to sign an Eastern Conference All-Star jersey for him.
They obliged before Crosby said, "I think we need one more signature on this one." That's when Sergei skated out and joined them, with the group heading down on a 3-on-0 rush to shoot on retired Panthers great and Hall of Fame goaltender Roberto Luongo.
"Nice to have his son be a part of it," Crosby said before adding with a laugh, "nice to see Lu out there, too. Thought I was done shooting against him. But yeah, just fun to share that moment. I know his son loves the game, and it was cool to see him out there."
The puck ended up on Sergei's stick, and he finished off the play. Alex was impressed with the move his kid pulled off, saying, "great move. I thought he's going to just take a slapshot, but yeah - he's learning." And Sidney loved little Ovi's celebration, saying, "I don't even think that was rehearsed. I think that was just pure joy."
They ended up winning that event, but Crosby didn't fare as well in the prerecorded Splash Shot event, with Fort Lauderdale Beach and the Atlantic Ocean serving as a picturesque background.
In the single elimination tournament, two All-Stars teamed up, going head-to-head against another tandem. As they knocked down targets, their teammates sat in dunk tanks. Whoever toppled all the targets first sunk their competition and moved onto the next round.
There were four total pairings: Crosby and fellow Cole Harbour native Nate MacKinnon; Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar; Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox; and brothers Matthew and Brady Tkachuk.
Crosby was the first to sit in the dunk tank when he and Nate were up, with Rantanen trying to take him down. The Finnish forward, who currently has 34 goals in 48 games, made quick work of the surfboards serving as the targets … sending Sid splashing into the water.
"It was a semifinal, so Nate and I talked, and I told him that I'd like to go on the final. I didn't get there," Crosby smiled. "But yeah, it was fun. I've met some of those guys before. I knew I was in trouble when Rantanen went 3-for-3 on those first three shots. I knew I was gonna get wet."
Crosby called his foray into the water "nice and refreshing," and honestly, all of us there watching were so jealous, since it was beautiful out - 80s and breezy - but SO sunny. After that, MacKinnon tried to sink his Avalanche teammate Makar, but there was a bit of controversy. He was on a pace like Rantanen's, but even though he kept hitting the targets (some numerous times!) they wouldn't flip.
"The dunk tank didn't go as planned. You'll have to ask Nate about it," Crosby said with a laugh.
So I did, and here's what MacKinnon had to say (smiling the whole time):
"The surfboards wouldn't fall over, then Cale got to do his over again, so there was some special treatment going on. I was a little pissed."
While that meant Sid never got a chance to shoot, it may have been for the best.
"Have you seen my curve? I may have a hard time getting those pucks up," he admitted.
Next up will be the All-Star Game itself, scheduled for Saturday afternoon. The last time Crosby took part in one back in 2019, he finished as MVP while leading the Metro Division to victory in the 3-on-3 tournament. It will cap off a few days in Florida where Crosby admitted it was hard to leave the pool and head to the rink with the incredible weather, but was still well spent soaking up the company of his fellow All-Stars.
"You do understand as you get older, that you don't know how many more you'll be a part of," Crosby said. "So I think you just try to enjoy them, and that's kind of how I approach it. I like to think that I've always appreciated the opportunity to see familiar faces, and to meet new guys, and just see what guys are capable of up close… see all the skill that's here in the league."