Sidney Crosby Hockey School in Cole Harbour deemed success by NHL star
160 kids taking part in camp, which ends Friday — on Crosby's birthday
There's still a couple of days left in NHL star Sidney Crosby's inaugural week-long hockey school, but the Pittsburgh Penguins captain is already calling the event a success because volunteers and students are "really having a blast."
The Sidney Crosby Hockey School started on Monday at Cole Harbour Place — in Crosby's hometown. Crosby told reporters on Wednesday he wants to share the memories and experiences of hockey camps he attended when he was young.
"It's great. You know it's everything I could have imagined here from the start," he said.
"Trying to keep them all together is difficult at some points, but they're really having a blast out there. As a kid, you learn a lot. At that point in your career, whether you go on to play in the NHL or not, there's a lot you can take away from hockey school, and that's really the goal of this one."
Crosby, along with fellow Cole Harbour native and Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon and volunteers, said he's been teaching skills for on and off the ice.
"I've got guys I grew up playing hockey with that are working here during the school, volunteering their time because they know the influence and impact hockey had for them," he said.
Not just about hockey
All proceeds from the event will go to the Sidney Crosby Foundation, which supports several children's charities.
He said if he hopes to impart anything to his students, it's the merits of the sport and teamwork.
"You don't necessarily have to be playing AAA, or at the top level to learn what hockey brings — all those details and all those values."
Ethan Brown, one of the 160 kids chosen to take part in the camp, plays left wing and centre positions in Cole Harbour.
"It's just amazing being on the ice with him — being so close to an NHL player like that," Brown said.
Crosby said he hopes to host the same camp next year. This year's camp ends on Friday — Crosby's 28th birthday.