While their respective memorable goals may have come almost four decades apart, Sidney Crosby and Paul Henderson will always share the pedestal as Canadian sporting icons.
As a result, it should come as no surprise that on Tuesday Sid The Kid took a moment to reflect on Henderson’s magical moment, the 38th anniversary of Henderson’s famous wrist shot past Vladislav Tretiak that left all of Canada cheering back on Sept. 28, 1972.
Even though Crosby would not arrive into the world for another 15 years, he very much understands the significance of the phrase: “Where were you in a’72?”
“That goal is part of our history,” Crosby said during a break at Pittsburgh Penguins training camp. “Everyone knows where they were that day.
“I wasn’t even born yet and I know. It’s part of hockey history in Canada. That goal will always be remembered.”
So too, for that matter, will Crosby’s gold medal-winning overtime tally past American goalie Ryan Miller back on March 1 at the Vancouver Olympics, a Henderson-like moment for an entirely new generation of hockey fans.
While Henderson and Crosby have yet to meet or speak since Sid The Kid’s heroics last winter, Crosby very much wishes Henderson well in his battle against cancer.
“I think anybody who is going through something like that, you feel for them,” Crosby said.
