PITTSBURGH — One Thursday this summer, Tristan Broz was near the end of another day of hard work at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex when he suddenly got star-struck.

The 21-year-old has known Penguins captain Sidney Crosby for a little while now, and the two shared the ice a number of times this offseason in Cranberry, Pa. And yet, Broz was still "pretty blown away for a second" when Crosby entered the gym and asked Broz if he minded if he hopped on the bike next to him.

"I was like, 'Yeah, sure.' I mean, I don't know why this guy would want to do that with me," Broz said recently, sharing a story that still gets a grin out of him.

There wasn't much talking as Broz tried to keep pace with a 37-year-old superstar for whom he used to cheer as a bandwagon Penguins fan living in Minnesota.

But the gesture meant a lot to a young center entering his first year as a pro.

"It's pretty cool when a guy with that kind of stature in the hockey world is riding on the bike next to you," he said, "and he doesn't really have to do that."

It may seem like an inconsequential thing, but the Penguins had this kind of interaction in mind when they signed Crosby to a two-year extension in September.

Sure, the franchise first and foremost wants to win games, stay relevant and keep PPG Paints Arena packed, while also ensuring a Pittsburgh sports icon will never pull on anything but black and gold. But the Penguins also saw immense value in having Crosby here as they do a turn toward the future.

"It would be foolish not to try to get those younger players in around [leaders] like Sid," president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas said a few months ago.

Crosby, craving another Stanley Cup, would bristle at the notion that the Penguins are rebuilding. But he also feels a "responsibility" to guide their next wave of young players, who will begin to arrive in Pittsburgh as this season goes on.

In so many ways, his experience is unique amongst the thousands who have ever skated in an NHL game. But Crosby relies on his values, elite emotional intelligence and intense passion to connect with players of all ages.

"He's so welcoming. It's honestly crazy how he's a better person than he is a player given how outstanding he is as a player," prospect Jonathan Gruden said. "But he's just an unbelievable person who makes you feel like you've been here 18, 20 years along with [Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang]. It's incredible."

Paying it forward

Like every other NHL player, Crosby was once a rookie trying to find his way.

The wunderkind from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, already had a lot of stuff figured out when he first arrived in Pittsburgh in 2005, including a superhuman approach to training and preparation along with an uncanny eye for the game.

But there was something important he needed a Hall of Famer's help with.

"I remember — it was the most subtle thing — I had to get a car," Crosby said with a chuckle. "I had never bought a car before. And I'm in a new city. I remember asking Mark Recchi, 'Uhhh, where do I go to get a car?' I remember he really walked me through it. He had just bought a car a week or two before."

The 18-year-old center peppered Recchi with questions about Pittsburgh winters, the type of vehicle he should target and which dealership he should go to.

"I ended up getting a Range Rover," he said. "I think it was the same car he got."

Veteran leaders like Mario Lemieux, John LeClair, Sergei Gonchar and Recchi assisted Crosby out on the ice that first season, as he eclipsed 100 points.

But two decades later, what stands out to him most are moments like when Lemieux — who famously doubled as his landlord — walked him through the dress code.

"You had to get a suit, get shoes, get a travel bag. When you're in junior, you pretty much live out of a duffel bag on road trips," Crosby explained. "There are tons of little things you wouldn't know about that are just part of being a pro."

That season, the Penguins tried to abruptly pivot from a total teardown to one last Stanley Cup run led by Lemieux and Crosby. But Lemieux got hurt, the team didn't perform as hoped and they finished last in the Eastern Conference.

Still, the experience benefited Crosby greatly, with him carrying some of those lessons with him as he soon became the youngest captain to ever lift the Stanley Cup.

"We had some unbelievable guys to help him," said TNT broadcaster Eddie Olczyk, his first NHL coach. "They mentored him and it helped make him who he is. He had great respect for the guys that were there and learned from some tough situations, as well. I'm sure that it's helped him become who he is now."

Setting the tone

Colby Armstrong, the SportsNet Pittsburgh analyst who remains a close friend of Crosby, was promoted to Pittsburgh during that 2005-06 season. Crosby did show his age when he hung out with Armstrong and other young players, having a blast while doing silly stuff like tossing hockey tape into garbage cans.

"He liked to do that," Armstrong said. "I imagine he still likes to do that kind of thing."

Armstrong was amazed by Crosby's work ethic in practices, saying he was "like a bullet out there." All these years later, Crosby is maybe a step slower. But he still plays and practices that same way, setting the tone for the Penguins.

For Crosby, being a captain is "first and foremost" about leading by example, with strong habits on and off the ice preparing him for the biggest of moments.

Broz and other prospects observed that as they watched him closely in camp.

"He does every drill like it's Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final," marveled Broz.

But just as striking to these fledgling Penguins has been seeing how Crosby goes out of his way to make every one of them feel like part of the team.

For Broz, it was that ride on the exercise bikes or sticking around after an informal skate in the middle of July to share pointers with a prospect.

For Gruden, it was Crosby texting a young pro who had just gotten called up to the NHL and inviting him over to his house to watch football with the guys.

And for Rutger McGroarty, it started with the text message that Crosby sends many players when they join the organization and quickly evolved from there.

It had been a whirlwind week for McGroarty when the Penguins finalized a trade to acquire him in August. His phone would not stop buzzing as the congratulatory messages poured in. As McGroarty scrolled through them, he froze.

"Oh, it's Sidney Crosby! Not a normal text you'd get on your average day," he said. "I was actually sitting next to a couple of my buddies and I showed them."

A month later, McGroarty was cracking up on the bench at a joke Crosby made.

"He's a really funny guy," the 20-year-old said. "It feels like there's no age gap."

All the small things

Whether it was when Crosby baked banana bread for the Penguins two years ago or all the times he has recognized something was up with a teammate and checked in on them, everybody seems to have at least one Sid story to share.

Armstrong said Crosby is "one of the most thoughtful guys I've played with."

He added: "When you're at the level that he's at, being that guy and then having those [interpersonal] attributes automatically available to you, too, it's just crazy. It touches people differently than from your average NHL player, you know?"

Crosby sat back at his locker stall at the practice rink the other day, flecks of gray peeking through his black hair and sweat dripping off his chin, as he thoughtfully discussed his leadership style and getting through to Generation Z. For example, McGroarty was literally in diapers when Crosby made his debut.

"I try to put myself in their shoes, but obviously things change. They evolve," Crosby said. "I think the biggest thing as a rookie is just all the unknowns. You're in a new league, new team, new teammates, new city. Everything is new. The faster you feel comfortable, that's a huge part of being able to be at your best."

Crosby knows his first taste of the league was different, right down to living with Lemieux. He laughed while joking that all these kids won't crash on his couch.

But despite an age gap, there still exists some of the same bonds that helped him connect with Lemieux — a love of the game and the shared sense of team.

From there, Crosby explained, it just comes down to listening and observing. And he believes all of this applies to every player, not just prospects coming in.

"I think that's just part of being on a team. I enjoy that," he said. "There are so many different personalities and everybody comes from different places. To me, that's the cool part about playing the game, is you get everybody together, get everybody on the same page and you find a way to have success."

For the 20th straight season, Crosby is trying to get the Penguins on the same page. They will ice a veteran-heavy team in Wednesday's season opener. But eventually, the kids are coming — sooner should the team struggle again this fall.

Crosby's little gestures will help these prospects feel more at home when they arrive. They still may be a bit starstruck. But they will know they belong here.

"It may not seem like it," Gruden said. "But to a young guy, it means a lot."

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