Sidney Crosby Helped Longtime Penguins Staffer Land New Job

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is one of the NHL's best leaders, if not the best, of this generation, and one of his most admirable traits as a leader is his sheer commitment to those around him. That goes for not just his teammates on the ice, but those who've helped him off the ice as well.

According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Crosby recently called Columbus Blue Jackets director of hockey operations Rick Nash to recommend longtime Penguins staffer Paul DeFazio as the team's new head equipment manager. Crosby's endorsement worked, as the Blue Jackets announced they hired DeFazio on Tuesday.

“You’ve heard all of the talk through the years that (DeFazio) was Sid’s guy, that he did everything for Sid, and that he kind of took Sid under his wing when he got to Pittsburgh (in 2005),” Nash told The Athletic. “So when Sid called, I said, ‘What are you gonna do now if we take him?’

“He said he’d figure things out, but he’d be more than happy for this guy to get his shot as the head guy. That’s a pretty good endorsement, I guess, right?”

DeFazio had been the Penguins' assistant equipment manager from 2001-13, then again from 2018-25. He served as the head equipment manager for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate, in between those two stints. Now, he gets the chance to be a head equipment manager at the NHL level.

Crosby wasn't alone in giving his recommendation of DeFazio. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas also called Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell to give his endorsement of the longtime equipment guru.

“It’s the opportunity to be a head guy that’s drawn him here to us,” Waddell said. “He had a great situation in Pittsburgh. He’s from there, he had great relationships, the players respect him, obviously. But he wants to be the head guy."

“(Dubas) called and said, ‘I don’t know where you are in the process, but our No. 2 guy has been very loyal to this organization and would really like a chance at the No. 1 job.”

Crosby may be turning 38 next month, but he's still producing at a level most players could only dream of. The three- time Stanley Cup champion scored 33 goals and 91 points in 80 games last season, basically carrying the Penguins on his back for most of the season.

Crosby will undoubtedly go dwn as one of the greatest to ever play the game, and him being a class act on and off the ice only adds to his legend.