The Toronto Maple Leafs, who have undergone massive changes so far this offseason under new general manager John Chayka, have hired Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby’s longtime personal trainer Andy O’Brien to lead their Sports Performance Department.
O’Brien is the latest new hire by the Maple Leafs, who also hired Jim Hiller as their new head coach to replace Craig Berube.
Naturally, Crosby’s proximity to O’Brien had hockey fans everywhere talking. But according to longtime NHL Insider Pierre McGuire, the chances of Crosby jumping ship and joining the Maple Leafs aren’t anything to bet on.
NHL Insider Pierre McGuire Shuts Down Speculation Of Sidney Crosby Joining The Toronto Maple Leafs
While appearing on Toronto Sports Rush with Kyle Andrew, McGuire began by praising the hire of O’Brien, noting how his work has helped players like Crosby maximize their longevity and also offers a fresh start for Toronto’s players.
“This is the most important – Andy O’Brien is a high achiever,” McGuire said. “Not to say the people in Toronto before him were not, they all are when they get to that level. It’s just that now, the slate is clean for everybody. There’s no holdover, there’s no remembering what you did and didn’t do. Andy comes in with a clean slate, and so do the players.”
Andrew then asked McGuire his thoughts on whether O’Brien’s presence with the Maple Leafs could somehow entice Crosby to come aboard. In McGuire’s mind, that’s not likely.
“I would be surprised if he weren’t a Penguin for life,” McGuire said. “You know, there was a lot of scuttlebutt last year, and you know……maybe Sidney Crosby re-evaluates midway through the year and decides to move. And we asked management.”
“Well, that didn’t come to fruition,” he continued. “Sidney was tremendous last year. He led the team to the playoffs. I think they underachieved in the playoffs. I think part of that was fatigue. Part of that was some guys that were a little bit younger, they weren’t ready for that. But we’ll see how it plays out this year. I think the Penguins are going to be like Toronto, a tough team to play against.”
Sidney Crosby Wants To Play As Long As Possible
Despite being linked to other clubs last season, including the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche, Crosby led the Penguins back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2022.
And given his trademark loyalty and willingness to take a tremendous discount in what he’s being paid, it’s not likely that Crosby ever wears the uniform of another NHL club.
While his current contract expires after the upcoming season, Crosby recently indicated that he’s comfortable with year-to-year contacts.
“Yeah, I’m saying year to year based on contracts,” he explained. “It just seems to make sense. I mean, it could change. We’ll see. Kyle (Dubas) and I haven’t even talked about it. But I’ll talk with Pat (Brisson) and Kyle later this summer. We’ll talk about it and do what makes sense. If it does make sense to sign for a couple of years, then we’ll do that.”
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