Crosby won a Stanley Cup in the spring of 2009, and an Olympic gold medal in the winter of 2010, and nothing since.

Time passes quickly in the NHL as Crosby prepares for his ninth season. Wasn’t it just yesterday he was the “new” face of the NHL? Now, the new faces belong to Steven Stamkos and John Tavares, Taylor Hall and Matt Duchene, Alex Pietrangelo and Jordan Eberle, all born in the 1990s, all stars in their own right.

“I can feel it, it’s true,” Crosby said. “The game just feels like it’s getting younger and younger. My first year, there weren’t that many 18-year-olds. It was kind of rare to see. Now, every team almost has at least one that makes their team at a young age. With the speed of the game, and it becoming more of a youthful game, that’s normal. It’s kind of funny and a little different position for me to be in.”

Duhatschek continues, and he notes that Crosby doesn't feel that his spot on the team is secure:

On their way out the door, Canada head coach Mike Babcock made a point of telling all the players their play in the first three months of the NHL season would largely determine who makes the team. It was a point Crosby reiterated, too.

“I think we’re going to see here in the first half, who really shows they want to be a part of it and that’s what it’ll be based on,” he said. “I don’t think the team is even close to being made.”