Crosby went straight at Canadiens forward with comments fans cannot believe

PUBLICATION

Jonathan Ouimet
May 22, 2026  (11:27 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

Photo credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Sidney Crosby went on the record Thursday about Juraj Slafkovsky, and the timing couldn't be sharper for the Montreal Canadiens forward.

"He seems like a mature guy. They've got a great team that supports him. He's got the right things around him." That's the future Hall of Famer talking about a 22-year-old.

Crosby added one more line that mattered. "He's doing a great job himself." Translation, the player is earning it, not just inheriting good circumstances.

Slafkovsky is in the middle of a playoff run that's split the fan base. 14 games, 4 goals, 5 assists, 9 points. A minus-8 rating that gets brought up every period.

His regular-season numbers told a different story. 82 games, 30 goals, 43 assists, 73 points, plus-9. Career year on a 7.6 million dollar cap hit.

So when the best player of the last 20 years offers public cover for the kid, Montreal fans pay attention. Especially with the team sitting in the Eastern Conference Final.

The reality on the ice has been uneven. Slafkovsky's last five games show 1 goal, 4 assists, and a minus-3 rating.

His last ten read 1 goal and 5 assists. The points are there. The defensive number is the part that keeps showing up in postgame columns.

That's the context for Crosby's intervention. A young forward grinding through a deep playoff run, hearing whispers, getting a public hand from the sport's standard-bearer.

The clip arrived via @HabsOnReddit. Crosby chose his words carefully, as he always does, and made a point of crediting Montreal's environment around the player.

-

Martin St-Louis kept Slafkovsky in his top six through the Tampa series and the Buffalo series. He's still there in Round 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

15 power-play goals during the regular season tells you why. He's the screen, the tip, the body in front. Replace that with a smaller body and the man advantage shrinks.

4 power-play goals in the playoffs back the deployment. He's earning the special-teams shifts even when five-on-five isn't clicking.

Crosby endorsing him in public doesn't change a single shift on Saturday night in Carolina. But it does change the conversation around him in Montreal.

The 22-year-old has the bench. He has the coach. Now he has Sid. The next move is his.

Previously

Top NHL forward is injured after an unacceptable moment and heads are about to roll

Scary injury just rocked Vegas at the absolute worst possible moment

'It's a bad sign': Longtime NHL veteran sparks trade buzz after suddenly firing his agent

POLL

1 HOUR AGO   |   18 ANSWERS Crosby went straight at Canadiens forward with comments fans cannot believe Is Juraj Slafkovsky already worth his 7.6 million dollar cap hit ?

▢    Yes

▢    No

MUST READ

38 minutes ago  |  By Jonathan Ouimet Nobody saw this coming at the end of the Marlies playoff game

1 hour ago  |  By Jonathan Ouimet Top NHL forward is injured after an unacceptable moment and heads are about to roll

2 hours ago  |  By Jonathan Ouimet Scary injury just rocked Vegas at the absolute worst possible moment

4 hours ago  |  By Skyler Walker 'It's a bad sign': Longtime NHL veteran sparks trade buzz after suddenly firing his agent

5 hours ago  |  By Skyler Walker The league has suspended a Hurricanes defenseman in the middle of their series against the Canadiens

5 hours ago  |  By Skyler Walker NHL player's wife turns on him big time in the middle of the Stanley Cup Playoffs: William Carriere has rivals

7 hours ago  |  By Skyler Walker There will be consequences after Arber Xhekaj reveals what an opponent said to him on the ice

8 hours ago  |  By Skyler Walker The worst is confirmed for John Tortorella and the Golden Knights ahead of Game 2 against Colorado

MORE STORIES