Having conducted interviews for 24 of his 31 years, Sidney Crosby mastered the rare ability of never lying while also never offending. It’s his way.



Underneath the politeness and sincere respectfulness, however, resides a fierce competitiveness that all of the great ones possess.



This brings us to last week, as Crosby sat at his locker following practice and considered a question that was raised.



You were 21 when you won your first Cup. It took Alex Ovechkin a decade longer. Was there a part of you that was happy to see him finally win it?



Crosby considered his thoughts and emotions for a moment. He has been compared with Ovechkin since they were teenagers. They battled in four unforgettable, dramatic playoff series, with the winner of each meeting going on to win the Stanley Cup one month later.



Their personalities couldn’t possibly be more different, as illustrated by Crosby’s much more subdued celebration with the Cup in...