Crosby

Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby (left) was asked a bizarre question by the Rangers when he was interviewed before being drafted ... and he responded with a great answer. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

What were the Rangers thinking?

Who asks a 17-year-old a serious hypothetical question in which the only answers are choosing between potentially living a long life or dying young?

Crosby was faced with that scenario in June 2005 a few days before the draft.

Even though there was no way that the Pittsburgh Penguins wouldn't take Crosby first overall, he met with all 30 teams for pre-draft interviews.

He's never forgotten his meeting with the Rangers.

During an interview with USA Today, Crosby said, "They asked, 'If we could give you a pill that you could take that would guarantee that you would be part of a Stanley Cup-winning team and a Olympic gold medal team, but you couldn't live past age 25, would you take that pill?'"

Again ... what were the Rangers thinking?

Quick thinking, Crosby responded with a great answer:

"I wouldn't take the pill because I plan to win more than one of those."

Now in his 10th season, Crosby, 27, is one championship away from getting his wish, as he's won two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada and a Stanley Cup with the 2008-09 Penguins.

A two-time scoring champ and two-time MVP, Crosby has done OK against the Rangers, too, scoring 22 goals and 67 points against them over 51 career games.

Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com Philadelphia Sports on Facebook.