Cup captains ages differ, but leadership does not

There is no greater individual honor for a hockey player than to have a "C" stitched onto the front of his jersey, signifying the revered status of team captain.

Two of the NHL's best are facing off in the Stanley Cup Finals: Detroit Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom and Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby.

Lidstrom, who turned 38 last month, succeeded the retired Steve Yzerman two years ago and would become the first European born and bred captain to hoist the Cup if the Red Wings, who have a 2-1 lead in the series, win two more games.

Crosby, from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, has succeeded Wayne Gretzky as the face of the NHL and became the youngest captain in league history last summer when he was promoted to the post one month short of his 20th birthday.

Crosby was 2 years old when Lidstrom, who made his Red Wings debut in 1991, was drafted out of Sweden in 1989.

Yet both have plenty in common: They are bona fide superstars and the hardest workers on their respective clubs. They both dislike talking about themselves, preferring to lead by example, but will address the team or an individual when needed.

"I think I'm more vocal, especially in the room, maybe than I was in the past as assistant captain," Lidstrom said Thursday. "I try to talk to some of the younger players a little bit more, encourage them and try to help them out a little bit. The same thing on the back end with my defensive partners."

Teammate Kris Draper said it was a "no-brainer" for Lidstrom to follow Yzerman, who captained the Red Wings for 19 seasons and retired in 2006.

"He's very similar to Stevie about how he carries himself on and off the ice," Draper said. "Really, what he does is he just goes out and leads by example, playing at a high level, game in and game out.

"Nick has become a little bit more vocal. As a leader of the team, obviously he feels there are some situations where he has to say something. He doesn't say a lot. He's not a rah-rah kind of guy. But just like Stevie, and a lot of the great leaders, when they speak, everyone listens."

Who wouldn't? Lidstrom has carried himself with grace throughout his career. He has won five Norris trophies and probably will make it six next month -- only Bobby Orr (eight) and Doug Harvey (seven) have more -- to place next to his Stanley Cups (three, so far) and an Olympic gold medal.

"He's a special man," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "His attention to detail is great, and he's a great (role) model. He's just great to be around. I think it's important that your best players work hard and are humble and it's always about the team. It's pretty hard for anybody else to be any other way. He's fantastic."

It's seems greatness has been expected of Crosby since he laced on a pair of skates for the first time, and he's delivered.

Sid the Kid won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player as a sophomore last season when he led the league with 120 points, and the once-woeful Penguins are in the Finals for the first time since 1992.

Crosby has said he long admired Yzerman, who was 21 when he became Red Wings captain, and he continues to take advice from former Penguins captain and current team chairman Mario Lemieux.

Like Lemieux before him, Crosby has put his stamp on the franchise, which faced bankruptcy and might have moved to another city. Now, the Penguins sell out every game at Mellon Arena, which opened in 1961, and a state-of- the-art building is being constructed nearby.

"I've always tried to be a good professional and tried to be a good role model," Crosby said. "But I don't think I let that hang on myself. I think there's a lot of great players in this league and guys who can bring excitement to the game."

Crosby did his part Wednesday to keep the Penguins' championship hopes alive by scoring their first two goals of the Finals in a 3-2 win that prevented Detroit from taking a 3-0 series lead.

"There's no doubt we were looking for your best player to bring his A-game, and certainly Sid did that," coach Michel Therrien said.

It's what captains do.

(Contact Rick Sadowski of the Rocky Mountain News at sadowskir(at)rockymountainnews.com.)