NEW YORK - Sidney Crosby's potential impact on the NHL
has been compared to that of Mario Lemieux in 1984. The two
likely will be teammates on the Pittsburgh Penguins when the
league begins playing again in October.
After the official announcement of the NHL's return after a
lengthy lockout, the Penguins on Friday emerged with the top
pick in next week's draft when results of a unique lottery were
revealed.
Crosby, a Canadian phenom widely considered to be the top pick
regardless of which team was awarded it, is a virtual lock to
join Lemieux when the draft commences at Ottawa's Westin Hotel
on July 30.
"I think it'd be great. I'd be more than happy to play there,"
Crosby said of the prospect of playing in Pittsburgh. "I met
(Lemieux) last summer. We trained, skated together. I learned
a lot and hopefully I'm going to have the opportunity to learn a
lot more."
Lemieux, who will turn 40 when the league's 2005-06 season
begins on October 5, was selected first overall 21 years ago and
led the league in scoring six times and the Penguins to
back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in the early 1990s.
"I think he's a fantastic fit," Penguins general manager Craig
Patrick said of Crosby. "Mario is fabulous with young players.
To add someone like that, my mind goes round and round with the
lineup possibilities. We have a lot of young legs on our team
and Sidney certainly adds to it.
"We've been fortunate over the years to bring in some young
people like Jaromir Jagr and Martin Straka and people like that.
We let them grow slowly. We certainly aren't going to put a
lot of pressure on Sidney to carry our team."
Friday's draft lottery involved each of the 30 teams starting
with three balls in the drawing for the top pick. A ball was
removed for each playoff appearance a team has made the last
three seasons and for each top overall pick over the last four
years, but every team retained a minimum of one ball.
Among four teams with all three balls remaining entering the
selection process, Pittsburgh was a finalist for the top pick
along with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
After Bettman announced the first 28 teams' draft position in
descending order, he unveiled the lottery winner after Mighty
Ducks general manager Brian Burke and Penguins president Ken
Sawyer were summoned to the front of the room.
Among the other teams with three balls in the 48-ball lottery
machine, the New York Rangers received the lowest pick of 16th.
The other two three-ball teams, the Columbus Blue Jackets and
the Buffalo Sabres, will pick sixth and 13th, respectively.
Anaheim was among 10 teams with a 4.2 percent probability of
receiving the first overall pick. Teams with one ball had a 2.1
percent chance.
Pittsburgh, which had the worst record in the league in 2003-04
(23-47-8-4), will choose first overall for the second time in
three years. The Penguins selected goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury
in 2003 in a pick received from the Florida Panthers via trade.
The Carolina Hurricanes will pick third, followed by the
Minnesota Wild and Montreal Canadiens, who own the highest pick
among teams with only one ball in the lottery.
Next week's draft will be seven rounds, as opposed to nine in
previous years, and the Penguins will not make their second pick
until No. 60. The defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay
Lightning received the last pick in the first round and will get
the first selection in the second round.