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Pittsburgh Penguins keep Sidney Crosby's BELIEVE sign over locker room tunnel
Photo credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Taylor Haase says Sidney Crosby's Ted Lasso BELIEVE sign still hangs over the Pittsburgh Penguins tunnel, and that detail lands hard now.
This is not cute arena trivia. It is a window into how Pittsburgh keeps its room wired when the season gets loud.
Bryan Rust admitted this week he does not know who put the sign there, but he pointed to Crosby as the obvious suspect because Sid is a big fan of the show.
That matters because leadership around Crosby is usually quiet, repeatable, and built for the walk from the room to the ice.
The Penguins just took a 6-2 loss in Vegas, and the next stop is Saturday in Utah. A room that still believes after a punch like that is not leaning on slogans, it is leaning on habit.
"To be honest, I don't know," Bryan Rust said. "I don't know how it got there. Who put it up there? I would assume Sid had a reason or hand in it, because I know he was a big fan of the show. I am too! But I couldn't tell you. It's been there since what, last year, maybe longer? I've got no idea where it came from, and I'm not sure there are too many people in this room who know where that sign came from."
- Bryan Rust
- Bryan Rust
Crosby is on IR, yet his fingerprints are still everywhere. He has 27-32-59 in 56 games, and Rust has 23-27-50, which tells you this group still follows its old engine even when he is not dressed.
The tactical read is simple. Pittsburgh needs connected support low in the zone, cleaner breakouts, and more direct net-front work, not louder quotes.
Sidney Crosby still sets the Penguins tone
Fans can roll their eyes at a TV prop, but this room clearly does not, and honestly, that says plenty about why the group has stayed together through injuries and pressure.
NHL.com noted last month that the BELIEVE sign hangs above the locker room door the players use to reach the ice. That means it is part of the daily routine, not some hidden joke.
That is why the sign works. It meets players at the exact moment excuses die.
There is no cap angle here and no deadline math to solve. This is roster identity, and Crosby still owns that space better than anyone in the organization.
If Pittsburgh responds in Utah with a sharper first ten minutes and a tighter five-man shape, the sign will feel less like decoration and more like a standard.
That is the real story, not who grabbed the tape, but why the message still survives every hit this season throws at them.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
Sidney Crosby's Olympic injury confirmed by Mitch Marner as grade 2 MCL sprain, Penguins impact grows
Sidney Crosby's Olympic injury confirmed by Mitch Marner as grade 2 MCL sprain, Penguins impact grows
Previously on HockeyUnplugged
| POLL | ||
MARS 13|79 ANSWERS Pittsburgh Penguins keep Sidney Crosby's BELIEVE sign over locker room tunnel Does Sidney Crosby's BELIEVE sign still define the Pittsburgh Penguins room? | ||
| Yes | 78 | 98.7 % |
| No | 1 | 1.3 % |
| List of polls | ||