Pittsburgh Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL or NHLPA
Ryan O'Reilly Shares Honest Thoughts After Playing Alongside Sidney Crosby
It's no secret what Sidney Crosby means to Canadians, and now Ryan O'Reilly has opened up on playing alongside his hero at the IIHF World Championship.
Team Canada has been absolutely rolling at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, and given the level of talent all over their roster led by Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby, it shouldn't come as any surprise.
One veteran that is thriving in his role with Canada is Ryan O'Reilly, who is getting the chance to play alongside Sidney Crosby for the first time at the professional level, and it's safe to say that he's enjoying the chance to be alongside him, rather than trying to shut him down.
"When you're playing with him, you get to appreciate and get to see how much he does. When you're playing against him, you're kind of worried about what he's going to do, and you're out there trying to defend it to make it and stop it. So, it's nice to actually be on the little more relaxing side. You can enjoy how good he is and all the little touches he makes.
Saturday, you know, some of those goals... incredible plays, and just the playmaking ability, is the reason why he's the best player in the world. And just the little details he has are impressive."
Saturday, you know, some of those goals... incredible plays, and just the playmaking ability, is the reason why he's the best player in the world. And just the little details he has are impressive."
For two decades now, Crosby has been dazzling opponents and setting his teammates up at a rate that we've rarely seen in the NHL, and this is a fantastic perspective from someone that has been trying to shut Crosby down for quite some time for several different teams.
Ultimately though, there's only one Sidney Crosby, and he's proven that over a long, consistent and incredible career, and given what he's meant to so many Canadians over the years, it's fantastic to see O'Reilly and other veterans finally get the chance to play alongside him.
| POLL | ||
MAI 18 | 255 ANSWERS Ryan O'Reilly Shares Honest Thoughts After Playing Alongside Sidney Crosby Is Sidney Crosby the greatest Team Canada player of all time? | ||
| Yes | 221 | 86.7 % |
| No | 34 | 13.3 % |
| List of polls | ||