CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) — Sidney Crosby's early days in the NHL, when every Pittsburgh Penguins training camp felt like a proving ground, are never far from his mind, particularly this time of year.

The early days have been gone for a while now. Yet there the Penguins’ captain was on Thursday, a month removed from his 38th birthday and with a not insignificant number of flecks of gray sprinkled in his hair, still finding a way to smile while bending over his stick following a series of laps at the end of the first practice of his 21st season.

“I think that’s important to have that enthusiasm,” Crosby said. “I remember being that guy, you know, and I hope I’m still somewhat that guy even though I’ve been around for a while.”

The question that Crosby and his team can't seem to escape

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