Many of his teammates had changed, showered and continued on with their day. A few lingered on the ice at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex for the tail end of Wednesday’s lengthy practice. Meanwhile, Ben Kindel settled into his familiar dressing room spot next to an NHL legend who began his career before the 18-year-old was born.

The seat next to Sidney Crosby has been a fascinating one over the years. While Scott Wilson and Carter Rowney have been on one side, Crosby’s was also where Jake Guentzel got his start — and grew plenty comfortable with his longtime linemate.

There’s a lot of Guentzel in Kindel’s game, the ability to shift between center and wing, the underrated skating, a quick shot, innate hockey instincts and toughness belying their size, in Kindel’s case his 5-foot-11, 182-pound

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