Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby have been teammates for 20 years and are very close friends. But just how close wasn’t fully apparent to Crosby—until now. A video now going viral among hockey fans shows Malkin’s touching words about Crosby moving the Pittsburgh Penguins captain to tears.
Since the 2006–07 season, Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby have formed one of the most feared duos in the NHL. Together, they’ve combined for nearly 3,000 points and won three Stanley Cups. Even at the ages of 39 and 38, respectively, they continue to perform at an elite level. To start this season, Crosby has 17 points in 14 games, while Malkin has 19 in 14.
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The Penguins core
For many years, Crosby and Malkin were part of the Penguins’ core alongside Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleury. Over their two decades together, Crosby and Malkin have built not just chemistry on the ice, but a deep friendship off it. Still, there are things they continue to learn about each other.
Evgeni Malkin kind words about Sidney Crosby
In the now-viral video, Crosby reads an article from The Athletic describing his bond with Malkin. It mentions that Malkin keeps a lot of Crosby memorabilia at home—including Russian nesting dolls modeled after Crosby—and that Malkin’s son, Nikita, would likely choose Crosby as his favorite player because of it. Then comes the quote that brings Crosby to tears:
“But Sid is the best player, the best teammate. A great friend. I hope Nikita thinks of him as family. I do.”
Crosby is visibly emotional as he hears his longtime teammate’s words, and fans can’t get enough of the moment.
“I’m tearing up, this is so sweet,” one fan wrote.
“This is so wholesome omg,” another added.
“I’m sobbing—this is so adorable,” a third commented.
You can watch the full interview below.
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