Sidney Crosby is a 17-year old hockey player who has yet to set foot in the NHL. Not only that, he has yet to be even selected by an NHL team. Playing for the Rimouski Oceanic in Canada’s junior hockey leagues, Crosby has also played for Canada’s junior national and men’s national teams and will be a definite bonus for whatever team wins the right to select first at the NHL draft to be held this summer.
Without a doubt Crosby will be the first overall selection because like Andrew Bogut in the NBA draft, what Crosby can bring to a team is not just measured in talent, but will be a public relations windfall as well.
Almost to prove his value as a public relations diva, Crosby signed a deal with Gatorade on Tuesday night. Gatorade is the second major company this year to hitch its wagon to Crosby’s rising star. Crosby had already signed a five-year, 2.5 million US endorsement deal in March, and while the deal with Gatorade is not believed to be as lucrative as the Reebok agreement, it is still believed to be the richest deal a hockey player has ever signed with the sports drink company.
Other players to be signed by Gatorade include former NHL MVPs Jose Theodore and Patrick Roy as well as the NFL’s Peyton Manning, baseball’s Derek Jeter and Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho.
What makes Crosby’s case special is that he has signed these deals, with Reebok and Gatorade without even playing a game yet in the highest league in his sport.
Needless to say that whatever team does draft and sign Crosby this summer won’t have to worry about a cover for their media guide or a direction upon which to base their marketing for the season ticket drive. The only thing to wonder about is if this kid can live up to the hype, but given the fact that he has already done more interviews then the average athlete handles over his entire career, there are no worries about this kid’s composure and maturity.
Sidney Crosby is the real deal and hockey fans should get used to seeing his face over and over when the NHL begins to re-invent a marketing strategy in order to bring fans back to the game.
by TJ Khan 
