Most of Ottawa Senators fans have an ongoing love/hate relationship with Sidney Crosby. The kid hails from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, and it's kind of hard to get any more Canadian than that (although people from Flin Flon, and Moose Jaw may have something to say about that).



We Canadians are always proud of a Canadian kid who makes good, even if it's for an American team. When it comes time to flying the flag, as in the recent Olympics, Sid the Kid came through large for his country by netting the gold medal winning goal. As hockey fanatics, we apprecieate the talent and perseverance that he displayed.

I, of course, lament the system that allows such great hockey talent to go compete in the US. I lament the fact that Crosby is in Pittsburgh, that Martin Brodeur is in New Jersey. The best of the best have nearly always played for American teams: Bobby Orr and Mario Lemieux being prime examples. Even the new talent is South of the border: Steve Stamkos, and Patrick Sharp, and John Tavares, and Matt Duchene, and Drew Doughty. The list goes on and on. I lament that only 20% of the teams in the league are Canadian, with an NHL all to willing to pander to the American dollar instead of to the grass roots fan base in Canada. But I digress.

The real problem is when the Penguins face the Senators, it's a different story. Then Sid becomes the enemy as he takes on our home-town heroes, and the decision to hate Sidney Crosby comes hard, but comes nonetheless: it's emotional and visceral. With grudging admiration for his skills and tenacity, we nonetheless rage at the fact that, sans Crosby, the Penguins would be trailing the series by now. His talent is such that we wish Andy Sutton or Anton Volchenkov would do something about it, and plaster him but good.

But not too much. He is, after all, Sid the Kid. We'll need him for the next Olympics.