Music: {allcanada} Cole Harbour team off to see Crosby

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

{allcanada} Cole Harbour team off to see Crosby

Cole Harbour, N.S., hockey players were on their way to Pittsburgh on Tuesday to play in an international tournament — at the invitation of hometown hockey great Sidney Crosby.

Luckily, most flights were back on schedule out of Halifax Stanfield International Airport after a massive storm struck the eastern seaboard of the United States and the Maritimes over the Christmas weekend.

Paul Mason coaches the Cole Harbour bantam AA team, whose members range in age from 13 to 14. He used to coach Crosby, and the two are still close.

"I was at a barbecue at the end of the summer with Sid and his family. Sid and his sister were heading off to the States and they got talking about the Winter Classic and that they were going to have a bantam tournament, and that I should bring my team down," Mason said Tuesday as he prepared to catch the flight to Pittsburgh.

Player Jacob Tibert had his carry on bag stuffed with Crosby jerseys.

"This is his Olympic jersey, and this is his Winter Classic jersey and this is his home jersey," Jacob said.

Jacob is hoping he can get Sidney Crosby to sign each jersey — if he gets the chance to spend a little time with him in Pittsburgh.

Besides playing in the six-team bantam tournament, the teenagers will watch the NHL Winter Classic game to be played outside on New Year's Day.

The Pittsburgh Penguins, captained by Crosby, will host the Winter Classic game against the Washington Capitals. Last year's game took place in Boston.