MILAN — Sidney Crosby doesn’t need the Olympic Winter Games to define his legacy.

Three Stanley Cups, multiple Hart Trophies, international gold already tucked away — his résumé is secure. And yet, the way he talks about the Olympics still sounds like someone chasing a childhood dream rather than a player who has spent two decades on the world’s biggest stages.

“I have always wanted to play in the NHL, but watching the Olympians was always a special moment as someone who grew up playing a lot of sports,” Crosby said. “I know how important it is. There is so much to love about it, so anytime you can put on that Canadian jersey, there is so much pride.”

That feeling hasn’t dulled with age. If anything, it has sharpened. Pulling on the Canadian jersey still carries weight, still demands something extra. Crosby doesn’t speak about it lightly. There is pride in the crest, but also responsibility—an understanding of what it represents to players who grew up the same way he did, staring at their televisions and dreaming of just having the chance to compete on that stage, let alone win a gold medal. Today, the screens may be smaller in some cases and the platforms more varied, but the dream flickering behind them remains exactly the same.

The past two Olympic cycles only reinforced that appreciation. With NHL players prohibited from competing in the Winter Olympics in 2018 and 2022., the uncertainty took a toll. Crosby admitted it was difficult not knowing whether he would ever get another opportunity.

“It was difficult. You try not to get your hopes up too much, but you also had to be ready in case we did go,” he explained. “It was a bit of a rollercoaster. I am really happy we have the opportunity to come back here. It is an amazing experience.”

Now that the opportunity is real again, Crosby — along with a host of his fellow Olympians — feels a sense of relief. There is gratitude in his voice for another chance to lead his country on the Olympic stage. The memory of the game-winning overtime goal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics still lingers, not because of the goal alone, but because of the weight attached to it. The country was watching. The world was watching. The moment demanded something extraordinary.

Those are the games Crosby still craves at 38 years old. The competitiveness that defined him as a teenager hasn’t faded. He still yearns for another trip to the podium — or at the very least, a chance at one. These are the games where the noise is deafening, the stakes unmistakable, and the outcome remembered long after the final horn. That has been the essence of Crosby’s career, whether it was a Stanley Cup victory, the golden goal in Vancouver, or scoring the game-winner in a shootout at the inaugural NHL Winter Classic.

Pressure comes with the territory. It always has. Crosby has lived his entire career under it. Asked to compare a Stanley Cup playoff Game 7 with an Olympic gold-medal final, he didn’t hesitate. To him, they are cut from the same cloth — one game, everything on the line, no margin for error.

“They are pretty similar. Think about game seven (in the Stanley Cup) versus going for a gold medal – it is one game, especially playing in Canada (at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games). There were a lot of expectations.

“Both are pressure-packed for different reasons, but those are the games you want to be in.”

When asked whether that golden goal in overtime remains the highlight of his career, he didn’t deflect.

“It is up there, and it would be hard to beat. It was an amazing game and an amazing Olympics.”

Now, with the possibility that this could be his final appearance on the Olympic stage, Crosby comes across as more reflective than ever. He speaks with appreciation — not only for the opportunity to still be here, but for the fact that he is still regarded as one of the world’s elite players. He is quick to praise his younger teammates, seeing flashes of his younger self in them: hungry, driven, and eager to test themselves in front of the entire world. He has been in their skates before, and he knows exactly how much a gold medal would mean to them and their families.

"Hopefully (we capture gold)," Crosby added. "I'll see how long I can go. I definitely appreciate the opportunity.

"Just knowing how competitive it is – I see so many guys that want to be part of this team. It means a lot to them."

For Sidney Crosby, the Olympics are not a detour from his NHL legacy. They are a return to its starting point — a reminder of why he fell in love with the game in the first place.