Sidney Crosby

This upstart hockey champion from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, has led a seemingly charmed life, garnering awards and firsts since he learned to skate at age three:

* He is the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins--the youngest player in history to be named such--and has led his team to its first Stanley Cup since 1992

* In his first season Crosby became the youngest player in NHL history to score 100 points in a season

* He became the youngest player in NHL history to score 200 points overall

* Crosby was the youngest player to win the Art Ross Trophy for the most goals scored in a season in 2007

* He has also won the Hart Memorial Trophy, the Lester B. Pearson Award, the Mark Messier Leadership Award and the Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy

* When asked if anyone could break his records, Wayne Gretzky said that Sidney Crosby could

* After a suffering crushing defeat by the Red Wings in 2008, Captain Crosby led his Penguins through a tough season, an intense playoff and past those same Red Wings in the finals to win the 2009 Stanley Cup Championship, but they could not repeat in 2010

* Crosby scored in overtime of the gold medal game at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics to help Canada to its 14th gold, a record number of gold medals by any country in the history of the Winter Games.