He’s back! Hometown fans cheering Sidney Crosby’s comeback

NHL star Sidney Crosby’s long-awaited return to action is driving excitment among hockey fans to a fever pitch – and nowhere more so than in his hometown of Cole Harbour.

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced their captain’s return to the lineup for Monday night’s match against the New York Islanders after a 10-month-long recovery from a concussion.

Fans in Cole Harbour this morning say it’s been a long time coming.

“I want to see how he’s playing after he’s been out for a while,” said Brandon. “He set some high standards.”

At the tender age of 24, Crosby already has a league MVP, Stanley Cup and Olympic gold medal to his name.

With such accomplishments to live up to, predictions on his comeback performance run the gamut from extreme optimism to minimal expectations.

“I think he’s ready to go,” says one hockey fan. “He’ll be back to the way he was before. He’s too good of a player not to be. He’s going to be full tilt.”

Others suggest the former goal-scoring phenom might try to ease back into the action – though that likely won’t endear him to his fans.

“If he plays badly than that’s a bad look on him,” said Markees. “He’d better score a goal.”

Canadians weren’t the only ones cheering when news of Crosby’s return broke. Pittsburgh sports bar owner Jeff Buttya says the announcement prompted an immediate celebration.

“There was a huge round of applause,” said Buttya. “It’s like Christmas came early. When they hear about Sidney, it’s just awesome. Everybody get excited. There will be more people in watching the hockey game.”

One thing that no one wants to see is the superstar suffer another serious injury.

“There will be silence in the arena until he stands up and moves again or continues to play,” said an admitted Habs fan.

Two separate blows to the head took Crosby out of the game last season. The first was a shot from the Capitals’ David Steckel on Jan. 1 and then from Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman on Jan. 5.