Sidney Crosby, the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, has been identified as the player most likely to transition to coaching in the future. This conclusion comes from the NHL Players’ Association’s annual poll, which was released recently.
Crosby Leads Coaching Candidates in NHLPA Poll
Crosby garnered 10.3% of the votes, placing him at the forefront of the coaching candidates. Following him were Minnesota’s Nick Foligno with 5% and a trio of players—David Perron from Detroit, John Tavares from Toronto, and Ryan Strome from Calgary—each receiving 2.6% or less.
Other Notable Player Rankings
The poll also highlighted several players in various categories:
- Most Intense Training Regimen: Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche topped this category with 20.7%, followed by Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers at 5.5% and Kris Letang of the Penguins at 4%.
- Most Stylish Player: William Nylander from the Toronto Maple Leafs was recognized as the most fashionable player, receiving 32.9% of the votes.
- Best Social Media Presence: Nylander also excelled here, securing 17.4%.
- Best Nickname: Nylander, known as “Willy Styles,” ranked lower than David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins, who was the favorite with his nickname “Pasta” at 13.5%.
- Best Puck Handler: Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues led with 22.4%, followed by Igor Shesterkin from the New York Rangers at 14%.
- Best Golfer: Arizona’s Clayton Keller was named the best golfer with 15.9%.
Rink and Venue Rankings
The players also voted on their favorite venues. Montreal’s Bell Centre was recognized for having the best ice, receiving 46.8% of the votes. Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena was favored for the best visiting dressing room.
Future Expansion Markets
Regarding potential NHL expansion, Houston emerged as the preferred destination with 34.3% of support, while Quebec City got 16.9%. The poll also revealed that a significant 68.1% of players opposed a switch to white home jerseys.
Poll Details
This year’s NHLPA poll included responses from 348 players across all 32 NHL teams. Conducted anonymously, the survey took place during the early part of the season.
