COLE HARBOUR, Nova Scotia -- Long before he started scribbling autographs, fourth-grade student Sidney Crosby signed out a hardcover book from the library at his elementary school in Cole Harbour.
The name of that now tattered-looking blue book⢠"The Stanley Cup," by Frank Orr.
A telling title, considering Crosby, 20, is leading the Pittsburgh Penguins into this season's final fight for the sparkling trophy he set his sights on in grade school.
You can bet his former teachers and classmates will watch closely to see how the Stanley Cup final unfolds -- along with everyone else from his proud hometown nestled on Canada's laid-back eastern coast.
"Sidney is someone we're very proud of," City Councilman Harry McInroy said.
The town of about 25,000 residents is named after its natural, but no longer commercially active, harbor. A community speckled with suburban housing, strip malls and schools, it has a hockey arena at its core.
Cole Harbour is just one community within Halifax Regional Municipality, directly east of Dartmouth and a 20-minute commute from the urban core of Halifax, perhaps best known for its piers and beers.
McInroy said plenty of Penguins fans have appeared in Cole Harbour since the superstar was drafted in 2005, and more so as the Pens have played their way through the 2008 NHL postseason.
"Aside from being an outstanding athlete, he's a gentleman and a real ambassador for the community of Cole Harbour," McInroy said. "People have a lot of respect and admiration for him, so it makes a difference when you're cheering for a team."
Cole Harbour residents have no qualms about displaying their pride for the Penguins' powerhouse.
McInroy recently showed off two new "Welcome to Cole Harbour" signs on the town's outskirts, both proclaiming the community as the "Home of Sidney Crosby."
He's fighting for a third ice pad at Cole Harbour Place, with plans to name the new rink in honor of the homegrown hero. The recreation center has a display case highlighting Crosby's career -- as well as that of Anaheim Duck defender Joe DiPenta, who brought the Stanley Cup home to Cole Harbour last year.
"It took a while to get it there once," Crosby said. "It would be nice to get it back again."
Politicians aren't the only ones pushing Cole Harbour's claim to fame. A quick tour around town shows businesses are backing the Penguins. A promotional sign for Lake Loon Golf Centre, for example, boldly states, "Looks like Sidney will be having wings for dinner."
In sports pub Big Leagues Lounge, there's a giant inflatable Stanley Cup bearing the Penguins emblem tucked away in the corner. At the Sandtrap Bar and Grill, manager Michael O'Brien said he plans to fill the bar with fans and host CBC's Hockey Night in Canada for at least some of the series.
"It's still hard to believe," O'Brien said about watching Crosby skate and score his way from minor hockey to the top of the NHL. "Everybody here still remembers him as the little kid that scored a million goals in peewee."
Michael Chiasson's memories of Crosby's early years might be more prominent than most. The 22-year-old goalie grew up with Sid the Kid, and when they weren't on the ice, the boys were switching positions for a game of road hockey, using their pocket change to pay for a round of mini-putt and playing baseball in the summers.
They still work out together when Crosby returns to Cole Harbour, Chiasson said.
"Everyone was saying he was 'The Next One,' " Chiasson said about the hype that has surrounded Crosby. "No matter what level he played and what game he was in, he always stepped up and proved he had the talent."
But Chiasson couldn't help chuckling about Crosby's skyrocketing celebrity status.
"He gets recognized from people 5 years old, all the way up," he said, adding that Crosby always signs autographs for fans in Cole Harbour. "But deep down, he's like everyone else."
McInroy agreed Crosby is a grounded guy, always giving back to his admirers. His kind gestures include phone calls to fans who fall ill, or surprise visits to young players practicing in Cole Harbour Place.
"These are personal things that nobody knows about -- examples of how considerate he is," Chiasson said. "His parents are the same way. That's how he developed those values."
Brad Crossley, who coached Crosby when he played for Dartmouth Subways major midget, attested to his contributions to Cole Harbour.
"Two years ago, he donated a full set of gear to the peewee AAA team," he said, noting that Crosby gave cash to buy jerseys for young athletes in the Cole Harbour Bel Ayr Minor Hockey Association. "They all have 'No. 87, home of Sidney Crosby' on them."
Crossley said the gear is not the biggest gift Crosby has given the community.
"Just because of his success, the kids in our community have something to aspire to," he said.
At Colby Village Elementary School, Principal Kelly Rambeau said starry-eyed students often stop in the hallway to look up at Crosby's picture on the wall. The school changed its mascot to a penguin and its colors to black and gold.
"I'm probably stepping where he stepped," said Jordan Torrealba, 12. "He has a lot of passion ... and he's great to watch on the highlight reel."
