Crosby thrilled to deliver season tickets to Pittsburgh firefighter

PHOTO RECAP:Season Ticket Delivery Day
When Sidney Crosby delivers season tickets, a lot of times fans will tell him they dreamed of being just like him. But when the Penguins captain stopped by Greg Hartlep's home on Monday, it was the other way around.

Hartlep is a Pittsburgh firefighter stationed at Engine No. 29 in Westwood, while his uncle Don Weaver was also a Pittsburgh firefighter at Engine No. 31 in Sheraden. And if Crosby hadn't ended up being pretty good at hockey, he might have taken their career path.
"I was glad to find out (Hartlep) was a firefighter," Crosby said. "That's what I wanted to do. I think it was like Grade 1, they took us on a school trip to the local fire department. We did the whole tour and all of the demos and stuff. After that, that's what I wanted to do. I always knew the local firefighters. A lot of them were local and were coaches. The schedule was good on the days that they weren't on shift.
"That was what I was going to do, hopefully, if I didn't play hockey. I'm not sure if I would have made it or not (laughs)."
If Crosby ever does want to make it into a second career, Hartlep said his biggest advice would simply be to stay in shape. It does help that Crosby can battle through his fear of heights, as the two shared stories about climbing to the top of a ladder on a fire truck, which is used as a training exercise.
Crosby had the opportunity to try do so at a fire station in his native Nova Scotia while filming a commercial for Tim Hortons alongside Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon, who's also from Cole Harbour. Wearing a helmet and a ladder belt, Crosby made it all the way up the extended ladder, which stretched 110 feet into the sky.
"It was crazy," Crosby told Hartlep. "You could feel (the ladder) flutter because you're at the top. (MacKinnon) got halfway up and he just started going back down. I was like yeah, you're leaving me up here (laughs)."
"When you're up that high, you can't think about that because you've just got to do your job and focus," Hartlep said before adding with a laugh, "Otherwise, you're like, what am I doing up here?"
Hartlep had previously heard of Crosby's interest in being a firefighter, as the city had gifted him a helmet, one of a few he's received over the years. But it was certainly special to hear Crosby's respect and admiration for what he does firsthand.
"One of my best friends is a firefighter, so I understand how hard they work and the situations that they go into," Crosby said. "I definitely have a great appreciation for how tough a job it is, but all the firefighters I know, I know how much they love it and how much pride they take in it. It's their passion. So just getting to hear that firsthand from him, but also meet others, I think that's clear."
While Crosby thoroughly enjoyed discussing Hartlep's career, the conversation turned to his line of work as well, amongst many other topics. At one point, Greg asked his two sons, Zach and Tyler, if they had any hockey questions for Crosby, and they ended up discussing his first NHL goal.
Afterward, Greg, his wife Dina and the boys were blown away by how nice and how genuine Crosby was.
"For me, his personality is just as advertised," Greg said. "I was excited for the kids. I felt just like a kid myself. I've watched him since he came into the league. You always hear about this, where they come and deliver the tickets, and you think no way, that would never happen to us."
But it did, and the Hartlep family couldn't be more grateful.
"I can't believe how genuine he is," Dina said. "That really comes through. It's shocking in a wonderful way. He just seems so genuine. It was like a dream come true (having him here). The way the Penguins take care of the community, the fans, it's just first class all the way down."
After receiving the tickets, Greg shared a story with Crosby about how he and his father, who passed away in 2014, would go to Penguins games together. After that, his mother stepped in to help pay for the tickets so that they could continue attending games, and it's been a special tradition for the entire family. That story was one of many that resonated with Crosby during the visit.
"I think it's just always interesting to learn about other people and what they do and their connection with the team," Crosby said. "Just hearing Greg talk about him and his dad, that was something they did together and he enjoys bringing his sons to the game now and sharing that with his family, just to hear that experience is part of what makes it special when you meet fans."