"It was definitely cool," said Bailey Julian, one of the patients who met with Sidney Crosby and Jason Zucker, who were transported via tablet from room to room.
"I thought it was awesome. You see them in their jerseys on the ice just flying around and you think they're superheroes out there. But when you sit there and just get to talk to them and get to know them, they're very down-to-earth people, and it was really cool to see that."
Julian is a hockey player himself and also referees, telling Crosby and Zucker how difficult it was not being able to skate right now because of the pandemic. His mother, who was sitting next to him, asked for tips on how to keep all three of her children busy at home.
"Zucks has got a bunch of kids at home, so I'll leave that to him," Crosby said with a grin.
"Get them out of the house!" Zucker laughed.
Another hockey-playing patient named Adam also received some advice from the pair. After informing them that he used to play center but has switched to wing, Zucker applauded the move.
"Centermen have to skate too much," Zucker said with a laugh. "Wingers have it easy. It's a nice gig."
"Do you have a big shot? What are your strengths?" Crosby asked.
"I'm fast," Adam replied. "My skating is my best asset, probably."
"You need it," Zucker said, telling him to keep working on it.
Adam was also one of the hosts for the virtual "It's a Hockey Day in Pittsburgh" show at the hospital's Dream Big Studio, a TV and radio studio where patients create the content themselves as part of Creative and Expressive Arts Therapy.
Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin, Bryan Rust, Brian Dumoulin, John Marino and Jared McCann joined Adam, Riley and Becky for the show.
The players discussed their holiday traditions before the hosts took calls and questions from patients joining the conversation from their hospital rooms. Everyone had smiles on their faces, which is always the goal with this visit every year.
"Whenever you're coming down here, you're here to get your shots, your scans, your medicine - whatever you've got to do," Julian said. "That's where your mindset is. But it was really cool just to stop in and talk with them because it gives you an outlet that you can just talk with someone. It gets your mind off of what you're used to and what you're expecting. It just gives you something to look forward to."
