Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby's exceptional hockey skills include impeccable precision and timing. So it's only natural he has become a shareholder and brand ambassador with a Swiss luxury watch company co-founded by other NHL players.
Crosby is now a business partner with Mark Streit, a former NHL defenseman who won a Stanley Cup with Crosby in Pittsburgh, and Roman Josi, captain of the Nashville Predators and a fellow brand ambassador in the U.S. and Canada.
"It's kind of a milestone to have him on board," Streit told ESPN this week. "Sid stands for certain values. It's in the way he carries himself, it's in his work ethic, his passion. He wants to get better every day."
Crosby first became familiar with the watch company Norqain at the 2019 NHL All-Star Game in San Jose, California, when the brand was an associate partner of the NHLPA. It gave Crosby a watch for being selected as an All-Star, as well as another one to wear. Crosby liked the product and the story behind it.
"The brand has been growing incredibly fast around the world since then, and I'm really excited to join and support its further development while teaming up with Mark again to see what we can do together moving forward," Crosby said.
Founded in 2018, Norqain has been a partner with the NHLPA for over five years, with a presence at events like the NHL All-Star Game.
Streit played 12 years in the NHL and shares a longstanding connection with Crosby that includes their mutual agent, Pat Brisson. When Streit was traded to the Penguins in March 2017, Crosby was the first teammate to reach out to him.
"He took me a little bit under his wing ... if you can say that for an almost-40-year-old player," Streit said.
"It's a perfect match with Sid. I think we share the same values. He's the first guy on the ice in practice and the last coming off. He wants to win. He wants to get better," Streit said. "It's really challenging starting from scratch, founding a new brand and making some noise in the industry."
Streit stayed in touch with Crosby after retirement. The watch industry was a consistent topic, but it took awhile for the Penguins captain to buy into the brand.
"He's very distinctive where he wants to get involved. I think that's why this didn't happen overnight. Truthfully, I think that's a good thing, because if you partner up, I think everybody needs to be fully committed and 100% sure about it. It's a matter of building up trust," Streit said.
Now that Crosby is a part of the company, Streit is hoping he might decide to play a larger role -- after his current job ends, of course.
"His focus is 100% on the Pittsburgh Penguins and winning another Stanley Cup. But in a few years or even 10 years from now, I think the future is open however he can be brought into the company," Streit said.