NEWS » ily three years ago and who now has

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- A picture was taken a couple of years ago in the Pittsburgh Penguins dressing room.One of the owners of the Penguins, Mario Lemieux, is in it. So, too, is the Penguins captain, Sidney Crosby. In the middle, flanked by one Hall of Fame center and one sure-fire Hall of Fame center, is a highly touted and broadly smiling prospect named Connor McDavid.A moment in time, to be sure.Three No. 1 overall draft picks.And maybe more than that. Maybe the kind of intersection of greatness that transcends time.When McDavid steps into the PPG Paints Arena here Tuesday night, it will not be to pose for more pictures -- it will be in search of two points for his Edmonton Oilers (9-3-1) against the Penguins (8-2-2). The Oilers captain will no longer be an awestruck teenager imagining what it might be like to live the life, as was the case two seasons ago when that picture was taken.McDavid is still a teenager, at least for a few more months. But early in his second NHL season, he is the catalyst to a buzz that hasnt come out of Edmonton for a decade or more, as well as being the standard bearer of an unprecedented influx of world-class young talent populating the league.No doubt there will be butterflies as McDavid prepares for the first time to face Crosby, who has shaken off a concussion sustained before the season to explode for eight goals and two assists in just six games. Just as there will be more than a passing interest from Crosby, who is almost 10 years McDavids senior.Once you get out there, I think thats the best part, Crosby said Monday. The competitive side kind of takes over.Bob Nicholson has seen hundreds of the games best players, including McDavid and Crosby, come and go, playing on hockeys greatest stages at various points in their careers. The former longtime head of Hockey Canada understands the bond that exists between the best of the best, a kind of organic link that exists in spite of geography and age, and even experience.He recalled, for instance, Lemieux talking about the lessons he learned from having played with Wayne Gretzky during the 1987 Canada Cup. Nicholson knows that Crosby reached out to McDavid after McDavid was selected first overall in 2015 amid a tumult that hadnt been seen since Crosby himself was the first-overall pick after the 2004-05 lockout.Those guys, theyre there for each other, Nicholson said. They dont know each other real well, but they respect each other.Nicholsons words of advice for Tuesday night?Take a deep breath and enjoy it, said Nicholson, who now presides over the Edmonton Oilers renaissance, having two years ago taken over as vice chair of the Oilers Entertainment Group.Theyre generational players, he said of Crosby and McDavid. Theyre different players. Not too often do players like this come along.As time passes, Crosby and McDavid -- who broke his collarbone and missed more than half his rookie season, including a game against Crosby -- might well play alongside each other soon, whether its at the 2018 Olympics in South Korea or the 2020 World Cup of Hockey. But until that time comes, this stands as a chance to savor something unique, two iconic stars playing against each other, one well-established as the greatest player in the world, the other just starting to fulfill those kinds of lofty expectations.Maybe therell be a moment like the night Gretzky first played against his idol Gordie Howe, when Gretzky thought Howe was winking at him in warmups (it was more likely Howes constant blinking) or how Howe at one point gave Gretzky a sharp rap on his wrist after Gretzky stole the puck from him, the legendary Howe admonishing Gretzky not to do it again.Coming into the league and youre thinking, Geez, Ive got to show everybody I belong, Gretzky said. So each and every night it was, Wayne Gretzky and, well, can he play against Dionne? And then it was, Gretzky and can he go against Lafleur? Gretzky and Trottier? And you know those things kind of get you excited when youre a kid: Youre 18, 19 years old, youve got nothing to lose. Youre just going out there to play.Crosby always dreamed about playing against childhood hero Steve Yzerman, although Yzerman was injured during Crosbys rookie season, 2005-06, and the two never did play against each other.Peter Forsberg was another guy that growing up I really liked to watch, Crosby added. I got a pretty hard lesson, I think: One of the first couple times I played him, I was minus-5. So I think I was watching him a little too much that night.I saw him a lot and learned pretty quick that now Ive got to compete against him, not necessarily watch him.In a week, former Philadelphia Flyers great Eric Lindros will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2016.He recalled playing with his boyhood idol Mark Messier in the 1991 Canada Cup, even before Lindros had played a single NHL game. But in his subsequent rookie season with the Flyers, the path to acceptance, to understanding he belonged, went through Pittsburgh and Lemieux.Youve also got a job to do, Lindros said. You get over the situation and you try and just get yourself focused and win two points.Memories? Lifelong.But when you win a faceoff against Mark Messier and he crosschecks you, you know its on, Lindros said with a laugh.When Crosby and McDavid step onto the same ice for the first time Tuesday, its a chance to observe -- heck, celebrate -- those kinds of intersections.Why not care? Lindros asked. Why not celebrate it?And heres the thing. Mark the moment, savor it, because these moments pass quickly.It probably seems like yesterday that Sid was going through the same thing, being compared to guys ? when he first came in, Gretzky said. And before you know it, youre the guy thats on the other side of that.I remember all of a sudden thinking, Wasnt it just yesterday I was being compared to Lafleur? the games all-time leading scorer added with a laugh. And before Auston Matthews and Connor know it, theyre going to be in the same situation that Sid is in, that hes the old guy.But its more than that, according to Gretzky, who proved in a heartbeat that he not just belonged but that he belonged at the top of the hill.I always tell people, youre the king of the castle until someone knocks you off, and right now these kids are all pretty good, Gretzky said, but Sidneys still the best player in the game. Dallas Mavericks Store . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. Mavericks Jerseys 2021 . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. 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ROME -- Former Lazio coach Stefano Pioli was hired by struggling Inter Milan on Tuesday, replacing the fired Frank de Boer and tasked with restoring the 18-time Serie A champions to respectability.Inter announced that it signed Pioli to coach through next season and that he will be introduced on Thursday.Besides Lazio, the 51-year-old Pioli previously coached his hometown club Parma plus Chievo Verona, Palermo and Bologna in Serie A. In 218 matches as a Serie A coach, his teams have a record of 73 wins, 62 draws and 83 losses.He seems to me to be a logical choice, former Inter president Massimo Moratti said. Hes a coach who knows Italian soccer and who has always made his clubs play well.De Boer was fired last week after Inter lost seven of 14 matches in all competitions.Inters youth squad coach, Stefano Vecchi, had been given temporary control of the senior team for a 2-1 loss at Southampton in the Europa League on Thursday -- leaving the Nerazzurri last in their group -- and a 3-0 win over last-place Crotone on Sunday in Serie A.Inter is in ninth place in the Italian league, 13 points behind leader Juventus.Piolis debut will come in the derby against AC Milan on Nov. 20.Considered the next in a long-line of Italian tacticians, Pioli was considered the safest choice after a long weekend of meetings and interviews conducted by Inter management -- even though he has never coached a major club.Other coaches reported to have interviewed for the job included Marcelino, Italian great Gianfranco Zola and the well-traveled Guus Hiddink.Big Italian clubs rarely hold interviews for coaches in the public manner that Inter did, which sparked perplexity among the clubs supporters.I never held any casting interviews but I observed (coaches) on my own, Moratti said. Theyre different systems but its not like one way is right and the other is wrong. Its a transparent method to make a well-informed choice.In Piolis first season at Lazio, he led the Rome club to a third-place finish. He was fired by Lazio in April after a 4-1 derby loss too Roma.dddddddddddd.As a player, Pioli was a center back for Juventus, Hellas Verona and Fiorentina.While financial details were not announced, the Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Pioli will earn 1.4 million euros ($1.5 million) for the remainder of this season and nearly 2 million euros ($2.2 million) for next season.De Boer was hired less than two weeks before the season began following the unexpected resignation of Roberto Mancini, who reportedly wanted more control over the transfer market and clashed with Suning, the Chinese retail giant that took control of 70 percent of Inter in June.Inter fans have blamed the clubs complicated global management structure for the teams troubles.The club president is Erick Thohir, an Indonesian entrepreneur who purchased Inter from the Moratti family three years ago and who now has 30 percent of the ownership after the recent restructuring.Michael Bolingbroke, an Englishman who formerly worked at Manchester United, resigned his position as CEO on Monday.And there are five Chinese representatives on the clubs nine-member board of directors -- Ren Jun, Mi Xin, Liu Jun, Yang Yang and Zhang Kangyang.During Inters win over Crotone, supporters displayed banners that read, Shame on the management, and, Thanks Frank, youre paying for errors that were not yours.Pioli becomes Inters ninth coach since Jose Mourinho led the club to a treble in 2010. The others were Rafa Benitez, Leonardo, Gian Piero Gasperini, Claudio Ranieri, Andrea Stramaccioni, Walter Mazzarri, Mancini and De Boer.Former AC Milan, Inter and Juventus coach Alberto Zaccheroni also labeled Pioli the best choice.He has shown over the last few years to be the smartest coach with the most ideas, Zaccheroni told Rai state radio. Pioli knows the Italian league. Inter players are in need of certainties right now, and a coach like Pioli can provide them.---Andrew Dampf on Twitter: www.twitter.com/asdampf ' ' '