‘Kids these days’: Sidney Crosby featured in new NHL commercial highlighting Gen Z players

PITTSBURGH — The NHL regular season opened Tuesday, and with it came a new advertisement highlighting the league’s biggest young stars.

The ad opens with a news clip that asks, “What is going on with Gen Z?” and “Is Gen Z the laziest generation?”

Throughout the commercial, some of the league’s best players make appearances.

The 2023 NHL Draft’s first overall pick, Connor Bedard, appears first and says, “Yeah, we don’t work hard,” followed by clips of him in the gym. He was born in 2005.

Connor McDavid, who was born in 1997 and was the youngest player elected to team captain in NHL history, says, “We expect big promotions right away.”

Other Gen Z stars, such as Toronto Maples Leafs captain and first overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft Auston Matthews (born in 1997), Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (born in 1999), recent Stanley Cup Champion Jack Eichel (born in 1996), the 2019 NHL Draft’s first overall pick Jack Hughes (born in 2001) also make appearances throughout the ad, stating common sayings about their generation and highlights from their times in the league.

The final player to appear is Pittsburgh Penguins captain and first overall pick in the 2005 NHL Draft, 37-year-old Sidney Crosby, who shakes his head and says, “Kids these days.”

The Penguins open the regular season at home against the New York Rangers on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m.

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