Sidney Crosby texted Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet after Friday’s major trade

On Friday, the Vancouver Canucks made significant moves, including acquiring defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O’Connor from the Pittsburgh Penguins in return for Danton Heinen , defenseman Vincent Desharnais , the rights to forward Melvin Fernström and the 2025 conditional first-round pick the Canucks acquired from the New York Rangers in the J.T. Miller trade earlier that same night.

As soon as the transaction was finalized, Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet received a text message for Penguins’ captain Sidney Crosby.

“Sid texted me yesterday about the two guys we got,” said Tocchet. “When Sid says they’re great locker room guys and really good people and players, it means a lot. That’s why we got those two guys.”

Crosby had Tocchet as assistant coach for three years in Pittsburgh and will once again have him behind his bench at the 4 Nations Face-Off. They have kept a close friendship and it was obviously important for Sid to personally to attest to the character of the Canucks’ new additions.

Pettersson, a pending unrestricted free agent, is a defensive defenceman who is in his ninth NHL season. In 47 games with the Penguins this season, he had three goals and 15 assists. O’Connor, who is also a pending unrestricted free agent, is in his fifth NHL season with the Penguins. This season in Pittsburgh, he had six goals and 10 assists through 53 contests.
Crosby knows both Pettersson and O’Connor very well considering the time he spent with both players. They sure got the seal of approval from Crosby, whose positive review is a good indicator that the Canucks acquired the right players.