Gallery: Crosby earns big assist during season ticket delivery

WEST VIEW, Pa. -- For the first time since 2019, Penguins players were back to making in-person deliveries to the homes of season ticket holders.

Things do look a little different now -- tickets at PPG Paints Arena have gone digital, so there aren't any physical tickets to deliver anymore. Rather, players made the rounds delivering special gift packages to show their appreciation, with Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin, Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust, Kasperi Kapanen, Rickard Rakell, Tristan Jarry, Casey DeSmith, Teddy Blueger, Brock McGinn, Danton Heinen, Marcus Pettersson and Jason Zucker all driving around the Pittsburgh area on Monday with gifts in tow.

A small group of reporters were invited to accompany Crosby on his first stop of the day to the home of the Jackson family in West View.

All three of the Jackson children played sports -- 16-year-old Will and 10-year-old Jameson play hockey, and 7-year-old Ellie plays soccer. Crosby spent a lot of time speaking with the family and showed genuine interest in the children's sports, asking them about their team and league, recent games, and even their handedness of their shot.

TAYLOR HAASE / DKPS

Crosby and the Jackson family moved to the back patio, where the family had a number of jerseys and pieces of memorabilia to sign. Before handing a 2011 Winter Classic jersey to Crosby to sign, father Ryan first asked if Crosby was OK with signing the jersey, knowing the injury history that was behind it. Crosby jokingly winced and held the jersey away from him, then signed it, adding afterward that he prefers the other jerseys the family had.

TAYLOR HAASE / DKPS

Crosby posed for several pictures with the family:

TAYLOR HAASE / DKPS

Including one with Ellie, who drew him a picture with his No. 87 in the center:

TAYLOR HAASE / DKPS

Before Crosby left for the next stop, though, Will had a request. His homecoming at North Hills was approaching, and he wanted a little help from Crosby in asking a girl to be his date. Will ran into the house to change into his North Hills hockey jersey, and emerged with a poster that said "2 captains, with 1 question: Will you go to hoco with Will?":

TAYLOR HAASE / DKPS

TAYLOR HAASE / DKPS

Crosby was happy to help with the proposal.

"Creative, I like it," he said with a smile when I asked about it afterward. "Hopefully he gets the answer he’s looking for.”

Will tweeted an update to me later in the afternoon:

Credit Crosby with a big assist on that one.