The Game Turned Late
When Sidney Crosby brought the Stanley Cup home to Cole Harbour, N.S., in 2016, eight-year-old Tynan Lawrence watched from the crowd. He still remembers the feeling more than the moment itself.
"Just how much the East Coast is behind him and supports him, and just how everyone is so happy for him," the 17-year-old Boston University centre recalled. "It's a big thing."
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
Lawrence grew up idolizing Crosby and still cheering for the Penguins. It's easy to understand why Pittsburgh's captain is so beloved in Atlantic Canada, where Lawrence is from Fredericton, New Brunswick.
"Just how he carries himself off the ice and around people," Lawrence said. "He's an unreal guy, it seems."
The Small Details Added Up
On the ice, Lawrence sees Crosby as the ultimate role model. "He thinks the game the right way," Lawrence noted. "He's always in the right spot. He does the right things and, no matter who you play him with, he always finds a way to make them better."
Lawrence, ranked No. 7 on NHL Central Scouting's final list of North American skaters, will carry the New Brunswick flag into next month's draft in Buffalo. That matters to him. "There's not a lot of NHL players that come out of here all the time, so being able to represent your native province is always a great experience."
Tynan made the jump from the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL to the NCAA in January, producing seven points in 18 games with the Terriers. The transition required adapting to new leagues, new teammates, and new linemates constantly. That's the kind of adjustment that tests a player's maturity more than their skill.
His early inspiration came from Jake Allen, the NHL goaltender who ran camps in their shared hometown. "He's one of those guys where you can't really tell he's an NHL player if you just met him on the street with how humble he is," Lawrence said.
The Table Looks Different
TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button projected Lawrence going No. 8 to the Winnipeg Jets in his mock draft. For a Canadian-born player, the idea holds obvious appeal. "Getting to stay in Canada, play in your home country and being able to have that support would be awesome," Lawrence said.
Now he watches Nick Suzuki and Macklin Celebrini for their two-hundred-foot games—the kind of detailed, leader-driven style he wants to bring himself. "They both help out their linemates," Lawrence said. "They see the ice really well."
Lawrence hopes to inspire the next generation from the Maritimes the way Crosby once inspired him. It's a long way from Fredericton rinks to the NHL, but the path ahead looks less lonely with every kid watching.