Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo shared a story about an on-ice clash with Sidney Crosby early in the Penguins captain’s career. The game took place on December 29, 2006, at Mellon Arena, a venue Colaiacovo said he never enjoyed playing in."I’ve told you how much I hated playing Mellon Arena," Colaiacovo said on Wednesday, via TSN's "First Up." "I would know going in that I would leave the night with a stat of minus two, minus three, minus four," he said.He explained that the incident started with a battle in the corner."We were competing for a puck, and I was trying to box him out and pin him up against the boards," Colaiacovo said. "He just kept throwing elbows at me."After that, Crosby rolled off him and slashed him behind the legs."Next thing you know, my wires crossed," Colaiacovo said. "I chase him to the front of the net, and I just whack him with two hands right behind the knee."Crosby went down, the referee called a penalty and Pittsburgh scored on the power play. Colaiacovo said then-Leafs coach Paul Maurice spoke to him during the intermission."Carl, that’s Sidney Crosby you’re playing against," Colaiacovo said. "You can’t be doing that stuff against Sidney Crosby. You’re going to be out of the lineup."Colaiacovo responded and asked him if he saw what happened."Did you see the elbows the guy threw at me?" Colaiacovo said. "He slashed me first."However, he admitted that it was a mistake from him."You got to know against Crosby, he was always going to get the upper hand," Colaiacovo said. "It was just a dumb mistake by me."For Colaiacovo, that night was a learning moment about how difficult it was to win battles against a player like Crosby.Kyle Dubas dismisses Sidney Crosby trade rumorsPittsburgh Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas spoke about the trade rumors involving Sidney Crosby on Tuesday. He said the speculation has become “its own subgenre of hockey journalism,” and that addressing it would only make it grow.Dubas praised Crosby’s commitment to the team."Everything he does is relentlessly focused on getting the best out of the Pittsburgh Penguins and out of himself,” Dubas said, via the "Cam and Strick Podcast."Crosby is coming off his 20th NHL season, all with the Penguins since being drafted No. 1 in 2005. In 2024-25, he recorded 33 goals and 58 assists for 91 points, leading the team despite missing the playoffs for the third straight year. Over 1,352 games, he has 1,687 points and remains one of the league’s most consistent players.