Sidney Crosby clears the air on reports of flying in to meet with Kyle Dubas during Pittsburgh visit

In a recent interview with Elliotte Friedman on the "32 Thoughts" podcast, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby addressed the rumors surrounding his meeting with former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas.

Crosby provided clarity on the situation, setting the record straight on the nature of their encounter. When asked about the meeting, Crosby said:

"No. So what happened was, he was coming to visit and I had just got back from vacation. It just happened that I was coming back into town for 1-2 days before leaving again and they'd said that he was going to practice rink. So I just happened to be there at the same time and had the opportunity to meet him. It was really last minute. I didn't fly in."

Sidney Crosby pointed out that the meeting was not premeditated, dispelling the notion that he had flown in to meet with Dubas.

He continued:

"The way it worked out was perfect - I was literally home for like an hour, and it worked out really well. Met him, said hi, at that point, nothing was for sure. I think he was just trying to check things out, lay the land and take a look. It was far from being permanent, it just worked out well. It was nice to get a chance to talk to him, and I did not know at that point, but I was glad I had the opportunity to meet him."

Kyle Dubas was hired by the Penguins earlier this year

The meeting between Kyle Dubas and Sidney Crosby drew attention earlier in 2023 when Dubas, after being relieved of his Maple Leafs GM responsibilities, interviewed for the Penguins.

Later it was announced by the Penguins that Dubas had become their president of hockey operations. Dubas also decided not to hire a GM and instead took that responsibility on himself.