Mark Messier hands Sid the Kid the monthly NHL leadership award

In presenting the Pittsburgh Penguins star the NHL's monthly leadership award named after him, Mark Messier gushed about the 19-year-old. "I think it's clear to everyone that Sidney is becoming everything that he was billed as before he came into the league," Messier said with Crosby at his side. "He's really separated himself from the rest of the pack in the last month and a half."

Crosby, accepting the Mark Messier Leadership Award an hour before the all-star game, turned to Messier and said: "Thank you, I really look up to you."

"It means a lot," Crosby added to reporters. "He's the ultimate leader and a great role model."