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Tweet PITTSBURGH -- He stood at center ice, which was really the center of the Buffalo Bills football field. Michael Crabtree Jersey . It might as well have been the center of the hockey world for that one moment in time. More than 71,000 freezing, snow-covered, screaming fans had their eyes on him. This was the moment. This was his moment. Sidney Crosby at the inaugural NHL Winter Classic with a blizzard in the background, the puck on his stick, the game in his control. Not even HBO could have scripted this. Amp Energy NHL Winter Classic 2008 (Getty Images) Amp Energy NHL Winter Classic 2008 (Getty Images) So what was he thinking, at that moment, on that memorable afternoon in Orchard Park, N.Y.? "Believe it or not, just find a way to control the puck, because I couldnt see it when I was going down," Crosby said, barely struggling to go back in time to talk about the memory he created on Jan. 1, 2008. "There was snow pouring over top of it and I just didnt want to lose it. There wasnt any question that I was going to shoot, but I just wanted to make sure I kept control and waited until the last second until I made my decision." His decision was to wait for Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller to make the first move. The goalie tried a poke check, but Crosby eluded it. He somehow saw the smallest of openings in Millers pads and used his forehand to tuck the puck right through. Penguins 2, Sabres 1. The NHL had its dream moment on its dream day. Crosby had his as well. This was arguably the first defining national moment in No. 87s career. He was 20 years old. "Maybe it was the start of something special," Crosbys teammate and dressing room neighbor, Maxime Talbot, told NHL.com. "He definitely scored a lot of game-winning goals before that, but this one was really special. It was in front of a big crowd, a big TV audience, so it was like, OK, hes meant for these special occasions. " Crosby, of course, doesnt see it like that, or at least doesnt publicly talk about it that way. Hes too humble to notice that his type of greatness is in fact meant for moments such as the one at Ralph Wilson Stadium, or in overtime of the gold-medal game in the Winter Olympics. As Talbot pointed out, standing at center ice in that moment at the Winter Classic with that atmosphere surrounding him probably didnt affect Crosby at all. "You know what, I think he was just like, I want the two points, " Talbot said. "Knowing him … obviously Sid always has things to prove if he wants to be the best player in the world, but I think in his own head there was no crowd and no special moment, he just wanted the win. He wanted the puck and he wanted to be the guy, but thats what winners do, and thats what he did." Crosby isnt a robot, though. He used to dream about being in those types of moments when he was firing pucks at the family dryer in the basement of his parents home in Cole Harbour, N.S. "But I dont think you ever think thats automatic or youre going to get that chance because it doesnt always happen that way," he said. "If it does work out that way you want to make the most of the opportunities. I happened to shoot third." How appropriate. Michel Therrien, then the Penguins coach, chose Erik Christensen and Kris Letang to go ahead of Crosby in the snowy shootout. Maybe he had a crystal ball. Maybe he was just playing the percentages of having his best shooter go in what could wind up being the victory round. Christensen missed. Letang scored, but that only tied the shootout because Ales Kotalik had already converted for Buffalo in the first round. Ty Conklin stopped Maxim Afinogenov in the top half of the third round, so it was indeed up to Crosby. He could have missed or Miller could have stopped him to send the shootout into a sudden death, but cmon, did anyone really think Crosby wasnt going to step up and turn the moment into a made-for-TV special? "My goal was to get inside the hash marks just controlling it," Crosby said. "I saw guys go before and you could see the snow, but when I started to go the front part of the red line to the blue line, I was like, Wow, this is tough, so just hold onto the puck and make your move at the last second. " He waited, made his move and he scored. Crosby curled around and headed toward his teammates piling over the boards. The Winter Classic had its iconic frozen-in-time moment. "He was part of a perfect scenario for hockey," Talbot said. "Thats why he is a special player." Follow Dan Rosen on Twitter at: @drosennhl Justin Smith Super Bowl Jersey . When the Silver Fox was hired as interim general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs in January, he said his goal was to "set the table" for the man who would permanently hold down the job after him. Eli Manning Jersey . The Canadiens will assign MacIntyre to the AHLs Hamilton Bulldogs. The 27-year-old MacIntyre posted a 12-5-1 record with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage in 20 games with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL this season. Authentic Mario Manningham Jersey . Related readings:  DPRK Premier to visit China  DPRK reopens border for S Korean visitors  DPRK troops on standby for war  DPRK ends parliamentary election A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry accused the United States and South Korea of posing threat to the country by staging the DPRK-targeted war drills, when answering questions of the official KCNA news agency. Josh Morgan jersey . Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu made the comment at a regular press conference here. Related readings: ROK mourns sailors killed on sunk warship S Korean warship sinking caused by external explosion DPRK rejects involvement in sinking of ROK warship She said China had noted that the Republic of Korea (ROK) said it would carry out an investigation into the issue. Kenny Phillips Authentic Jersey . Also, Roughnecks goaltender Chris Levis was traded to the Colorado Mammoth for a second round pick in the 2011 NLL Entry Draft. Levis spent four games in the 2010 season with the Roughnecks after being acquired from the Edmonton Rush. Tweet The initial stage of projecting which draft-eligible prospects are considered to be future NHL stars was accomplished Tuesday when NHL Central Scouting released its preliminary rankings for the top levels of North American junior hockey. "This is our first list in which we assign numbers to players and are forced to get off the fence and decide who is No. 1 and No. 2, No. 17 and No. 18," Director of Central Scouting E.J. McGuire told NHL.com. "Theres a little bit of fun pressure involved, but the purpose of these lists hasnt changed. Were out to serve the 30 NHL teams. And as much as this process has evolved into a news event, were not trying to make that much of a splash. Weve also put the disclaimer out that our mid-term release (Jan. 10) and even this list, is subject to refinement." Central Scouting ranked the top 25 skaters and top goaltenders for each of the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Western Hockey League and United States Hockey League, which includes the United States National Team Development Program. 2011 DRAFT PRELIMINARY RANKINGS North American prospects (sorted by league) European prospects (sorted by country) One of the more intriguing storylines heading into the 2011 Entry Draft on June 24 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., is the fact quite a few players from the QMJHL could be tabbed early in the opening round. "Its going to be a better year than the past couple, but Ive seen some of the kids in Ontario and theyre looking pretty good, too," Central Scoutings Chris Bordeleau, who scouts the QMJHL, told NHL.com. "We cant get too overly excited. Im kind of prudent, because its happened before. I dont want to get too excited too early, but the top 15 players out of the Q are looking all decent." Topping that list is Drummondville Voltigeurs forward Sean Couturier, who could be the first pick. Couturier led the QMJHL in scoring last season with 96 points, becoming the first 17-year-old to do so since Sidney Crosby of Rimouski Oceanic in 2004-05. Couturier represented Canada at the 2010 World Under-18 Championship and participated in Canadas World Junior Evaluation Camp in Newfoundland in August as one of only two 18-year-olds (defenseman Nathan Beaulieu of Saint John the other) in attendance. Couturier, who also is lauded for his two-way skill, has 14 goals, 34 points and a 56.0-percent success rate on faceoffs in 26 games this season. There are five players from the Saint John Sea Dogs rated among the top 10, including No. 2 center Jonathan Huberdeau, No. 3 Beaulieu, No. 6 right wing Tomas Jurco, No. 9 center Scott Oke and No. 10 left wing Ryan Tesink. Jurco and Huberdeau play on the Sea Dogs top line with center Zack Phillips, who is No. 11 on Central Scoutings list. Huberdeau leads the team with 15 goals, 30 points and a plus-26 rating in 23 games this season. "I can put Jonathan on the ice in any situation … the last minute of a game when were behind by a goal or ahead by a goal," Sea Dogs coach Gerard Gallant said of Huberdeau, who can play center and wing. "He comes to play every time. His vision is outstanding, he has great puck skills and I think hes the complete package." "Theres a little bit of fun pressure involved, but the purpose of these lists hasnt changed. Were out to serve the 30 NHL teams. And as much as this process has evolved into a news event, were not trying to make that much of a splash. Weve also put the disclaimer out that our mid-term release (Jan. 10) and even this list, is subject to refinement." -- NHL Central Scouting Director E.J. McGuire Its been said that Christopher Gibson, the top-rated goalie in the QMJHL, has the potential to be the finest at his position coming out of the league since Marc-Andre Fleury (Cape Breton) and Jonathan Bernier (Lewiston). In his second season with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, Gibson (7-6-3) ranks second in the league with a 2.20 goals-against average and first with a .928 save percentage. Leading the way among the OHL contingent is Kitchener Rangers captain Gabriel Landeskog, who has 16 goals and 29 points this season. Landeskog is the second European-born and -trained player to captain an OHL team -- Slovakias Tomas Marcinko (Islanders, fourth round, 2006) captained the Barrie Colts in 2007-08. Landeskog is joined on the OHL list by a couple of teammates -- No. 6 Tobias Rieder (14 assists, 23 points) and No. 8 Ryan Murphy (10 goals, 31 points). Additionally, goalie Michael Morrison (5-1-0, 2.71 GAA, .900 save percentage) is No. 4 among OHL goalies. Landeskog, who competed for Sweden at the 2009 World Under-18 Championship and was selected to compete in the Under-20 Four Nations Tournament in Finland, enjoys watching how a few of the NHLs big hitters consistently get it done. "I try and pattern my game like Jarome Iginla (of Calgary) and Mike Richards (of Philadelphia)," Landeskog told NHL.com. "Theyre kind of my role models. I look a lot like how they play, and I want to be a leader like they are for their teams." As the No. 2-rated player on the OHL list, Pennsylvania native Brandon Saad of the Saginaw Spirit could be the first U.S.-born player off the Draft board in June. Saad spent one season with the U.S. National Team Development Program, leading the club with 29 goals and 58 points in 63 games last season. In his first season with the Spirit, he has 12 goals, including 7 on the power play, and 23 points in 20 games. Saads teammate in Saginaw, No. 5 Vincent Trocheck, also was born in Pennsylvania. He has 10 goals and 22 points in 21 games for the Spirit this season. "Brandon has very good speed and agility and that makes him dangerous," Central Scoutings Chris Edwards told NHL.com. "Hes solid on his skates and fights through checks very well. He plays a solid two-way game and is very responsible defensively. It is early in the year, but at this point, I think Brandon will hear his name called early on Friday night in Minnesota (at the Entry Draft)." The highest-rated OHL defenseman is No. 3 Dougie Hamilton of the Niagara IceDogs. Owen Sound goalie Jordan Binnington, the top-rated goalie in the OHL, is 5-2-1 with a 3.51 GAA and .836 save percentage in eight games. Binnington is competingg with New York Rangers 2009 draft pick Scott Stajcer for playing time. Authentic Vernon Davis Jersey. Electrifying center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Red Deer Rebels tops the list of players from the WHL. As a rookie last season, Nugent-Hopkins finished second on his team in scoring with 65 points, including 24 goals, in 67 games to earn WHLs Rookie of Year Award and help the Rebels reach the playoffs for the first time in three years. He hasnt slowed down this season, totaling 5 goals and 25 points in 22 games. The best of NCAA hockey A pair of players from Boston University and two more from the University of Wisconsin highlight a group of seven players chosen from the NCAA as potential first or second-round draft picks in June. Forwards Matthew Nieto of Boston University, Michael Mersch of Wisconsin and Nicholas Shore of Denver and defensemen Adam Clendening of Boston University, Jamieson Oleksiak of Northeastern, Frankie Simonelli of Wisconsin and Dillon Simpson of North Dakota each were given an A rating by NHL Central Scouting on its NCAA Players to Watch list. Nieto, who sees a ton of ice time at even strength, power play and penalty killing at BU, finished tied for third in scoring with 54 points (28 goals) in 61 games last season with the U.S. National Team Development Program. The Long Beach, Calif., native got his start in roller hockey when he was 3 years old at the local YMCA alongside 2010 Anaheim Ducks first-round draft pick Emerson Etem, and played for the Salisbury School in Connecticut in 2007-08 before jumping to the USNTDP. Clendening, an offensive-defenseman, helped the United States win back-to-back gold medals at the World Under-18 Championship in 2009 and 10. The 5-foot-11 1/4, 190-pound blueliner had 13 goals and 32 assists in 63 games for the USNTDP in 2009-10. Shore joins his older brother, sophomore Drew (a 2009 second-round pick of the Panthers) at Denver this season. Nicholas Shore, regarded as a two-way center, returned to the Pioneers lineup Nov. 12 after missing nine games with a broken right wrist. The Shore brothers were the first set of siblings to play for the USNTDP at the same time, in 2008-09. Another Shore brother, Quentin, currently is starring for the USNTDPs Under-17 team. -- Mike G. Morreale "The goals arent coming too easy for me right now, but Im really working on bearing down in practice on scoring," Nugent-Hopkins told NHL.com. "Im also working on my shot after practice whenever I can so I can start putting the puck in the net. Its kind of frustrating that Im not scoring because I would like to be helping my team out in that way a little bit more." Despite the lack of goal production, Center Scoutings B.J. MacDonald likes what he sees in Nugent-Hopkins. "This guy has very good puck-handling capabilities," he said. "His on-ice awareness is very good. Hes one of those guys that knows where everyone is and where they should be and where the puck should go." The Brandon Wheat Kings Liam Liston is the WHLs top-rated goaltender. Hes 8-5-1 with a 2.85 GAA and .909 save percentage in 15 games. "Liam has excellent net coverage and good overall quickness," Central Scoutings Al Jensen told NHL.com. "Hes strong in his crease and possesses strong legs for lateral pushes. He has a very good butterfly style and continues to get better." Tyler Biggs, a forward with the U.S. National Team Development Programs Under-18 team, is the top-rated U.S. junior skater. The 6-2, 210-pound right wing, who will attend Miami (Ohio) University next fall, has 4 goals, 5 points and 54 penalty minutes in 13 games this season. Biggs father, Don, enjoyed a 16-season professional career, including NHL stints with the Minnesota North Stars and Philadelphia Flyers. "Hes a big, strong kid and is an extreme character player," USNTDP U-18 coach Ron Rolston said of Biggs. "He skates well and is physical and tough. He shoots and attacks the net well with or without the puck. Hes certainly someone on our team whos a physical presence, and he makes room for a lot of our skilled players." Players from the USNTDP account for five of the top seven players from the USHL. They include forwards Jonathan Miller (No. 2), Rocco Grimaldi (No. 5) and Adam Reid (No. 7), and defenseman Michael Paliotta (No. 6). The top-rated non-USNTDP skater is Omahas Seth Ambroz, who comes in at No. 3. The New Prague, Minn., native recently played a key role in the gold-medal winning effort of the U.S. team at the 2010 World Junior A Challenge, scoring 2 goals and 5 points in four games. Jensen was impressed with Ambrozs play during the USHL Fall Classic in September. The 6-2, 211-pound power forward had 5 goals (4 power-play goals), 6 points and a plus-1 rating while taking 17 shots in five games. "Hes a John Tonelli-type player, very strong," said Jensen, comparing Ambroz to the left wing from the New York Islanders championship teams. "Ive seen him run over players along the boards to get by them. He competes very hard and has good hands and puck skills. He has a strong skating stride -- not lightning speed, but very effective and strong. He has a good, hard wrist shot and is responsible in his own end." The U.S. World Junior A Team featured 22 players from the USHL. Youngstown Phantoms defenseman Scott Mayfield, who was named tournament MVP, has 3 points and 50 penalty minutes in 10 games this season. Said Central Scoutings Gary Eggleston: "Scott plays the body well and is physical but not in an overly rambunctious way. He can close off the forechecker up high and is controlled, poised and calm in his play. He plays like a seasoned veteran. Scott has a smooth, strong and effortless stride, his passes are crisp and he sees the ice well. He has a very good wrist shot and controls the play from the point on the power play." The top-rated USHL goalie is the USNTDPs John Gibson, who is 3-4-1 with a 3.33 GAA and .906 save percentage in nine games. "John is similar in style to Liston," Jensen said. "He has good net coverage, good size and is great on his angles. He looks big in his initial set up and while in butterfly … hes not flashy but confident and is always focused. Hes controlled in his movements, strong in his crease and smart at reading plays." Follow Mike Morreale on Twitter at: @mike_morreale ' ' '