The IIHF Men’s Hockey Championships are underway and things are getting wild. In the most recent faceoff between Canada and Latvia, where Canada ended up knocking their opponents out 7-1, Sidney Crosby not only blew his top but also blew the top off of Latvia’s Martins Dzierkals, the former Maple Leafs draft pick.
So, what happened?
When the game was stopped, Dzierkals was seen getting in Crosby’s face around the Latvian net and trying to start something. Crosby responded with a single jab to the face, after which Dzierkals came back with another, causing Crosby to respond with the viral helmet jab that caused Dzierkals’ helmet to fly off his head and back onto the ice.
We got bad ass Sidney Crosby at World’s punching guys buckets off pic.twitter.com/ghY4cs9s3B
— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) May 11, 2025
Now, considering Crosby isn’t particularly known as an aggressive player, this moment has left fans a little stunned. Whether Crosby was aiming to teach the youngster a lesson or simply unleashing the sting of Pittsburgh’s shocking early playoff ouster at the hands of a Cinderella squad remains open to interpretation. The 37-year-old legend also has nothing to prove against Latvia, considering he won 2 Olympic gold medals with Team Canada and Latvia has never won an Olympic medal! All in all, the fans are divided.
Fan reactions to Sidney Crosby knocking the helmet off opponent’s head
One fan credited Crosby’s outburst to the general Pittsburgh Penguins culture, saying, “This is what playing on the penguins does to a man.” The Penguins have been known to be aggressive in the past, especially under coach Dan Bylsma during the 2009 Stanley Cup run, the aftermath of which is maybe finally catching up with Crosby.
This next one is likely a comment on Crosby’s international tournament dominance, with a fan saying, “Crosby has been bullying smaller countries for decades now.” The only difference now is Crosby’s brought the bullying down to the micro level, getting real thorough with his work!
Another fan took a dig at Latvia’s poor hockey prowess while commending Crosby, who is considered one of the NHL G.O.A.T.S. and who has surpassed a number of Gretzky’s records, including the most consecutive seasons averaging a point per game: “One day, that Latvian player will be able to tell his grandchildren, ‘I was punched in the face by the great Sydney Crosby.’” The fan said, adding a humorous twist to the painful situation.
Yet another fan commented on Crosby’s age, a factor that comes up often, considering he never seems to slow down. The 37-year-old only seems to be getting better and also, apparently, a bit more rough and tough, which is probably why the fan wrote, “He’s getting nasty in his older age.”
Finally, however, someone asked the question that needed to be asked, “What kind of an a hole do you have to be to get Sid to want to punch you in the head?” For all the things Sidney Crosby is known for, he isn’t known for being an aggressive player and from the viral video, it seems like Dzierkals really pushed him to the point of sending that helmet flying! One can only speculate as to why.
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