As he turns 30 on Monday, Sidney Crosby will celebrate his third Stanley Cup win parading the cherished mug through the streets of the city where he鈥檚 been a star since he was five years old.

The Pittsburgh Penguins captain will take in the festivities knowing that after 12 years in the NHL, his place is already assured in the pantheon of the game鈥檚 greats and that he has fulfilled the promise that many saw in him from almost the first time he laced up a pair of skates.

In the tradition of Orr, Gretzky, Lemieux and now Connor McDavid, 鈥淪id the Kid,鈥� was a hockey prodigy.

鈥淗e was not only the best player I ever saw, but significantly the best player,鈥� said Brian Newton, a retired lawyer who coached a seven-year-old Crosby as a high-scoring centre on Cole Harbour鈥檚 Novice AAA Wings.

In a recent interview, Newton recalled his first brush with a five-year-old Crosby 鈥� it came after getting a phone call from Sidney鈥檚 father Troy.

Newton said the hockey season was about a month old when Troy Crosby asked that his son, who was playing Timbits hockey at the time, be moved up to play with the six-year-old group.

Knowing how some parents can be, Newton said he agreed to see whether the move should be made, but he asked Troy not to describe his son.

鈥淚 said 鈥榃ell no, if he鈥檚 this good a player I鈥檒l be able to pick him out,鈥欌�� said Newton.

Newton said shortly after the conversation he went to a Cole Harbour rink one Saturday morning.

鈥淚 just kind of hid myself from the parents and out these guys came and he just stuck out like a sore thumb,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淚t was just amazing 鈥� I鈥檇 never seen anyone with that skill level at five years of age.鈥�

Newton said he was 鈥渁mazed鈥� to watch the young Crosby control the puck as a gaggle of tiny players frantically tried to get it away from him.

Crosby was moved up with the six-year-olds and the next year he started playing rep, a level reserved for the best players in each age group.

Newton said at six and seven years of age, Crosby鈥檚 physical skills were clearly recognizable 鈥� as were other traits that often separate the great ones.

鈥淗e not only had the physical skills, but when I looked at him he had that inner quality, that desire, that drive and that followed Sidney right through minor hockey,鈥� he said.

There was also a 鈥渜uiet confidence鈥� Newton noted, that enabled him to possess the puck in the face of players who were often one to two years older than he was.

A trace of the trait was evident in one of Crosby鈥檚 very first media interviews.

鈥淭hey say you have to do your best and work hard and things will happen,鈥� he told the Halifax Daily 亚洲天堂 in a feature written in April 1995 when Crosby was seven.

鈥淵ou can make it if you try.鈥�

Crosby鈥檚 minor hockey dominance continued into peewee, where he announced his arrival on a much bigger stage, the Quebec International Peewee Tournament.

His coach then and current family friend, Paul Mason, said going into the tournament the media hype surrounded a local boy as the next 鈥渕ust-see鈥� player.

That all changed after Crosby scored six goals and four assists for Cole Harbour in his first tournament game.

鈥淲e compared him against the best in the world and he was the best,鈥� said Mason. 鈥淵ou knew at that point that you had someone here that was pretty special.鈥�

Mason said there were times he and the other coaches realized the best thing to do was to sit back and watch.

鈥淪ometimes you would just sit back and go, 鈥極h my God,鈥� and just look at each other 鈥� did he really do that?鈥� said Mason. 鈥淭here were several times that you did that during the year 鈥� he was that good.鈥�

Former CBC sports broadcaster Bruce Rainnie first heard the buzz about a young Crosby in 1995 and after initial skepticism, finally decided to check him out at the urging of legendary Halifax sports writer Pat Connolly.

Rainnie said an undersized Crosby recorded nine goals and two assists in a 13-9 Cole Harbour win over Shearwater.

鈥淚 thought if he develops into any sort of average to larger-sized athlete, this is going to be an NHL legend,鈥� Rainnie recalls. 鈥淎nd it was obvious from, honestly, the age of eight.鈥�

Crosby鈥檚 dominance in Nova Scotia lasted until the age of 14 when he left home to play at Shattuck-St. Mary鈥檚, a prep school in Minnesota. From there it was on to Rimouski in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and finally the NHL, where his numbers confirm his status as a future Hall of Famer:

鈥� 382 goals

鈥� 645 assists

鈥� Three Stanley Cups

鈥� Two Olympic Gold Medals

鈥� Two Hart Trophies as the NHL鈥檚 most valuable player

Through it all he鈥檚 remained very much the hometown boy. It鈥檚 something that鈥檚 endeared him to his fans and to those with a personal connection.

鈥淔ame and fortune I don鈥檛 think have really changed him very much at all,鈥� said Newton. 鈥淓verybody in Cole Harbour, they respect him so much because he always comes home, he鈥檚 always down to earth, he鈥檚 running his hockey school here and he鈥檚 still part of our community.鈥�

Halifax鈥檚 mayor recently announced that Crosby would be parade marshal of Monday鈥檚 annual Natal Day parade, with thousands expected to cheer a favourite son.

鈥淚 know he鈥檚 richer and I know he鈥檚 more famous,鈥� Rainnie said, 鈥渂ut his fundamental groundings have never changed.鈥�