what makes me so emotional about how sid sees geno, and how big of a language barrier they were dealing with, is how all of these quotes prove how observant sid is about geno specifically.

because he's shown that he understands geno beyond the 'american' persona of just cracking jokes in broken english and being top tier on the ice, which is still how many people see him, actually understanding him without being able to communicate properly initially... which really is special idk how to describe it? there's some cellular level of connection between them.

when geno had that rough season in 2019 when everyone was on his case, he talked to rossi about how lonely it gets for him cuz he's not open about his feelings at all and apparently caused fights between him and anna. sid in that big piece that came out 2 years later saying again that geno's got a lot of pride and him emphasizing on needing to get to know him as a person to be able to tell how he's feeling and now geno saying that understanding sid had of him saved him post sochi....

this is getting super long im sorry 😭 but i cant deal with how consistenly sids been in geno's corner, like he wont listen to or entertain a lick of criticism against him even if geno's the one being critical of himself. like they really do love each other oh my god

In Moscow, Evgeni Malkin opens up about his lost season, lonliness and NHL future

Fifteen years, 3 Stanley Cups and a brotherhood: Inside Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin’s powerful, quiet friendship

"But the more we've gotten to know each other over the years, the more open we've learned to become. [...] I think it's just a good, healthy relationship."

do they know they are one another's most important and successful adult relationship?

thank you for making me revisit these articles today, and i'm sorry in advance for how sappy this and the events of last night have made me.

we don't give sid enough credit (in fic or otherwise) for how thoughtful and emotionally attuned he is. geno is so loud and emotional in his support and praise for sid, maybe it's easy for sid's quietly firm support of geno to get lost or downplayed. until he comes out with his "i remember watching you in latvia" wedding vows and last night's recommitment ceremony speech.

he will do insane acrobatics to avoid telling the media a single personal factoid, but he will—without hesitation and sometimes unprompted—tell you exactly what evgeni malkin means not only to the penguins franchise as a player, their team as a leader, but to himself personally.

they have committed themselves to each other loudly, publicly, belligerently again and again for the last nineteen years. it's so special. i can't get over it. the love and respect and pride and affection they have for one another is unlike anything i've ever seen.

we're so lucky to have them. we're so lucky they fought so hard to be here, together, for nineteen years.

i get sad sometimes thinking about all the years i missed, but i'm so lucky. i'm so lucky to watch them for any amount of time. what a joy it is to watch them love each other.