Sid has a Cup memory

Pens star Crosby recalls 1993 series

DETROIT -- When you are 20 years of age, like Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, your memories of previous Stanley Cup finals go back only so far. Crosby is a student of the game and can remember back to when he was just 5.

"When Montreal won in '93, that's probably my first memory," Crosby said Saturday. "They were my favorite team growing up. I remember seeing them lift the Cup. That's probably my first memory."

He recalled another moment etched in his mind when Carolina's Doug Weight fought off injury in 2006 to raise the trophy for the first time.

"He was lifting the Stanley Cup with a separated shoulder," Crosby said. "He could barely get it over his head."

DRAPER'S DAY: Red Wings center Kris Draper had a Saturday unlike any other. The veteran of 16 NHL seasons, 12 with Detroit, had a birthday, brought home a baby girl, and played in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. Draper's daughter Kamryn was born Thursday, and she joined new brother Kienan and sister Kennedi.

DUMPING IT IN: The Pittsburgh Penguins are unfamiliar visitors to Joe Louis Arena, but the Eastern Conference champions discovered something there that could come in handy. During drills Saturday morning, the Penguins practiced dumping pucks into the offensive zones at both ends of the 28-year-old arena. Pucks that sailed wide of the net often jumped quickly back in front off the end boards.

CHELIOS, ROBERTS SIT: Two of the oldest players on the ice, Pittsburgh's Gary Roberts and Detroit's Chris Chelios, did not play in game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals Saturday night.

BETTMAN SPEAKS: The NHL plans to take a "good look" at the issue of goaltenders' equipment during the offseason, league commissioner Gary Bettman said Saturday. Bettman said he hopes changes can be made.

* The commissioner also said every team in the league will play all the others at least once next season. That means Cup finalists Pittsburgh and Detroit will play during the 2008-09 regular season, something that did not happen this season.

* He spoke about the controversy over the Red Wings hosting Game 1 the same night the Detroit Pistons were playing the Boston Celtics at home in Game 3 of the NBA's Eastern Conference finals.

Criticism of the NHL in the matter has been "unrealistic and unfair," Bettman said, citing the NBA's admission that it decides on its conference final schedule far in advance.

* He expects the league to again kick off its regular-season schedule in Europe with games in Stockholm, Sweden, and Prague, Czech Republic. And an announcement will be forthcoming on the participants and venue for the second Winter Classic outdoor game, he said.

The Penguins and Sabres played a game in snowy Buffalo on New Year's Day that proved to be a ratings success.