LAS VEGAS — It was opening night of the 4 Nations Faceoff last February, and chants of “Crosby, Crosby” were reverberating throughout a rocking Bell Centre during a 4-3 overtime win over Sweden for Team Canada.

The love-in for Sidney Crosby was unforgettable.

Perhaps caught in the emotion in the moment, No. 87 let his guard down just a tad after the game when asked about being showered with love from the Montreal faithful.

“As someone who loves to play in environments like that — I grew up a Montreal Canadiens fan — to have an ovation like that here was really special and something I’ll always remember,” Crosby said on that February night.

I grew up a Montreal Canadiens fan.

In the context of the growing outside noise and speculation regarding his future with the Pittsburgh Penguins, I asked Crosby on Monday evening at the NHL Player Media Tour about that night in Montreal and whether there was any chance he was dropping any bread crumbs with that comment about growing up a Habs fan.

“I’ve said that a few times,” Crosby replied with a smile. But, no, he was not leaving bread crumbs.

But he’s aware, especially when he’s back home in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, where there are plenty of Canadiens fans, that is what the Montreal market is dreaming of these days: getting their hands on No. 87, somehow, some day.

“I get it,” Crosby said. “Trust me, growing up a Montreal fan and being from not too far from there, I understand how passionate they are. You know whether it’s those experiences or guys that I’ve played with that have played there, or playing there in the playoffs or 4 Nations — all these different things — I get it.

“I remember — I think it was my first or second year in the league — and I was in Montreal for a CCM thing in like June. And they were already projecting the lines for training camp in September. I was like, ‘This is wild. I’ve never heard anything like this. They’re so into it.’ And I get it why that would come up and that sort of thing (speculation). It doesn’t make it any easier when you’re losing to hear those things. But at the same time, to know that a team like that wants you, it’s not the end of the world. It could be worse (he smiled). Yeah, I think that’s just part of it.”

Sidney Crosby appreciated a huge ovation at the Bell Centre before the 4 Nations Face-Off. (Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)

I think when he said, “to know that a team like that wants you,” he meant the Habs fan base, but either way, he’s not wrong, because the current Canadiens front office absolutely would move heaven and earth to trade for Crosby if he and the Penguins ever indicated that was actually a possibility.

It may never be. Crosby may continue to see the most value in being a Penguin for life. That’s the likeliest outcome. But … as each losing season piles up in Pittsburgh, the possibility of him moving on does become more realistic — even if still a long shot.

Which is why speculation is growing.

“Well, it’s a reality,” his longtime agent, Pat Brisson of CAA Sports, told The Athletic on Monday night regarding the buzz generated by Pittsburgh’s lack of success. “First of all, he’s been so consistent for 20 years. He had another great year last season. He just keeps going. The comparison is Tom Brady. We want Sidney to hopefully be in the playoffs every year. We want him to hopefully win another Cup or two. So each year the team that he’s playing for fails to make the playoffs, it creates a lot of speculation. In reality, he’s not getting any younger. We’re here to support him. It’s the beginning of the season here. Let’s see how things are going. Hopefully they have a great season and the speculation will go away.”

“But at the same time, the reason we all talk about this is because he’s such a great player still,” added Brisson, who was hanging out with Crosby during his Player Media Tour stop Monday. “He continues to be such a difference maker. Like a Tom Brady, that’s how I look at it.”

And well, Tom Brady did leave the New England Patriots to go win a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So again, I asked Brisson, is it possible Crosby will entertain a trade out of Pittsburgh one day?

“I mean, I’m answering something that … let’s put it this way, it’s always a possibility, you know?” Brisson said. “It’s been three years they haven’t made the playoffs. It all depends on how Sid is going to be and how the team is going to do. I maintain the same position that I do believe that he should be playing playoff hockey every year. In my opinion.”

Again, let me stress this: Crosby for sure only sees himself as a Penguin for life. The question we are raising here, and his agent himself is speaking to — could that potentially change with another losing season?

Matt Larkin of Daily Faceoff asked Crosby during the Player Media Tour availability Monday night about his future with the Penguins in the context of the losing seasons the past few years and how difficult it is to deal with the speculation because of it.

“I mean, I understand it,” Crosby said. “It’s not something you want to discuss. You’d rather be talking about who we’re getting at the (trade) deadline or, you know, where we’re at as far as, are we one or two or three in the division? But you know, it’s one of those things. That’s the hard part about losing. I think everybody thinks that the buzzer goes and you lose a game and that sucks, but there’s so much more than that. It’s the (roster) turnover. It’s the unknown, the uncertainty, the question marks — that’s the stuff that’s tough. It makes you appreciate all those years that we were competing and going after the big acquisition every single trade deadline. I don’t think I took it for granted, but I definitely appreciate it that much more now.

“But it doesn’t change my approach. I still go out there trying to win every single game and try to be the best that I can be. I think that youth and having that energy around you isn’t a bad thing, either. We’ve got a lot of hungry guys, a lot of competition for spots. So I think you just try to find different things you can feed off of and still continue to learn through it.”

I reached out to Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas on the matter. Apprised of Crosby’s sensible comments, he replied:

“As Sidney says during his availability, our focus right now is on our younger players coming into camp with high hopes and the battles for roster spots that we have ahead of us. We have no control over speculation or the desires of other teams, markets or members of the media. Our focus is on returning the Pittsburgh Penguins to perennial contender status as urgently as possible. Taking away our focus from that task would only slow down from a job that requires our full attention and nothing less.”

Again, the reality is that this isn’t a Dubas decision if it ever comes to pass. It will be Crosby and Brisson at the wheel. And it’s not just Montreal. There’s Crosby’s good pal Nathan MacKinnon in Colorado, who no doubt would love to have No. 87 with him in Denver. I would imagine Brisson has gotten a fair number of nudge, nudge, wink, wink whispers from NHL teams this summer, wondering about Crosby’s intentions.

His intentions are clear right now on the eve of his 21st NHL season: get the Penguins back to respectability and in the playoff mix.

He’s won three Stanley Cups and two Olympic gold medals, and he’s going for more Olympic glory next February in Milan.

He also turned 38 this summer. He’s done it all. What still drives him?

Josh Clipperton of the Canadian Press asked Crosby that question as his media availability wrapped up Monday night.

“I still love it,” Crosby said. “Still able to compete in a game that’s getting faster and faster. I love an opportunity like 4 Nations to play for Canada — an opportunity to be part of the Olympic team, to see these guys up close and get to know them, just see what makes them as good as they are and get to know them on a personal basis. That’s a lot of fun, and that’s something we probably missed out on the last 10 years.

“All those things combined (drive me), but ultimately I love the game still, and I want to compete for as long as I can.”

(Photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)