PITTSBURGH - John LeClair took a break and watched whenever he wasn't in a drill. So did Mark Recchi. Mario Lemieux, not accustomed to being only the second-most visible player during a Pittsburgh Penguins practice, took an extra peek or two himself.

All eyes were on prospect nonpareil Sidney Crosby at the Penguins' first training camp practice Wednesday, including those of his much older and more accomplished teammates.

For good reason, too - if the Penguins are transform themselves from the NHL's worst team in 2003-04 into a Stanley Cup contender, they understand that Crosby must play a major role.

That's why Lemieux, Recchi and LeClair, with a combined 1,521 goals among them, are excited about playing alongside an 18-year-old who has yet to play in a NHL game or score a goal.

LeClair, 36, signed with the Penguins last month because he wants to win the Cup before he retires, and thinks getting Crosby greatly increases their chances of doing so.

"I think he can be a superstar," said LeClair, who's scheduled to skate on a line with Recchi and Crosby during a training camp game Thursday. "Everybody is watching him, but he handles it so well. It's tough when everyone is watching you on every shift ... but he's very mature for his age."

Crosby was "a little nervous" when he stepped onto the Mellon Arena ice, but quickly became involved in the skating and shooting drills. He wasn't wearing his already recognizable No. 87 - he's No. 12 in this camp, just as Lemieux is No. 16 rather than No. 66 - but he did wear a protective visor.

He plans to keep wearing it during practices and games, saying Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman's serious eye injury during the 2004 playoffs convinced him he should wear it.

There were numerous No. 87 jerseys in the stands among the 1,000 to 1,500 spectators, an exceptional turnout for a morning workout that the fans knew would not contain any scrimmaging. That didn't surprise Pat Brisson, Crosby's Los Angeles-based agent who has been in town for a week.

Brisson said more than 16,000 Crosby jerseys have been sold by Reebok, or nearly twice as many as those for most stars in an entire season. One reason is there's already a huge Crosby fan base in his native Canada, where Brisson estimates he might be the country's most popular athlete.

Before Crosby arrived for camp, he signed five major endorsement deals in Canada and two in the United States, Reebok and Gatorade. He's also pictured in this month's Vanity Fair magazine, and will be featured in the November issue of GQ magazine.

"I probably get 15 to 20 calls a day about him," Brisson said. "But I won't be bothering him every two hours about something. ... It's not his priority now that camp has started. It's important he's allowed to be an 18-year-old kid."

Even if he is an exceptionally rich 18-year-old. Crosby is aware of all that's swirling around him - "I've had a lot of media for a few years now," he said - but he said he is focused on hockey and nothing else.

As for the endorsements and photo shoots, he said, "That's not what I'm thinking about when I get up in the morning."

He did allow himself one afternoon of relaxation after arriving last week, attending the Steelers' season opener Sunday at Heinz Field with Lemieux and Brisson, among others. They sat in the stands for the first half - Brisson was surprised at how polite the fans were by not repeatedly pestering for autographs - but watched from the Pirates' private box during the second half.

And what most impressed Crosby at his first NFL game, besides the speed and physicality of the play and running back Willie Parker's 161 yards rushing?

"The tailgating," Brisson said. "It was like the Stanley Cup finals. But like Mario said, `That's the Steel Town, that's football."

Pittsburgh also became a hockey town after Lemieux arrived in 1984, and the owner-player thinks this team has more ability than even the 1991-92 Stanley Cup championship teams - that is, if Crosby is everything they expect him to be.

"It's a different mix of players, but we've got more talent this year," Lemieux said.