NHL's Sidney Crosby Takes Ownership Stake In Swiss Watch Firm Norqain
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has taken an ownership stake in the Swiss watchmaking ... More company Norqain.
A lasting connection to a former teammate has led Sidney Crosby to an ownership stake in the Swiss watchmaking company, Norqain. On Wednesday, the company announced that Crosby has joined the independent, family-owned business as a shareholder and business partner.
'The discussions picked up last summer, quite quickly,' said Norqain founder and CEO Ben Kuffer. 'I could tell he really liked the brand and the whole 'my life, my way' actually meant something. I think the key moment for me, when I realized this is something special, is when Sid said that, post-career, he could imagine being on the board or being involved in Norqain. He wants to really be part of the business.'
Crosby's ties to Norqain run through former Swiss national team captain Mark Streit, who blazed a trail for his countrymen in 2006 when he became the first Swiss-born skater to become an NHL regular. Nearly 800 games later, at age 39, the defenseman was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the 2017 trade deadline — just in time to join Crosby on a run to the Stanley Cup.
Captain Sidney Crosby and Mark Streit of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrate their Stanley Cup win in ... More 2017. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
'I'm an older guy, but he took me under his wing a little bit in Pittsburgh,' Streit said. 'I went for lunch with him and dinner. We hung out a lot, and it was a incredible experience.'
When Streit returned to Switzerland following his retirement, he and countryman Roman Josi, the Nashville Predators captain and top Swiss-born NHL player in history, hatched a plan to enter one of their nation's most hallowed traditions, watchmaking.
With their friend Kuffer on board as an industry expert, Norqain was founded in 2018. Almost immediately, the hockey world was introduced to the innovative brand when participants at the 2019 NHL All-Star Game were gifted with Norqain watches.
'I've been wearing Norqain watches and following the brand since its first appearance at the All-Star Game in San Jose in 2019,' Crosby said as the partnership was announced on Wednesday. 'The brand has been growing incredibly fast around the world since then, and I'm really excited to join and support its further development while teaming up with Mark again. I am excited to work with Norqain and see what we can do together moving forward.'
Norqain founder and CEO Ben Kuffer. (Photo by Jun Sato/WireImage)
At that All-Star Game, Crosby also went home with Kuffer's own watch after expressing his appreciation for the design.
'Thanks to Mark, we met with him, and we had a great talk,' Kuffer said. "Eventually, he said to me, 'Hey, I love my watch and but that's a nice one too. It's a totally different style.' It was the Freedom 60 Chrono — more of a timeless design — and I was so proud, I just gave it to him and said, 'It would be my honor if you take it.'
'He did, and he's been wearing it since. I promised him I hadn't been wearing it more than a week because we'd just launched the brand. And he said he was happy, because it's the founder's watch.'
In their playing days, Crosby and Streit shared the same agent, Pat Brisson of CAA Hockey. After Streit's retirement, the pair stayed in touch.
'He loves Switzerland and he was always passionate about watches,' Streit said. 'He was really interested in the business — what we do and and the story behind it. He's a unique player and he's an intelligent guy. He's asking about the economy, and you can talk to him about so many different things. That's why for us, it's great to have him on board.'
Sidney Crosby celebrates with Team Canada at the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off Championship Game on Feb. ... More 20, 2025. (Photo by)
On the ice, Crosby has established himself as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. He has racked up an incredible list of achievements including three Stanley Cups, two Hart Trophies, two scoring titles and two playoff MVP awards. This season, at age 37, he became the first player in NHL history to record 20 seasons with at least a point per game and captained Team Canada to victory at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Internationally, he has two Olympic gold medals, scored the famous 'Golden Goal' to give Canada the win over the U.S. in Vancouver in 2010, served as captain in 2014 and at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, and is one of just 30 players in the IIHF's Triple Gold Club.
His Penguins have fallen on rough times and will miss the playoffs this spring for the third-straight year, but Crosby remains at the top of his game. And while he has made an estimated $150 million in salary in his career, he left money on the table when he agreed to a two-year extension that will take effect next season at a cap hit of $8.7 million a year. That's a nod to his jersey number, 87, his birth year, 1987, and his birth date, August 7th. It's also the same cap hit that he's carried since his fourth year in the league, 2008-09.
Crosby's signature combination of high standards and humility aligns well with Norqain's values and identity.
'We're an ambitious company,' Kuffer said. 'But I would always like to retain the core values that we've had as a startup. We're humble. We're Swiss. We're family. I think it's a perfect addition to our team.'
Watch for Sidney Crosby to be featured in Norqain activations across Canada and the United States.
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