Crosby's missing Olympics gear found

TORONTO, March 10 (UPI) -- Gear used by Sidney Crosby when he scored the gold medal-winning goal for Team Canada, missing since the Vancouver Olympics, has been found, officials say.

Crosby's historic Reebok stick and hockey gloves, lost during the celebration following Team Canada's victory over Team USA in last month's championship game, have been located after Reebok officials offered $10,000 for their return, The New York Times reported.

The newspaper said Crosby's stick had mistakenly been included in a shipment headed to the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in St. Petersburg, Russia. A Team Canada official reportedly flew to Toronto to intercept the shipment, took pictures of the stick and sent them to Crosby, who identified it through personal markings.

The Times said one of Crosby's gloves was recovered at Canada Hockey Place in Vancouver the day after the gold medal game. But the other wasn't located until Tuesday when it was determined it had been mistakenly packed into the Olympics equipment bag of Crosby's Team Canada teammate, Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron.

"These items are irreplaceable, and I'm happy to have them back," Crosby said in a statement Wednesday.