NEWS ALERT: SIDNEY CROSBY NAMED MACLEAN'S NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR

TORONTO, Dec. 1 /CNW/ - How long does it take to be named Maclean's Newsmaker of the Year?  For Sidney Crosby, it took about four seconds-from the time he reached the puck, worked it back and forth with teammate Jarome Iginla, and finally shot it into the Team USA net. Crosby's gold-medal-winning overtime goal was the perfect ending to a tremendously successful 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.

Crosby's goal seemed to spring from the will of the millions of Canadians on our feet, watching. As challenging as 2010 has been-with its wars, natural disasters and political upheavals-"the Goal" resides on a higher plane, dwarfing among other things Crosby's other achievements, which include a Stanley Cup and a host of personal awards. Never one to dwell on his own accomplishments, the 23-year-old centre told Maclean's: "This was by far the best hockey I've ever seen, and to be in Canada, with a chance to win the gold medal, that's a dream."

Maclean's editor Mark Stevenson says: "There were several potential newsmakers this year, but no-one united Canadians in one spectacular moment like Crosby did. His goal defined the Games themselves-their success, and the pride Canadians had in showing off their country to the world."

Who's your pick for the 2010 Newsmaker of the Year?
Macleans.ca invites readers to cast their own ballots in the online poll at macleans.ca/newsmakers

Maclean's Newsmakers 2010 issue is on newsstands starting Dec. 2.

About Maclean's:  Maclean's is Canada's only national weekly current affairs magazine. Maclean's enlightens, engages and entertains 2.4 million readers with strong investigative reporting and exclusive stories from leading journalists in the fields of international affairs, social issues, national politics, business and culture. Visit www.macleans.ca

For further information:

Louise Leger 416-764-4125
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