Wayne Gretzky versus Mario Lemieux. Muhammad Ali versus Joe Frazier. Larry Bird versus Magic Johnson. The rivalry between Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin is still budding in comparison to the battles that existed between those legendary adversaries.

The feud that sizzles between the NHL’s two hottest stars and the two most anticipated hopefuls for the 2010 Olympic hockey tournament is but a few years old, but it has all the makings of a classic rivalry.

“I don’t think this rivalry has reached that level yet, but the buildup is certainly there,” said Darren Dreger, Hockey Insider for CTV and TSN. “It’s the body of the careers you have to consider, which aren’t quite there yet. We’re still a long way from determining which player is better, and we have a lot of hockey to watch them play, but it definitely has the potential to rival those traditional rivalries.”

In part 1 of the two-part, two-hour original special entitled Sid The Kid V. Alexander The Great airing Saturday, November 28 at 7 p.m. on CTV, fans get an inside look at the contrasting lives of the two players striving to lead their nations to men’s hockey gold at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The two have only been in the NHL since the 2005-06 season. The meetings between Ovechkin, the bombastic 24-year-old Russian star of the Washington Capitals, and Crosby, the quiet 22-year-old Canadian leader of the Pittsburgh Penguins, have been relatively few — but very memorable — in their still-young careers.

Internationally the two players have played in the same tournament three times, and Crosby’s Canadian team has been more successful than Ovechkin’s Russians all three times.

Crosby tallied six goals and three assists in the 2005 World Juniors as Canada beat Ovechkin’s Russian team in the gold medal game, culminating a seven-goal, four-assist tournament for Ovechkin, which won him the tournament’s Top Forward award.

Crosby’s Penguins eliminated Ovechkin’s Capitals in the 2009 playoffs after a thrilling seven-game series as he led Pittsburgh to the Stanley Cup. Crosby finished the series with 13 points, one fewer than Ovechkin. But the Penguins’ star left many calling him the better player — at least for the moment — after a prolific two-goal, one-assist outing to close the series.

To date in the NHL, Ovechkin is sitting with 17 goals and 10 assists after 19 games, and Crosby has 12 goals and 13 assists in 25 games played. This February on Olympic ice in Vancouver, an epic chapter of this rivalry may be about to unravel.

* – includes NHL, Playoffs and international games

“This is going to be a classic showdown,” said Dreger. “It’s almost like they are twins in their superstardom, but Ovechkin is definitely the evil twin.”

“Imagine Crosby putting on a wig and glasses like Ovechkin did during the All-Star game in Montreal. You can’t! He’s not bombastic and flamboyant off the ice. But Ovechkin is all of those things. Some are critical of Ovechkin because of that, but it’s hard to imagine the National Hockey League without him in it. But Crosby is traditional and chooses his words carefully.”

The two have traded barbs in the media and sharp stares during the limited time they have actually shared on the ice. Crosby once publicly said he doesn’t like the way Ovechkin outlandishly celebrates goals. Ovechkin responded by saying Crosby talks too much. But their talents aren’t lost on one another.

“There’s absolutely respect between them,” said Dreger. “Crosby isn’t blind. He can see how dynamic and game-breaking Ovechkin is.

“Ovechkin feels the same way about Crosby. These guys are league leaders and the face of the National Hockey League. They each go about their business very differently, but there’s nothing other than respect there.”

When it comes to Olympic hockey gold, no one player – even those with superstar-branded talent – will go it alone in Vancouver. Ovechkin and Crosby will be surrounded by more supporting cast talent than they have ever experienced. Ovechkin will be shoulder-to-shoulder with a sensational ensemble of Russian stars expected to include Evgeni Malkin and Ilya Kovalchuk . And with a stunning selection of Canadian centres, Crosby may not be asked to shoulder the monster-sized share of ice time that he probably could.

“At the top of the mountain in each country, there’s Crosby in Canada and Ovechkin in Russia,” said Dreger. “But Crosby is a character who will deflect some of that attention. He’ll look around the room and point to the superstars he’s surrounded by. He’ll say ‘it’s not about me.’”

“To an extent, Ovechkin will do the same. But as a hockey world, we’ll look at that amazing Russian team, and we’re still going to focus on Ovechkin. There will be more individual attention paid to Ovechkin.”

While both men show potential to lead their NHL teams to many Stanley Cups, an Olympic gold medal in 2010 would surely become a big part of the argument that someday attempts to settle who has been the more legendary player.