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Sidney Patrick Crosby (born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
centre Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...
and
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
of the
Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...
of the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL). Nicknamed "Sid the Kid" and dubbed " The Next One", he was selected first overall by the Penguins in the
2005 NHL entry draft The 2005 NHL entry draft was the 43rd entry draft for the National Hockey League. Originally scheduled to be held on June 25, it was postponed to July 30 due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout. Special procedures were required to determine the order ...
. Born and raised in Halifax, Crosby was considered one of the most lauded prospects in ice hockey history and is widely regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time. During his two-year
major junior Junior ice hockey is amateur-level ice hockey for 16 to 20 year-old players. National List of members of the International Ice Hockey Federation, Junior teams compete annually for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The United States men's nationa ...
career with the
Rimouski Océanic The Rimouski Océanic are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The franchise was granted for the 1969–70 season as the Sherbrooke Castors. The Castors played in Sherbrooke from 1969 to 1982 ...
, he earned many awards and led his club to the
2005 Memorial Cup The 2005 Memorial Cup (branded as the 2005 Mastercard Memorial Cup for sponsorship reasons) was held May 21–29, 2005 at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario. It was the 87th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major ju ...
final. Océanic and the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL; , LHJMQ), formerly the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The league includes teams in Quebec ...
retired Crosby's jersey number 87 in 2019, and the QMJHL began presenting their Rookie of the Year award as the “Sidney Crosby Trophy” in 2025. Crosby debuted in the NHL during the 2005–06 season, recording 102
points A point is a small dot or the sharp tip of something. Point or points may refer to: Mathematics * Point (geometry), an entity that has a location in space or on a plane, but has no extent; more generally, an element of some abstract topologica ...
and finishing as runner-up for the
Calder Memorial Trophy The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League (NHL)." It is named after Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL. Serving ...
as the NHL Rookie of the Year. At 18 years and 253 days, he is the youngest player to date to reach 100 points in an NHL season. By his second season, he led the NHL with 120 points to capture the
Art Ross Trophy The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League (NHL) player who leads the league in Point (ice hockey), points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the league by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ros ...
, becoming the youngest player and the only teenager to win a scoring title in any major North American sports league. That same season, Crosby won the
Hart Memorial Trophy The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, is an annual award for the most valuable player to his team in the National Hockey League (NHL), voted by the members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. The original tr ...
as the league's
most valuable player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...
(MVP) and the
Lester B. Pearson Award Pearson may refer to: Organizations Education * Lester B. Pearson College, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada * Pearson College (UK), London, owned by Pearson PLC * Lester B. Pearson High School (disambiguation) Companies * Pearson plc, a UK-base ...
for most outstanding player as judged by his peers. He started the 2007–08 season with the team's captaincy and subsequently led them to the
2008 Stanley Cup Finals The 2008 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2007–08 season, and the culmination of the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings a ...
, where they were defeated by the
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
in six games. The Penguins returned to the Finals against Detroit the following year and won in seven games; Crosby became the youngest captain in NHL history to win the
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
. Crosby also led Pittsburgh to Stanley Cup championships in
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
and
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
, becoming the third player to win the
Conn Smythe Trophy The Conn Smythe Trophy () is awarded annually to the most valuable player (MVP) of his team during the National Hockey League's (NHL) Stanley Cup playoffs. It is named after Conn Smythe, the longtime owner, general manager, and head coach of the ...
(playoff MVP) in consecutive years. In 2009–10, he received the
Mark Messier Leadership Award The Mark Messier Leadership Award is a National Hockey League (NHL) award that recognizes an individual as a superior leader within their sport, and as a contributing member of society. The award is given to a player selected by Hockey Hall of Fa ...
and scored 51 goals, winning the
Maurice Richard Trophy Maurice may refer to: *Maurice (name), a given name and surname, including a list of people with the name Places * or Mauritius, an island country in the Indian Ocean *Maurice, Iowa, a city *Maurice, Louisiana, a village *Maurice River, a trib ...
as the NHL's leading goal scorer, was also the runner-up for the Art Ross Trophy and a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy. In early
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
, Crosby sustained a
concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...
that left him sidelined for the rest of the season and for most of the 2011–12 campaign. In the
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
, Crosby won his second career
Ted Lindsay Award The Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players' Association. First awarded in 1971 ...
and was a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy the same season. In
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
, Crosby again won the Hart Memorial Trophy as well as his second career Art Ross Trophy (104 points) and his second consecutive Ted Lindsay Award and third altogether while also being a finalist for the award in 2010 and
2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
. In
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
, he won his second Richard Trophy and was named one of the
100 Greatest NHL Players In 2017, the National Hockey League commemorated its 100th anniversary with a list of the 100 Greatest NHL Players. The list was made through voting compiled by a panel of 58 people, including media members, NHL alumni and NHL executives. The lis ...
in history. Internationally, Crosby has represented
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
on numerous occasions. He won gold at the 2005 World Junior Championships, and was later named to Team Canada for the
2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...
in
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
. Playing against the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
in the gold medal game, he scored the
game-winning goal In sport, a goal may refer to either an instance of scoring, or to the physical structure or area where an attacking team must send the ball or puck in order to score points. The structure of a goal varies from sport to sport, and one is plac ...
in
overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...
. Crosby captained Team Canada at the
2014 Winter Olympics The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXII Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Sochi 2014 (), were an international winter multi-sport event that was held from 7 to 23 February 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Opening ro ...
, winning his second consecutive Olympic gold medal. A year later, he led his country to gold in the
World Championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...
in
Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
, thus becoming a member of the
Triple Gold Club The Triple Gold Club is the group of ice hockey players and coaches who have won an Ice hockey at the Olympic Games, Olympic Games gold medal, a Ice Hockey World Championships, World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup, the championship t ...
and the only player in the club to have captained all three winning teams. In 2016, Crosby captained Canada to gold in the
World Cup of Hockey The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996 World Cup of Hockey, 1996, it is the successor to the Canada Cup, which was held every three to five years from 1976 Canada Cup, 1976 to 1991 Canada Cup, 1991 ...
and was elected MVP by a unanimous vote. In 2025, Crosby captained Canada to a championship win in the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off.


Early life

Crosby was born in the Grace Maternity Hospital in
Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...
, on August 7, 1987, to Troy and Trina (née Forbes) Crosby. Crosby's
jersey number In team sports, the number, often referred to as the uniform number, squad number, jersey number, shirt number, sweater number, or similar (with such naming differences varying by sport and region) is the number worn on a player's uniform, to id ...
(87) and 2007 contract signing ($8.7 million per year) reflect his birthdate (8/7/87). Crosby grew up in nearby Cole Harbour and has a younger sister named Taylor. His father Troy was a
goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as goalie or netminder) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their own team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays ...
who played for the
Verdun Junior Canadiens The Verdun Junior Canadiens were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) from 1984 to 1989. They played home games at the Verdun Auditorium, and won the President's Cup during the 1984–85 QMJHL season. Hist ...
in the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL; , LHJMQ), formerly the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The league includes teams in Quebec ...
(QMJHL). He helped the team win the 1985
President's Cup The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world except Europe as that continent competes against the United States in a similar but ...
which lead them to the
1985 Memorial Cup The 1985 Memorial Cup took place on May 11–18 at the Shawinigan Municipal Auditorium in Shawinigan, Quebec and at Centre Civique in Drummondville, Quebec. It was the 67th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ic ...
. Troy was drafted 240th overall by the
Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
in
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
, but never played at the NHL level. Growing up, Crosby admired
Steve Yzerman Stephen Gregory Yzerman ( ; born May 9, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player currently serving as executive vice president and general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, with whom he spent all 22 seasons of his NHL playing ...
and, like his father, was a Canadiens fan. Crosby began playing hockey by himself in his basement at the age of two, shooting pucks in a net that had the family dryer behind it, leading to a longstanding misconception that he was actually practising with the dryer; he learned to skate at age three. From age 12 to 15, Crosby attended Astral Drive Junior High School. He was a straight-A student and, according to the vice-principal, "an amazing role model, who was really kind to students in the learning centre and to special needs kids". At age 15, Crosby transferred to
Shattuck-Saint Mary's Shattuck-St. Mary's (also known as Shattuck-St. Mary's School, Shattuck, or simply SSM) is a coeducational Episcopal-affiliated boarding school in the city of Faribault, Minnesota. History Established in 1858 as an Episcopal mission scho ...
in
Faribault, Minnesota Faribault ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Rice County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 24,453 at the 2020 census. Faribault is approximately south of Minneapolis–Saint Paul. Interstate 35 and Minnesota State Highwa ...
to play with the school's hockey program. While playing for the
Rimouski Océanic The Rimouski Océanic are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The franchise was granted for the 1969–70 season as the Sherbrooke Castors. The Castors played in Sherbrooke from 1969 to 1982 ...
of the QMJHL, Crosby went to
Harrison Trimble High School Harrison Trimble High School is a high school situated in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. As of 2023, the principal is Gary Wilson. History The school opened in 1961 and serves as Moncton's largest school after Moncton High School (2015), Moncton ...
in
Moncton Moncton (; ) is the most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the The Maritimes, Maritime Provinces. Th ...
,
New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...
, where he graduated in 2005.


Playing career


Minor hockey

Early in his
minor hockey Minor ice hockey or minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body c ...
years, Crosby began attracting media attention for his play and gave his first newspaper interview at age seven. When Crosby was 13, Nova Scotia's Minor Hockey Council refused to allow him to play midget, a level of minor hockey designated for 15- to 17-year-olds. His family sued but lost. The following year, he entered the midget level with the triple-A Dartmouth Subways and went on to score a combined 217 regular season and playoff points, leading Dartmouth to a second-place finish at the 2002 Air Canada Cup. He was named the MVP and Top Scorer awards at the national tournament at the tournament banquet held after the preliminary round and he finished the tournament with 24 points (11 goals and 13 assists) in 7 games. Crosby was called up as a 14-year-old to play two games with the
Maritime Junior A Hockey League The Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league under Hockey Canada, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). It consists of six teams from New Brunswick, which make up the EastLink North Division (formerly R ...
's
Truro Bearcats The Truro Bearcats are a Junior "A" ice hockey team based out of Truro, Nova Scotia. The Bearcats are one of six Nova Scotia teams in the Maritime Junior Hockey League. History Metro Valley League years Originally, Truro was a member of the M ...
that season. Crosby had been drafted by the Bearcats in the 2001 MJAHL Draft as a 13-year-old. During his midget season, Crosby appeared on the
CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...
's ''
Hockey Day in Canada ''Hockey Night in Canada'' (often abbreviated ''Hockey Night'' or ''HNiC'') is a long-running program of broadcast ice hockey play-by-play coverage in Canada. With roots in pioneering hockey coverage on private radio stations as early as 1923, ...
'' telecast. He has recalled numerous instances in which opposing players intentionally attempted to injure him, as well as constant verbal abuse from parents on and off the ice. Parents taunted and threatened Crosby so harshly, he took to not wearing his jersey between tournament games while he waited to play so that he would not be recognized. Due to this treatment, he elected to play for the American hockey program at Shattuck-Saint Mary's Boarding School, Minnesota for the 2002–03 hockey season. In 57 games with the Sabres, he recorded 72 goals and 162 points, leading the team to a U18 AAA national championship.


Junior career


Rimouski Océanic (2003–2005)

Crosby was selected first overall in the 2003 Midget Draft by the Rimouski Océanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). In his first exhibition game, he scored eight points, leading his teammates to nickname him "Darryl" (in reference to
Darryl Sittler Darryl Glen Sittler (born September 18, 1950) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1970 until 1985 for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Detroit Red Wings. H ...
's ten-point NHL game in 1976). In his first regular season game in the QMJHL, he scored one goal and added two assists. He was named QMJHL Player of the Week for two consecutive weeks at the start of the season and won the honour four more times as the season progressed. He was named QMJHL Player of the Month and
Canadian Hockey League The Canadian Hockey League (CHL; , LCH) is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canada-based major junior ice hockey leagues. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three me ...
(CHL) Player of the Week three times each. Crosby finished his rookie QMJHL season with 54 goals and 81 assists over 59 games to capture the
Jean Béliveau Trophy The Jean Béliveau Trophy is awarded to the top regular season scorer of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The award is named after Quebec native Jean Béliveau, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame () is ...
as the league's leading point-scorer. He was further recognized with the RDS/JVC Trophy (overall rookie of the year) and
Michel Brière Memorial Trophy The Michel Brière Memorial Trophy () is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). It is named for former QMJHL and National Hockey League (NHL) player Michel Brière, who was killed in a c ...
(most valuable player), becoming the first QMJHL player to win all three major awards at once. Rounding out Crosby's accolades for the 2003–04 regular season were QMJHL All-Rookie and first All-Star team honours, as well as Offensive Rookie, Offensive Player and Personality of the Year Awards. As a team, the Océanic led the Eastern Division with 34 wins and 76 points. After receiving a first-round bye in the 2003 QMJHL playoffs, they defeated the
Shawinigan Cataractes The Shawinigan Cataractes () are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) based in Shawinigan, Quebec. The franchise plays their home games at the Centre Gervais Auto, and were originally known as ...
in the quarterfinals, then were eliminated by the
Moncton Wildcats The Moncton Wildcats are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) based in Moncton, New Brunswick. The franchise was granted for the 1995–96 QMJHL season, 1995–96 season known as the Moncton A ...
in the semifinals. Crosby recorded 16 points (7 goals and 9 assists) over 9 playoff games. During the off-season, the
World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association () was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972–73 WHA season, 1972 to 1978–79 WHA season, 1979. It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League (N ...
, a major professional league proposed to rival the NHL, held an entry draft on July 17, 2004. Holding the first overall selection, Toronto chose Crosby. The following month, it was reported that Crosby turned down a  million contract over three years to play for Hamilton. Crosby told reporters that while "it took a lot to say no to that much money", he "work dhard most of his life to play in the NHL". The contract would have paid him  million annually and an additional  million payout regardless of whether the WHA was realized as a legitimate league or not. However, it was not clarified how Hamilton could have signed Crosby, as Toronto held his WHA playing rights. Nevertheless, the WHA never materialized. Returning to the Océanic for the 2004–05 season, Crosby continued dominating the league, leading the league with 66 goals, 102 assists and 168 points over 62 games to capture his second consecutive Beliveau Trophy. Joining Crosby on Rimouski's top line were wingers Dany Roussin and
Marc-Antoine Pouliot Marc-Antoine Pouliot (born May 22, 1985) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently playing with Genève-Servette HC of the National League (NL). He was selected 22nd overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft ...
, who finished second and third in league-scoring with 116 and 114 points respectively. In addition to his scoring title, Crosby was once again awarded Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player and Personality of the Year, while repeating as a QMJHL First All-Star. The Océanic finished the regular season with the best record in the league, registering 45 wins and 98 points, including a league record-setting 28-game undefeated streak. They went on to capture the President's Cup as QMJHL playoff champions, defeating the
Halifax Mooseheads The Halifax Mooseheads are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The team was founded in 1994 and began play in the Dilio Division of the QMJHL for the 1994–95 ...
in the finals. Crosby led the playoffs with 31 points (14 goals and 17 assists) over 13 games, earning him the
Guy Lafleur Trophy The Guy Lafleur Trophy () is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) playoffs. It is named for Hockey Hall of Fame inductee and QMJHL alumnus Guy Lafleur Guy Damien Lafleur (September ...
as postseason MVP. With their QMJHL championship, the Océanic qualified for the
2005 Memorial Cup The 2005 Memorial Cup (branded as the 2005 Mastercard Memorial Cup for sponsorship reasons) was held May 21–29, 2005 at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario. It was the 87th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major ju ...
, Canada's national major junior tournament. Meeting the
London Knights The London Knights are a junior ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League. The Knights started out in 1965 as the London Nationals but changed to their ...
in the final, the Océanic were shut-out 4–0. Despite the loss, Crosby was named to the Tournament All-Star team and captured the
Ed Chynoweth Trophy The Ed Chynoweth Trophy is awarded to the leading scorer at the Memorial Cup tournament. It was first awarded in 1996 Memorial Cup, 1996. In the case of a tie in points, the award is given to the player with the fewest games played. Should pla ...
as the competition's leading scorer with 11 points (six goals and five assists) over five games. Knights forward
Corey Perry Corey Perry (born May 16, 1985) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Perry holds the record of being the only NHL player to lose four Stanley Cup Finals with four differ ...
was awarded the
Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy The Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy is a Canadian Hockey League (CHL) trophy, awarded to the most valuable player in the annual Memorial Cup tournament. The trophy was first awarded in 1972 and won by Richard Brodeur of the Cornwall Royals. ...
as the MVP. Soon after, he attended the NHL prospect combine in preparation for the
2005 NHL entry draft The 2005 NHL entry draft was the 43rd entry draft for the National Hockey League. Originally scheduled to be held on June 25, it was postponed to July 30 due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout. Special procedures were required to determine the order ...
. The Rimouski Océanic
retired Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...
jersey number 87 in Crosby's honor in September 2019, and the QMJHL also retired the number for all of its teams.


Pittsburgh Penguins (2005–present)


Rise to superstardom (2005–2007)

Entering the 2005 NHL entry draft, Crosby was listed first overall in the
NHL Central Scouting Bureau The NHL Central Scouting Services (CSS) is a department within the National Hockey League (NHL) that ranks prospects for the NHL entry draft at specific times during the hockey season. Players are ranked based on how well they will translate t ...
and International Scouting Services' respective rankings of prospects. He also won the
Mike Bossy Trophy The Michael Bossy Trophy ('' French:Trophée Michael Bossy'') is awarded annually to the player in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) judged to be the best professional prospect. The award is named after former New York Islanders fo ...
as the QMJHL's best prospect. Crosby was selected first overall in the draft by the
Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...
on July 30, 2005. Due to the labour lockout that suspended the entire
2004–05 NHL season The 2004–05 NHL season would have been the National Hockey League's 88th season of play. The entire 1,230-game schedule, that was set to begin in October, was officially canceled on February 16, 2005, due to an unresolved lockout that began ...
, positioning for the 2005 draft was conducted via a weighted lottery based on each team's playoff appearances and draft lottery victories in the last four years. This lottery system led to the draft being popularly referred to as the "Sidney Crosby Lottery" or the "Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes". "Sid the Kid", a nickname given to him by the media early in his career, made his NHL debut on October 5, 2005, against the
New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The club w ...
, and registered an assist on the team's first goal of the season, scored by
Mark Recchi Mark Louis Recchi (; born February 1, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, and he played f ...
in a 5–1 loss. He scored his first NHL goal in the Penguins' home opener on October 8 against goaltender
Hannu Toivonen Hannu Pekka Toivonen (; born 18 May 1984) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender. He is the current goaltending coach for the Toronto Marlies. He played with the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues in the National Hockey Leagu ...
of the
Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
. Despite having registered two assists for a three-point night, the Penguins were defeated 7–6 in
overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...
. Crosby began his rookie season playing alongside
Hall of Famer A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...
Mario Lemieux Mario Lemieux (; ; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played parts of 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins between 1984–85 NHL season, 1984 and 2005–06 NHL se ...
, though Lemieux was forced to retire due to an
irregular heartbeat Arrhythmias, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, are irregularities in the heartbeat, including when it is too fast or too slow. Essentially, this is anything but normal sinus rhythm. A resting heart rate that is too fast – above 100 beats ...
after having played just 26 games into the season. Near the midway point of the season, Penguins head coach
Ed Olczyk Edward Walter Olczyk Jr. (; born August 16, 1966) is an American sportscaster and former professional ice hockey player. He spent 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), playing as a center for the Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Le ...
was fired and replaced by
Michel Therrien Michel Therrien (born November 4, 1963) is a Canadians, Canadian professional ice hockey coach. (NHL). Therrien formerly coached the Montreal Canadiens, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers. Prior to his coaching career, Therrie ...
on December 15, 2005. The following day, Therrien designated Crosby as an alternate captain for the Penguins. The move drew criticism from some hockey pundits, including commentator
Don Cherry Donald Stewart Cherry (born February 5, 1934) is a Canadian former ice hockey player, coach, and television commentator. He played one game in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins. After concluding a playing career in the A ...
, who claimed that Crosby did not have the experience for the position. Cherry said, "An 18-year-old kid says he's going to give us ideas. What, from the Quebec League, he's going to give them ideas? Come on. That's ridiculous." Although hopes were high in Pittsburgh for the club to succeed, largely in part to the beginning of Crosby's NHL career and bolstered by the acquisitions of
Sergei Gonchar Sergei Viktorovich Gonchar ( rus, Серге́й Ви́кторович Гонча́р, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈvʲiktərəvʲɪdʑ ɡɐnʲˈtɕar; born 13 April 1974) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player who is currently a Defensive D ...
,
Žigmund Pálffy Žigmund Pálffy (; born 5 May 1972), nicknamed "Ziggy" in English and "Žigo" in Slovak, is a Slovak former professional ice hockey player. One of the most talented wingers, Pálffy played in the NHL for 12 years with the New York Islanders, ...
, and Mark Recchi, the Penguins still finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference. Nevertheless, Crosby's first NHL campaign was a personal success as he established franchise records in assists (63) and points (102) for a rookie, both of which were previously held by Mario Lemieux. He also scored 39 goals and became the youngest player in NHL history to score 100 points in a single season, and only the seventh rookie ever to hit the benchmark. Overall, Crosby finished sixth in the NHL scoring race and seventh in the NHL in assists. Among Canadian NHL players, he trailed only
Joe Thornton Joseph Eric Thornton (born July 2, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), centre. He played for the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). H ...
and
Dany Heatley Daniel James Heatley (born January 21, 1981) is a German-born Canadian former professional ice hockey winger (ice hockey), winger. Originally drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers second overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, he won the Calder Memorial ...
. Throughout the season, Crosby had battled with
Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NH ...
winger and
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
first-overall pick
Alexander Ovechkin Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin (, ; born 17September 1985) is a Russian professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), left winger and Captain (ice hockey), captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "the ...
for the rookie scoring lead. He finished second to Ovechkin's 106 points and also lost to the Capitals forward for the
Calder Memorial Trophy The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League (NHL)." It is named after Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL. Serving ...
as NHL rookie of the year. It marked the start of a rivalry that would help "define the league" for over a decade. Throughout his first season, Crosby was accused by opposing players and coaches of taking dives and complaining to officials, which was typically attributed to his youth. He became the first rookie to earn 100 penalty minutes and 100 points in the same season, which magnified his reputation for complaining to NHL officials. Hockey analyst
Kelly Hrudey Kelly Hrudey (; born January 13, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who is a broadcaster with Sportsnet as a studio analyst for ''Hockey Night in Canada'' and colour commentator for Calgary Flames regional broadcasts. D ...
compared Crosby to
Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
, who had a similar reputation as a "whiner" in his youth, and suggested that as Crosby matured, he would mellow out and his reputation would fade. In his second NHL season, Crosby built on his rookie success. On October 28, 2006, Crosby scored his first NHL
hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...
in an 8–2 victory over the
Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...
. His success against the Flyers continued as just over six weeks later, on December 13, he recorded the first six-point game of his career (one goal and five assists). The multi-point effort vaulted Crosby into the NHL scoring lead, which he would retain for the remainder of the season. He finished the 2006–07 with 36 goals and 84 assists for 120 points in 79 games to become the first teenager to lead the NHL in scoring since Wayne Gretzky in
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
. Being only 19 years old at the time, he became the youngest player in NHL history to win the
Art Ross Trophy The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League (NHL) player who leads the league in Point (ice hockey), points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the league by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ros ...
and the youngest scoring champion in any major North American professional sport. Crosby's second NHL season also saw significant improvements for the Penguins franchise as a whole, as the emergence of rookie forwards, eventual Calder Trophy-winner
Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Vladimirovich Malkin ( rus, Евге́ний Влади́мирович Ма́лкин, p=jɪvˈɡʲenʲɪj ˈmalkʲɪn; born 31 July 1986) is a Russian professional ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), centre and alternate captain (ice hockey ...
and runner-up
Jordan Staal Jordan Staal (born September 10, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), centre and Captain (ice hockey), captain of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is regarded as a premier penalty-killer ...
complemented the club's offence. As a result, the Penguins jumped from last place in the Eastern Conference the previous season to fifth for the club's first playoff appearance since
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
. Playing the
Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...
in the opening round, Crosby scored a goal in his
Stanley Cup playoff The season structure of the National Hockey League (NHL) is divided into the pre-season, regular season, and the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the pre-season, which is generally held during the last two weeks of September, each team plays several not-fo ...
debut in a 6–3 loss. He finished the series with five points in all five games as the Penguins were ousted in a 4–1 by the eventual
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
runner-up.


Beginning of Penguins captaincy, runner–up and first Stanley Cup title (2007–2009)

Crosby was named Pittsburgh's
team captain In team sport, captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field. In eithe ...
on May 31, 2007, making him (at 19 years, 9 months, and 24 days) the youngest team captain in NHL history. During the season, the Penguins offered him the captaincy, but he turned it down. In the press conference naming him the team captain, he explained:
"I just thought it wasn't right for me. As a team, we were playing great and you don't want to disrupt things like that. Individually, I was not ready to accept that responsibility quite yet. Going through the playoffs and having that experience has probably given me more confidence. I understand there is going to be a lot more responsibility on my shoulders with this, but it's something I'm ready for, I feel very comfortable with it and I'm just excited to get things going."
At the NHL's annual awards show two weeks later in June 2007, Crosby completed a rare off-season "hat-trick", winning the
Hart Memorial Trophy The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, is an annual award for the most valuable player to his team in the National Hockey League (NHL), voted by the members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. The original tr ...
and the
Lester B. Pearson Award Pearson may refer to: Organizations Education * Lester B. Pearson College, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada * Pearson College (UK), London, owned by Pearson PLC * Lester B. Pearson High School (disambiguation) Companies * Pearson plc, a UK-base ...
in addition to his previously clinched Art Ross Trophy. He became the youngest player in NHL history to win the Lester B. Pearson, and only the second youngest player ever to win the Hart (after Gretzky). He became the youngest player ever to be named to the NHL's first All-Star team. With Crosby's initial three-year, entry-level contract set to expire at the end of the following season, the Penguins signed him to a five-year, $43.5 million contract extension on July 10, 2007, ensuring his stay with the Penguins through the 2012–13 season. Midway through the subsequent season, Crosby recorded a Gordie Howe hat-trick on December 20 in a game against the Boston Bruins. His first assist came 55 seconds into the first period. At 8:26 of the same period, Crosby scored to give the Penguins a 2–0 lead. Then, five minutes and nine seconds into the second frame, Crosby fought ex-Penguin defenceman
Andrew Ference Andrew James Stewart Ference (born March 17, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman. Ference played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins and the Edmonton Oilers. In 2011, Ference helped the Bruins to ...
to complete the hat-trick. This was Crosby's first NHL fight. In the NHL's first
Winter Classic The NHL Winter Classic () is an annual NHL outdoor games, outdoor ice hockey game played during the National Hockey League's (NHL) regular season on or around New Year's Day. It is generally held in a American football, football or baseball stad ...
(with a record crowd of 71,217 fans in attendance), Crosby scored the shootout winner in heavy snowfall to defeat the
Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...
. However, two and a half weeks later, on January 18, 2008, Crosby suffered a high ankle sprain crashing leg-first into the boards in a game against the
Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...
. As a result, he missed the 2008 All-Star Game, to which he was named a starter. After missing 21 games, he returned on March 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning and earned an assist on a
Max Talbot Maxime Talbot (born February 11, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche and Boston Bruins. He was drafted into ...
goal. However, two games after his return, he felt his ankle was not up to shape and decided that he needed more time for it to heal. Crosby consequently sat out of the Penguins' next seven games and returned on March 27, 2008, to help the Penguins defeat the
New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...
3–1. Despite his injury-shortened campaign, Crosby still managed 72 points (24 goals, 48 assists) in just 53 games. Crosby's absence from the Penguins' line-up served as a stepping stone for teammate Evgeni Malkin, who, now in his second season, was developing into a superstar in his own right. Picking up the offensive slack, Malkin finished second in league scoring to Washington Capitals winger Alexander Ovechkin and was also a Hart Memorial Trophy nominee as MVP honours also went to Ovechkin. In addition to Crosby's return to the line-up late in the season, the Penguins acquired star winger
Marián Hossa Marián Hossa (; born 12 January 1979) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey winger (ice hockey), right winger. Hossa was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the first round, 12th overall, of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. After spending his first ...
from the
Atlanta Thrashers The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL sea ...
at the trade deadline, placing the club in a strong position to make a deep playoff run. Pittsburgh finished the season as Atlantic Division champions and just two points shy of the first-seeded Montreal Canadiens. In a rematch of the previous year's opening round, the Penguins began the 2008 playoffs facing the Ottawa Senators, whom they quickly swept in four games. After then defeating the
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
and
archrival A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
Philadelphia Flyers, each in five games, the Penguins reached the
final round A single-elimination knockout, or sudden-death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of a match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, w ...
for the first time since
1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...
, to face the
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
. After being shut-out as a team for the first two games of the series, Crosby scored the first two goals of game three as the series shifted to
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
to fuel a 3–2 win. The Penguins lost the next game and despite staving off defeat in game five, they were overcome by the Red Wings in six games. Crosby finished the playoffs with 27 points (six goals and 21 assists in all 20 games), tying forward and
Conn Smythe Constantine Falkland Cary Smythe Military Cross, MC (; February 1, 1895 – November 18, 1980) was a Canadian businessman, soldier and sportsman in ice hockey and horse racing. He is best known as the principal owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs ...
-winner
Henrik Zetterberg Henrik Zetterberg (; born 9 October 1980) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey forward. He played his entire National Hockey League career, from 2002 to 2018, with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. Bursting onto the ...
(13 goals and 14 assists in 22 games) for the playoff scoring lead. Early in the following season, on October 18, 2008, Crosby scored one goal and three assists against the
Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...
to surpass benchmarks of 100 goals, 200 assists, and 300 points for his career. On the play in which Crosby scored, teammate Evgeni Malkin assisted to record his own 200th point. As a result, Crosby had a team trainer cut the puck in half so both players could commemorate the achievement. Minor injury troubles kept Crosby from five games early in the season as he was listed day-to-day, but he was, for the most part, able to bounce back from the previous injury-riddled season and stay healthy. He recorded 33 goals and 70 assists for 103 points to finish third in league scoring, as Evgeni Malkin captured his first career Art Ross Trophy. Entering the 2009 playoffs as the defending
Prince of Wales Trophy The Prince of Wales Trophy, also known as the Wales Trophy, is a team award presented by the National Hockey League (NHL). Named for Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII and then Duke of Windsor), it has been awarded for different ac ...
winners, the Penguins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in the opening round before meeting the Washington Capitals for a highly publicized second-round matchup. The series was heavily followed as it pitted Ovechkin of the Capitals against both Crosby and Malkin, who together finished as the league's top three scorers that season. In the second game, Crosby and Ovechkin recorded matching three-goal efforts for their first career playoff hat-tricks in a 4–3 Capitals victory. Despite being down 2–0 in the series, Crosby and the Penguins won the next three games and eventually defeated the Capitals in a seventh and deciding game, in which Crosby added another two goals. Following a sweep of the
Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Con ...
in the Eastern Conference finals, Crosby opted against recent NHL tradition and picked up the Prince of Wales Trophy, which he had left untouched the previous year. In explanation of the change of heart, Crosby said, "We didn't touch the trophy last year, and obviously we didn't have the result we wanted ... Although we haven't accomplished exactly what we want ... we can still enjoy it." The Penguins met the Detroit Red Wings for the second straight year in the
Stanley Cup Finals The Stanley Cup Finals in ice hockey (also known as the Stanley Cup Final among various media, ) is the annual championship series of the National Hockey League (NHL). The winner is awarded the Stanley Cup, North America's oldest professional spo ...
, and this time Crosby won his first Stanley Cup title in seven games. At 21 years, 10 months, and 5 days, Crosby became the youngest NHL captain to win the Stanley Cup since 1895. (The youngest captain to lead his team to the Stanley Cup in the history of the trophy is
Mike Grant Michael Grant (November 27, 1873 – August 20, 1955) was a Canadian ice hockey player. He played nine seasons of senior amateur hockey between 1894 and 1902 for the Montreal Victorias and Montreal Shamrocks. Grant was a member of the Victoria ...
of the
1895 Events January * January 5 – Dreyfus affair: French officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his army rank and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island (off French Guiana) on what is much later admitted to be a false charge of tr ...
Montreal Victorias The Victoria Hockey Club of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was an early men's amateur ice hockey club. Its date of origin is ascribed to either 1874, 1877 or 1881, making it either the first or second organized ice hockey club after McGill University. ...
, who was 21 years and 2 months at the time.) In the deciding game seven, Crosby was forced to watch all but 32 seconds of the third period from the bench after suffering a knee injury less than halfway through the second period due to a hit from Wings' winger
Johan Franzén Johan Marcus Gunnar Franzén (; born 23 December 1979) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey winger who played 11 seasons for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). His career ended early in the 2015–16 season due t ...
. Following the game, Crosby was criticized by Detroit centre
Kris Draper Kristopher Bruce "Kris" Draper (born May 24, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current director of amateur scouting and assistant general manager for the Detroit Red Wings, the team which he played 17 seasons for durin ...
for neglecting to shake hands with some of Detroit's players in the handshake line, most notably Wings' defenceman and captain
Nicklas Lidström Erik Nicklas Lidström (; born 28 April 1970) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenceman and current vice president of hockey operations for the Detroit Red Wings. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detr ...
. An irate Draper was quoted as saying, "Nick was waiting and waiting, and Crosby didn't come over to shake his hand. That's ridiculous, especially as their captain." Crosby replied afterward, saying, "I just won the Stanley Cup. I think I have the right to celebrate with my teammates. I know it's not easy waiting around... I understand if they don't feel like waiting around. But you know what? It's the easiest thing to do in the world, to shake hands after you win. I had no intentions of trying to skip guys and not shake their hands. I think that was a pretty unreasonable comment."


Injury–plagued years, back-to-back Stanley Cups and Conn Smythe Trophies (2009–2018)

In the 2009–10 season, Crosby tied Tampa Bay Lightning centre
Steven Stamkos Steven Stamkos (born February 7, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Stamkos was selected first overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Sta ...
for the lead in goals scored, with 51 goals each, both earning the
Rocket Richard Trophy A rocket (from , and so named for its shape) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using any surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...
. He also garnered 58 assists for a total of 109 points, enough to tie with Washington Capitals winger and captain Alexander Ovechkin for second in league points, trailing only
Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...
' centre
Henrik Sedin Henrik Lars Sedin (born 26 September 1980) is a Swedish ice hockey executive and former centre who played his entire 17-season National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Vancouver Canucks from 2000 to 2018. He additionally served as the Canuc ...
's, who ended the season with 112. Crosby was also named a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy and
Ted Lindsay Award The Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players' Association. First awarded in 1971 ...
. Crosby won the
Mark Messier Leadership Award The Mark Messier Leadership Award is a National Hockey League (NHL) award that recognizes an individual as a superior leader within their sport, and as a contributing member of society. The award is given to a player selected by Hockey Hall of Fa ...
, getting recognized as a "superior leader within the sport, setting a positive example through on-ice performance, motivation of team members and a dedication to the community". This was the second time he had received this honour, the other being in January 2007, during the award's first year when it was presented monthly. He was also included on NHL's all-decade second team of 2000s. Crosby's defending Stanley Cup champion and fourth-seeded Penguins were defeated in the second round of the 2010 playoffs, losing to the Montreal Canadiens in seven games, unable to build onto an initial 3–2 series lead. Crosby had 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in all 13 games in the 2010 playoffs, though through seven games against the Canadiens, he had only one goal and four assists. Game seven was also the last game to be played at
Mellon Arena The Civic Arena, formerly the Civic Auditorium and later Mellon Arena, was an arena located in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Civic Arena primarily served as the home to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the city's National Hockey League (NHL) ...
, the Penguins' home rink since the start of the franchise. On July 27, 2010, Crosby joined his mentor from 2005 to 2006, his rookie year Mario Lemieux to be the first to skate on the new ice at the
Consol Energy Center PPG Paints Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). It previously was the home of the Pittsburgh Power of the Arena Football Leagu ...
. The two skated for about five minutes before being joined on the ice by a group of young hockey fans all wearing Lemieux's 66 or Crosby's 87 jerseys. In the 2010–11 season, Crosby had a 25-game point streak, which began on November 5, 2010, against the
Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confere ...
and ended on December 28, 2010, against the New York Islanders. During this streak, he had 27 goals (including three hat-tricks) and 24 assists for 51 points. This streak was tied for 11th-longest point streak in NHL history. During this streak, Crosby scored his 200th NHL goal in a 4–1 win over the
Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...
on Flames' goaltender
Miikka Kiprusoff Miikka Sakari Kiprusoff (; born October 26, 1976), nicknamed "Kipper", is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames between 2000 and 2013. He was select ...
on November 27 and he was named First Star of the Month in both November and December, respectively. On January 3, 2011, Crosby was selected as a 2011 All-Star, along with teammates Evgeni Malkin,
Marc-André Fleury Marc-André Fleury (; born November 28, 1984) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender. Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2003 NHL entry draft, Fleury p ...
and
Kris Letang Kristopher Joseph Pierre Irwin Letang (born April 24, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played juniors in the Quebec Major Junior Hock ...
. However, neither Crosby nor Malkin were available to play in the All-Star Game due to injuries, and rookie
Jeff Skinner Jeffrey Scott Skinner (born May 16, 1992) is a Canadians, Canadian professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), left winger for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo ...
(along with
Paul Stastny Paul Stastny (; ) (born December 27, 1985) is a Canadian-American former professional ice hockey center who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, ...
) were named as replacements. In consecutive games – the
2011 NHL Winter Classic The 2011 NHL Winter Classic (known via corporate sponsorship as the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic) was an outdoor ice hockey game played in the National Hockey League (NHL) on January 1, 2011, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The fo ...
on January 1, 2011, against the Washington Capitals and then January 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning – Crosby suffered hits to his head from Dave Steckel and
Victor Hedman Victor Erik Olof Hedman (; born 18 December 1990) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman and Captain (ice hockey), captain for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hedman was selected second overall by the Lightni ...
respectively. After experiencing several
concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...
symptoms, Crosby did not return for the rest of the season, including the 2011 playoffs, where the fourth-seeded Penguins would lose in seven games in the first round coincidentally to the Lightning, who finished as the fifth seed and surrendered a 3–1 series lead in the process. The Penguins were further crippled when Malkin suffered a
torn ACL An anterior cruciate ligament injury occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is either stretched, partially torn, or completely torn. The most common injury is a complete tear. Symptoms include pain, an audible cracking sound during in ...
and MCL on February 4, taking him out for the rest of the season and leaving the Penguins without their two highest-scoring players. Despite Crosby's injury and subsequent absence for the final 41 games of the season, he finished as the Penguins' leading scorer. His 66 points in 41 games were 16 points ahead of the second-highest team scorer, defenceman Kris Letang. In so doing, Crosby set an NHL record for fewest games played by an NHL team's points leader. Crosby missed the first 20 games of the 2011–12 season due to the lingering effects of his concussion or possibly multiple. He returned on November 21, 2011, in a game against the New York Islanders, scoring two goals and two assists in a 5–0 shutout for the Penguins. However, after playing another seven games – scoring a total of 12 points in eight games – Crosby's concussion-like symptoms returned on December 5, possibly following an elbow hit by Boston Bruins centre
David Krejčí David Krejčí (, born 28 April 1986) is a Czech former professional ice hockey centre who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins. He was part of the Bruins' Stanley Cup win in 2011 and led the NHL in points durin ...
in his eighth game of the season. Despite passing a successful ImPACT test, Crosby decided not to return on the ice until he felt perfectly fine, stating that he also must "listen to isbody". Crosby returned to action on March 15, 2012, recording two assists on goals by
Chris Kunitz Christopher Kunitz (born September 26, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Anaheim Ducks (where he won his first Stanley Cup in 2007), Atlanta Thrashers, the ...
and
Pascal Dupuis Pascal Dupuis (born April 7, 1979) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey winger who is the assistant coach for the Shawinigan Cataractes of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Undrafted out of the 1997 ...
in a 5–2 win against the New York Rangers. Despite only playing 22 games, Crosby recorded eight goals and 29 assists for 37 points. He later credited neurologists at UPMC and chiropractic neurologist Ted Carrick with helping him return to hockey. Crosby's return in advance of the 2012 playoffs resulted in many experts predicting that the Penguins would win their second Stanley Cup title in four years, and though the Penguins were accordingly picked to oust the Philadelphia Flyers in their first-round series, it was acknowledged that it would be a tough series for both teams. The Flyers shocked the Penguins by winning the first three consecutive games, the third of which saw the teams combine for 158 penalty minutes. After an 8–4 loss in game three, Crosby was widely criticized for his conduct during the game, and for his testy post-game interview. When asked about an incident where Flyers winger
Jakub Voráček Jakub Voráček (; born 15 August 1989) is a Czech former professional ice hockey right winger who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted seventh overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. In ...
had dropped his glove and Crosby swatted it away with his stick before Voráček could pick it up, Crosby replied, saying, "I don't like any guy on their team there, so his glove was near me, went to pick it up, and I pushed it, so yeah, that's... ..I don't like them. Because I don't like them. I don't like... I don't like any guy on their team." When the interviewer suggested that he could have skated away, Crosby replied, "Skate away? Yeah, well, I didn't that time." The Penguins went on to win the next two games, but ultimately lost the series in game six. Crosby finished with three goals and five assists for eight points in all six games. On June 28, 2012, the Penguins announced that Crosby agreed to a 12-year, $104.4 million contract extension set to keep Crosby in Pittsburgh through to the end of the 2024–25 NHL season. The start of the 2012–13 season was postponed until January 2013 due to the owners locking out the players as negotiations took place to solidify a new
collective agreement A collective agreement, collective labour agreement (CLA) or collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is a written contract negotiated through collective bargaining for employees by one or more trade unions with the management of a company (or with a ...
for the players. During this time, Crosby was a regular attendee of meetings taking place between
National Hockey League Players' Association The National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA, ) is the trade union, labour union for the group of professional List of NHL players, hockey players who are under Standard Player Contracts to the 32 member clubs in the National Hockey ...
(NHLPA) representatives and NHL owners. The lock-out began on September 15, 2012, and ended on January 6, 2013, with the NHL regular season beginning on January 19. During the 119-day lock-out, Crosby was often questioned about his future plans should the lockout persist, and said on more than one occasion that he was considering contract offers from various teams in European leagues (where many NHL players went so that they could continue playing in a professional capacity while waiting for the lock-out to end or for the NHL season to be officially cancelled). Crosby continued to practice and participated with other NHL players who did not go overseas in several exhibition games open to the public. With the season finally underway in January 2013, Crosby set the pace for scoring, totalling 31 points (nine goals and 22 assists) through the first 21 games. He remained hot through March, scoring another 25 points (six goals and 19 assists) in 15 games as the Penguins went unbeaten over this stretch. However, his regular season came to an abrupt end on March 30 in a home game against the New York Islanders. Crosby's teammate
Brooks Orpik Richard Brooks Orpik (born September 26, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey Defenceman, defenseman who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). A stay-at-home defenseman ...
unleashed a slapshot which caught Crosby in the mouth, causing the centreman to lose several teeth. Crosby was down on the ice for several minutes before the medical staff was able to help him to the dressing room with Crosby holding a towel over his face. Initially, the prognosis was not severe, but it was discovered a short while later that Crosby had broken his jaw and would require several rounds of reconstructive dental surgery. He missed the final 12 games of the regular season and finished fourth in the scoring race, losing the title to Tampa Bay's
Martin St. Louis Martin St. Louis (French spelling Martin St-Louis, ; born June 18, 1975) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). An undrafted player, St. ...
by four points. Crosby returned to the ice May 5 for the Penguins' second game against their first-round playoff opponents, the New York Islanders, ironically, the team who Pittsburgh played when Crosby was injured weeks prior. Despite two goals from Crosby, Pittsburgh lost 3–2, tying the series at one game apiece. The top-seeded Penguins would ultimately prevail 4–2 in the series over the eighth-seeded Islanders with Crosby scoring nine points (three goals and six assists) in the five games in which he played. Crosby and the Penguins moved on to face the Ottawa Senators in the second round, with Crosby scoring a hat-trick in game two of the series. Pittsburgh quickly defeated Ottawa four games to one in the series with a still-hot Crosby finishing the series with four goals and two assists. The Eastern Conference finals came down to what many felt were the two best teams in the conference: Pittsburgh and Boston Bruins goaltender
Tuukka Rask Tuukka Mikael Rask (born 10 March 1987) is a Finns, Finnish former professional ice hockey Goaltender (ice hockey), goaltender. Rask was drafted 21st overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs before being traded to the Boston ...
put on an outstanding performance, shutting down Pittsburgh's potent offence with the help of a stifling defensive effort from his teammates. The Penguins were held to just two goals in the series, with Rask stopping 134 of 136 shots on goal (.985%). Crosby, who was strong for the Penguins in the regular season and through the first two rounds of the playoffs was held off the score sheet entirely, finishing the series with no goals and no assists on 13 shots within the four games as the Bruins swept the Penguins in four-straight games. In the off-season, Crosby was awarded his second Ted Lindsay Award and finished as runner-up to the Hart Memorial Trophy and
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. It is named after Bill Masterton, the only player in NHL ...
. Crosby put together a healthy and productive campaign in 2013–14, playing 80 games for the first time since the 2009–10 season. Crosby finished the season with 36 goals and a league-leading 68 assists, marking the first time in his career that he led the league in assists. He also finished with a league-high 104 points, winning the Art Ross Trophy for the second time in his career. He also went on to win the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award. Finishing first overall in the Metropolitan Division, the Penguins were matched-up with a new division rival, the
Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. The Blue Jackets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern C ...
, in the first round of the 2014 playoffs. Despite a very back-and-forth series and not a single goal by Crosby, the Penguins defeated the Jackets in six games to advance to a second-round matchup with the New York Rangers. Going into their second-round series with the Rangers, Crosby looked to end a long playoff goal drought, which dated back to the 2013 conference finals against the Boston Bruins. After dropping the first game at home, Crosby broke his goal drought in game two as the Pens tied the series at 1–1 heading back to
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
. The Penguins would capitalize on their game two win, taking the next two games and eliminating the Rangers' home-ice advantage. However, the Rangers rebounded, winning games 5, 6 and 7, sending the Penguins home without a prize for the fifth straight season and surrendering a 3–1 series lead. The team's collapse prompted Penguins ownership to fire general manager
Ray Shero Rejean "Ray" Shero (July 28, 1962 – April 9, 2025) was an American ice hockey executive in the National Hockey League (NHL) who served as the general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils franchises from 2006 to 2020. Sher ...
, replacing him with
Jim Rutherford James Earl Rutherford (born February 17, 1949) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender and executive. He is the president of hockey operations of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Prior to his position wi ...
, the former general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes. Rutherford's first action as GM was to fire
Dan Bylsma Daniel Brian Bylsma (; born September 19, 1970) is an American professional ice hockey coach and former player. He was previously head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Seattle Kraken in the NHL, as well as an assistant coac ...
as head coach, and on June 25, he announced that Mike Johnston was the new head coach. Crosby finished the 2014–15 season with the highest point-per-game average and a total of 84 points (28 goals, 56 assists), trailing only New York Islanders centre and captain
John Tavares John Tavares (born September 20, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward (ice hockey), forward and Alternate Captain (ice hockey), alternate captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). In the 2009 NHL ent ...
(86 points) and Art Ross winner and
Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. The Stars compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The Stars ...
winger and captain
Jamie Benn Jamie Randolph Benn (born July 18, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger and captain of the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). In the 2007 NHL entry draft, Benn was drafted by the Dallas Stars 129th overall. He ...
(87 points). On November 26, 2014, Crosby scored his 800th career point against the Toronto Maple Leafs, becoming the sixth-fastest player in NHL history to reach that milestone. On April 1, 2015, in a game against goaltender Steve Mason of the Philadelphia Flyers, Crosby scored his 300th career NHL goal. Despite a strong start to the season, the injury-plagued Penguins narrowly entered the playoffs as the Eastern Conference's second wild card and eighth seed, beating the Boston Bruins by two points in the standings for the eighth and last playoff spot. Facing the
Presidents' Trophy The Presidents' Trophy () is an award presented by the National Hockey League (NHL) to the team that finishes with the most points (i.e., best overall record) during the regular season. If two teams are tied for the most points, then the Trophy ...
-winning New York Rangers in the opening round of the 2015 playoffs, Crosby helped even the series with two goals in game two on Rangers' goaltender
Henrik Lundqvist Henrik Lundqvist (; born 2 March 1982) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Rangers. Before winning the Vezina Trophy in 2012, he was nominated in each ...
. Despite this, the Penguins were defeated by the Rangers in five games and was eliminated in the first round for the first time since the 2012 playoffs. In the 2015 off-season, the Penguins went through a major overhaul of their roster, adding a number of offensive players such as acquiring winger
Phil Kessel Philip Joseph Kessel Jr. (born October 2, 1987) is an American professional ice hockey winger (ice hockey), winger who is an unrestricted free agent. Nicknamed "Phil the Thrill", he has previously played for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Lea ...
from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite a line-up laced with some of the world's finest offensive talents, Crosby struggled to score points, as he and the team had for much of the Johnston era. By the time Johnston was fired on December 12, 2015, after posting a 15–10–3 record through 28 games, some media outlets began speculating that Crosby had aged out of his prime scoring years. On December 16, ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' wrote, "Sidney Crosby has widely been regarded as the NHL's best player since he burst on the scene as a rookie in 2005 ... But Crosby just hasn't been himself this season, scoring just six goals and 13 assists for 19 points in the first 29 games and sitting with a plus/minus of minus-seven. All players go through slumps, but it is clear that the Crosby we knew has been on the decline for some time." His slow start was capped off by not being selected as a starter for the 2016 NHL All-Star Game. However, under new head coach Mike Sullivan, the 28-year-old turned his season around, outscoring all NHL players from December 12 through the end of the season. On February 2, Crosby scored three-straight goals against the Ottawa Senators for his first natural hat-trick in more than five years. Four days later, Crosby scored his 900th, 901st and 902nd career NHL points to fuel a 3–2 overtime comeback victory over the
Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Panthers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team initially played it ...
. He tallied at least one point in 15 of Pittsburgh's 16 games in March, including six multi-point efforts, and was subsequently named the NHL's First Star of the Month. On April 2, Crosby recorded his 600th NHL assist as the Penguins clinched their berth in the 2016 playoffs. Six days later, he scored in overtime against the Washington Capitals to secure home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Crosby finished the 2015–16 season with 36 goals, 49 assists and 85 points in 80 games, including a career-high nine game-winning goals, and was voted team MVP for the sixth time in his career. His two-way game also received league-wide praise, with Hockey Hall of Fame head coach
Scotty Bowman William Scott Bowman (born September 18, 1933) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey head coach. He holds the record for most wins in National Hockey League (NHL) history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup ...
stating that Crosby would be a good candidate for the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward. Crosby's comeback also impressed Wayne Gretzky, who said, "He had a tough start, but the sign of an elite athlete is a guy that battles through it. He didn't point any fingers, he just battled through it, and I don't think there is any question the last 40 or so games, he made a case for the MVP. He was that good. He went to another level." On May 7, Crosby was named a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy which was eventually given to
Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...
winger
Patrick Kane Patrick Timothy Kane II (born November 19, 1988) is an American professional ice hockey winger (ice hockey), right winger for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks with the List of ...
. He finished as the first runner-up with 800 points and 11 first-place votes. After losing to New York Rangers in the past two playoffs, the Penguins eliminated the Rangers in the first round, winning in five games, after losing to the Rangers by the same series margin in the first round the previous year. Crosby led the team in scoring with three goals and five assists for eight points in the series. The Penguins then eliminated the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals in six games, without much offensive production from either Crosby (two assists) or Malkin (one goal and one assist). Advancing to their first conference finals since 2013, Crosby scored the overtime winner against the Tampa Bay Lightning in game two. The goal was scored 40 seconds into overtime on Lightning goaltender
Andrei Vasilevskiy Andrei Andreyevich Vasilevskiy (; born 25 July 1994) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the first round, 19th overall, by the Lightning at the 2012 ...
for a 3–2 win, the fastest overtime goal in Penguins' playoff history, and the first of his career in the playoffs. In the following game, he scored the game-winning goal in a 4–2 victory. After dropping the next two games, Crosby scored his third game-winning goal of the series on Vasilevskiy in game six, forcing a final game in Pittsburgh. Defeating the Lightning 2–1 in game seven, Crosby helped his team win the Eastern Conference championship, advancing to the
Stanley Cup Finals The Stanley Cup Finals in ice hockey (also known as the Stanley Cup Final among various media, ) is the annual championship series of the National Hockey League (NHL). The winner is awarded the Stanley Cup, North America's oldest professional spo ...
against the
San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...
and prevent the Lightning from clinching a second consecutive appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals of their own. In the Finals, the Penguins defeated the Sharks in six games to earn Crosby his second Stanley Cup title. He became the ninth player to win the Stanley Cup twice as well as two Olympic gold medals. Finishing the playoffs with 19 points (six goals and 13 assists), including the primary helper on the Cup-winning goal scored by Kris Letang, Crosby was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. Crosby missed the first six games of the 2016–17 season after being diagnosed with a concussion in practice just a few days before the season opener against the Washington Capitals. Upon his return, he scored 30 goals in his first 45 games, and on February 16, 2017, he registered an assist on a Chris Kunitz goal against the
Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The Jets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The te ...
to reach 1,000 NHL points, doing so in just his 757th game to become the 12th-fastest (and 11th-youngest) player to reach that milestone. He also participated in his first
NHL All-Star Game The National Hockey League All-Star Game () is an exhibition ice hockey tournament that is traditionally held during the regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL), with many of the League's star players playing against each other. The ga ...
since 2007, winning the shooting accuracy segment of the Skills Competition. He was named team MVP and finished the season with 89 points (44 goals, 45 assists) in 75 contests played. His 89 points tied with Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane as the runner(s) up for the Art Ross Trophy. It marked the eighth time he finished a season in the top-three in NHL scoring, tying Mario Lemieux,
Stan Mikita Stanley Mikita (born Stanislav Guoth; May 20, 1940 – August 7, 2018) was a Slovaks, Slovak-born Canadian ice hockey player for the Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League, generally regarded as the best Centre (ic ...
and
Phil Esposito Philip Anthony Esposito ( , ; born February 20, 1942) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach and executive, and current broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Lightning. A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, he played 18 seasons in ...
for the third-most instances in history behind only Wayne Gretzky (15 times) and
Gordie Howe Gordon Howe (March 31, 1928 – June 10, 2016) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. From 1946 to 1980, he played 26 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA); his first 25 seaso ...
(12 times). With his 44 goals, Crosby captured the Rocket Richard Trophy for the second time in his career. Crosby was also named a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award with both awards eventually going to
Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
centre and captain
Connor McDavid Connor Andrew McDavid (born January 13, 1997) is a Canadian professional ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), centre and Captain (ice hockey), captain of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Selected first overall by the Oilers ...
. Entering the 2017 playoffs as the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Penguins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets in five games before meeting the back to back Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals in the second round for the second consecutive year. After winning the first two games on the road, Crosby sustained a concussion after suffering an injury from a slash and cross-check from both Alexander Ovechkin and
Matt Niskanen Matthew Norman Niskanen (born December 6, 1986) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and Philadelphia ...
in game three. He missed game four but returned to practice the next day and played in game five. The Penguins eventually eliminated the Capitals in game seven, with Crosby assisting on the series-winning goal by Bryan Rust. The Penguins then defeated the Ottawa Senators in a gruelling seven-game series to secure their second consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. Crosby had the primary assist on the series-clinching goal, scored by Chris Kunitz in double overtime. Facing the eighth-seeded
Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (colloquially referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Predators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Divisio ...
in the
Finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
, Pittsburgh jumped out to a two-game lead, despite being outplayed for long stretches in both games. The Predators responded by tying up the series, winning games three and four at home. In game five, the Penguins' captain delivered a dominant performance, adding three assists in a 6–0 win to pass Lemieux for most Stanley Cup Finals points (20) in franchise history. After defeating the Predators 2–0 in game six, the Penguins became the first team to repeat as Stanley Cup champions since the 1997–98 Detroit Red Wings, and the first to do so in the salary cap era (since 2005–06). Crosby also won his second consecutive Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs, only the third player to do so after
Bernie Parent Bernard Marcel Parent (born April 3, 1945) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs between 1965 and 1979, an ...
(1974, 1975) and Mario Lemieux (1991, 1992). He finished second in scoring behind Evgeni Malkin with 27 points (eight goals and 19 assists) in 24 games. In the 2017–18 season, Crosby appeared in all 82 of Pittsburgh's regular season games for the first time in his career, finishing with 29 goals and 60 assists for 89 points. On February 11, 2018, he scored his 400th NHL goal against Jake Allen of the
St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
, becoming the 95th player in NHL history to reach the milestone as the Penguins defeated the Blues 4–1. On March 21, he recorded his 700th career NHL assist on a
Jake Guentzel Jake Allen Guentzel (born October 6, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), left winger for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the third round, 77th overall, by the Pittsburg ...
goal in a 5–3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. The Penguins began their 2018 playoff campaign against their inner-state rival, the Philadelphia Flyers. In game one of the Battle of Pennsylvania, Crosby recorded a natural hat-trick in a 7–0 win. On April 18, in game four, Crosby passed Mario Lemieux as the Penguins' all-time playoff points leader with 173. The Penguins ultimately defeated the fifth-seeded Flyers in six games, with Crosby recording six goals and seven assists for 13 points. After the series, retired Hockey Hall of Fame centre
Bryan Trottier Bryan John Trottier (born July 17, 1956) is a Canadian and American former professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins. He won four Stanley Cups with ...
said of Crosby, "Sid has a wonderful gift to maintain his composure and not get rattled. You like the emotion he shows, too. I think he fires his team up, and that's why he's wearing the 'C' or captain" The Penguins were eventually eliminated in game six of the second round by the second-seeded and eventual Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals with Capitals' centre
Evgeny Kuznetsov Yevgeny Evgenyevich Kuznetsov (; born 19 May 1992) is a Russian professional ice hockey forward who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He previously ...
scoring the winning goal in overtime. Crosby finished with 21 points (nine goals and 12 assists) in all 12 games, pushing his career playoff total to 185, tied with Steve Yzerman for tenth-most all-time.


Early playoff exits (2018–2022)

On December 31, 2018, Crosby played his 900th NHL game in a 3–2 win over the
Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confer ...
, becoming the second player in Penguins history to reach the mark. On January 3, 2019, Crosby was selected to play in the
NHL All-Star Game The National Hockey League All-Star Game () is an exhibition ice hockey tournament that is traditionally held during the regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL), with many of the League's star players playing against each other. The ga ...
for the eighth time in his career. He scored four goals and four assists, helping the Metropolitan Division to victory; his efforts won him his first All-Star MVP award, making him the sixth in NHL history to have won that award after having won the Conn Smythe Trophy and Hart Memorial Trophy. During the 2018–19 season, Crosby passed Mario Lemieux to become the Penguins' all-time leader in games played (916), and moved into second place on the Pens' all-time scoring list with his 440th career goal in a 5–1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on March 3. Two days later, he became the 48th player in NHL history to score at least 1,200 career points against the Florida Panthers. He finished the season with 100 points (35 goals and 65 assists), the first time he has reached the 100-point mark since scoring 104 points in 2013–14. Crosby finished 4th in voting for the Selke Trophy and became a Hart Trophy finalist for the seventh time in his career as the Selke eventually went to St. Louis Blues centre
Ryan O'Reilly Ryan O'Reilly (born February 7, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), centre and Captain (ice hockey)#Alternate captains, alternate captain for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has prev ...
and the Hart getting awarded to Tampa Bay Lightning winger
Nikita Kucherov Nikita Igorevich Kucherov (; born 17 June 1993) is a Russian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Regarded as one of the best players in the world, Kucherov ...
, respectively. He was also elected team-MVP. Crosby was selected to the NHL All-Decade First Team in January 2020. The Penguins finished fifth in the Eastern Conference in the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2019–20 season, facing the 12th-seeded Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference qualifying round. The Canadiens upset the Penguins in four games, eliminating Pittsburgh on August 7, 2020, Crosby's 33rd birthday. In the
pandemic A pandemic ( ) is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has a sudden increase in cases and spreads across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. Widespread endemic (epi ...
-shortened 2020–21 season, Crosby led the team in scoring with 62 points (24 goals and 38 assists), and was the recipient of the team's MVP Award and the Players' Player Award. He was also a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award which was eventually awarded to Edmonton Oilers centre and captain Connor McDavid. On February 20, 2021, Crosby became the first player in Penguins history to play 1,000 games with the franchise in a 3–2 win over the New York Islanders. The team clinched a playoff berth for the 15th consecutive season under Crosby's captaincy, the longest active postseason streak among all teams in the North American professional sports leagues. However, the Penguins were eliminated in the first round of the 2021 playoffs by the New York Islanders for the second time in three seasons. On February 15, 2022, Crosby scored his 500th career goal on a power play against the Philadelphia Flyers, becoming the 46th player to score that many goals in NHL history and the 18th to have scored them all for a single team. He was the second Penguin to score 500 goals, after Lemieux. Continuing to hit new milestones, in an April 10 game against the Nashville Predators he recorded a goal and an assist in regulation time, before scoring the overtime-winning goal, his 1400th point in the NHL. Crosby finished the 2021–22 season with 31 goals and 53 assists for 84 points in 69 games played, while the Penguins were third in the Metropolitan Division. They advanced into the 2022 playoffs to meet the New York Rangers. With both Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang's contracts up in the summer, there was some question as to whether this would be the final outing for the core of the Penguins franchise in Crosby's era. In game three of the series against the Rangers, Crosby recorded his 197th career playoff point, passing
Paul Coffey Paul Patrick Coffey (born June 1, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played for nine teams over 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time ...
for sixth place in all-time playoff point standings. Two days later, he managed a goal and two assists in the Penguins' 7–2 victory in game four and 3–1 series lead, becoming the sixth player in league history to record 200 career points in the playoffs. Midway through the second period of game five in Madison Square Garden, with the Penguins up 2–0, Crosby took an elbow to the head from Rangers defenceman
Jacob Trouba Jacob Ryan Trouba (born February 26, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey defenceman, defenseman for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Trouba was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the first round, ninth overall, of the ...
and exited the game. In his absence, the Rangers rallied to win 5–3 and stave off elimination, and Crosby's departure was widely cited as the game's turning point. Head coach Mike Sullivan said that Crosby was being evaluated. After missing game six, Crosby returned for game seven, alongside absent team goaltender
Tristan Jarry Tristan Raymond Jarry (born April 29, 1995) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Jarry was selected by the Penguins in the second round (44th overall) of the 2013 NHL ...
and winger
Rickard Rakell Rickard Lars Gunnar Roland Rakell (born 5 May 1993) is a Swedes, Swedish professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), right winger for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). While playing for the AIK IF in Sweden, Rakell w ...
. However, the Penguins lost to the Rangers in overtime with Rangers winger
Artemi Panarin Artemi Sergeyevich Panarin (; born 30 October 1991), nicknamed the "Breadman", or simply "Bread", is a Russian professional ice hockey winger and alternate captain for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously ...
scoring the winner for the Rangers to take a 4–3 win in the game and 4–3 win in the series, eliminating the Penguins. The Penguins surrendered a 3–1 series lead to the Rangers for the second time in less than a decade.


Recent years (2022–present)

In the 2022 off-season, it was reported that Crosby played a key role in facilitating a new deal between the Penguins and Evgeni Malkin, after the latter had initially announced he would test free agency. Crosby began the 2022–23 season by registering two goals and four assists in his first two games, being named the first star of the first week while leading the league in scoring. After strong initial results, the team struggled with a lengthy losing streak, but Crosby recorded his 900th career assist on a Jake Guentzel goal on November 5, 2022, a 3–2 loss to the
Seattle Kraken The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle. The Kraken compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The t ...
. He was the sixth-fastest player to this feat in NHL history. On April 8, Crosby registered his 1500th career point in a 5–1 win against the Detroit Red Wings, the fifteenth NHL player to hit that milestone, and in the sixth-fewest games (1188). As the poor performance of the team continued into the spring, the Penguins' league-best 16-year playoff streak increasingly came into jeopardy, and by the final weeks of the season they were battling the Florida Panther] and the New York Islanders for the two Eastern Conference wildcard positions. A 5–2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on April 11, at that moment the team at the bottom of the standings, in the penultimate game of the season, combined with an Islanders victory the following day, sealed the Penguins' missing the playoffs for the first time since 2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins season, 2005–06, Crosby's rookie season and for the first time in Crosby's captaincy. This happened despite Crosby playing all 82 games for only the second time in his career, and doing so alongside Evgeni Malkin for the first time. Much recrimination ensued among fans and commentators, with many calling for the sacking of Penguins general manager
Ron Hextall Ronald Jeffrey Hextall (born May 3, 1964) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender and executive. He was most recently the general manager#Sports teams, general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL ...
for his perceived mistakes in constructing the team in the previous 2022 off-season. Hextall and team executive Brian Burke were both fired the day after the season ended, with owners
Fenway Sports Group Fenway Sports Group Holdings, LLC (FSG), is an American multinational sports holding conglomerate which owns Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox, Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., Liverpool, National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins, NAS ...
promising "the goal of contending for the Stanley Cup has not changed." Shortly the 2023–24 season, his 19th season in the NHL, on November 4, 2023, Crosby skated in his 1,200th game, recording an assist in a 10–2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. About the achievement, Crosby said: "You don't just love it when it's good to you. You love it when it's tough and when it's difficult too. When that passion's not there, or that love's not there, it's probably time to stop doing it." On April 1, 2024, following a 5–2 win over the New York Rangers, Crosby became the second player in NHL history to average a point per game for the 19th consecutive season, joining Wayne Gretzky. On April 11, Crosby recorded his 1,000th NHL assist on a goal by
Erik Karlsson Erik Sven Gunnar Karlsson (; born 31 May 1990) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Karlsson was drafted in the first round, 15th overall, by the Ottawa Senators at th ...
in a 6–5 overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings to become the 14th player in league history and seventh fastest player to hit the mark (at 1,269 games). Crosby finished the season playing in all 82 contests played with 42 goals, 52 assists and 94 points recorded. Despite his continuation of individual productivity, the Penguins finished three points out of a playoff spot marking the first time in Crosby's tenure where the Penguins missed the playoffs in two consecutive seasons. On September 16, 2024, Crosby signed a two-year $17.4 million extension ($8.7 million average) to remain with the Penguins. On November 23, Crosby scored his 600th NHL goal against goaltender Karel Vejmelka of the
Utah Hockey Club The Utah Mammoth are a professional ice hockey team based in Salt Lake City. The Mammoth compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise joined the league as an expansion ...
, becoming the 21st player in league history and second player in Penguins history to achieve the feat as the Penguins lost the game 6–1. The Penguins continued to struggle as a team, missing the playoffs for the third consecutive time and fourth time in Crosby's tenure, ending up 11 points short of the last playoff spot. Despite the team's struggles, Crosby remained productive individually as he finished the season with 33 goals and 58 assists for 91 points in 80 games. Despite these offensive statistics, he had a career-worst −20 plus-minus rating.


International play


Junior

Crosby debuted internationally for
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
at the
2003 U-18 Junior World Cup The 2003 U-18 Junior World Cup was an under-18 international ice hockey tournament held in Břeclav, Czech Republic and Piešťany, Slovakia from August 11–16, 2003. The United States captured their first gold medal at the tournament, defeatin ...
. He was the youngest player on the under-18 team, having turned 16 shortly before the beginning of the tournament. After seven consecutive gold medals at the tournament, Canada lost in the bronze medal game to the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
8–2. He scored four goals and six points over five tournament games. Crosby went on to compete in two World Junior Championships with Canada under-20 team. When he was named to the team in December 2003, he became the fifth 16-year-old to represent Canada at the tournament, following
Jay Bouwmeester Jay Daniel Bouwmeester (born September 27, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played seventeen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues. He was a firs ...
,
Jason Spezza Jason Rocco Anthony Spezza (born June 13, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), centre and current assistant general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. Spezza played 19 career seas ...
,
Eric Lindros Eric Bryan Lindros (; born February 28, 1973) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Oshawa Generals prior to being chosen first overall in the 1991 NHL entry d ...
and Wayne Gretzky. Competing in the 2004 World Junior Championships, he then became the youngest player to score a goal in the history of the tournament at 16 years, 4 months, and 21 days when he scored against
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
in a 7–2 win. This record would last until the 2012 World Juniors when
Aleksander Barkov Aleksander Aleksandrovich "Sasha" Barkov (; born 2 September 1995) is a Finns, Finnish professional ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), centre and Captain (ice hockey), captain of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Barkov wa ...
of
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
scored a goal aged 16 years, 4 months. Crosby finished the tournament with two goals and three assists in six games, helping Canada to a silver medal finish. The following year, he returned for Canada at the 2005 World Junior Championships. He improved to six goals and three assists as Canada earned gold. Crosby stated the following year that his most memorable ice hockey moment was winning his World Junior gold medal.


Men's

After completing his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Crosby competed in the
2006 IIHF World Championship The 2006 IIHF World Championship was held in between 5–21 May 2006 in Riga, Latvia. It was the 70th annual event, and was run by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). One of the requirements of the IIHF for Latvia to host the event ...
as an
alternate captain In ice hockey, the captain is the player designated by a team as the only person authorized to speak with the game officials regarding rule interpretations when the captain is on the ice. At most levels of play each team must designate one captai ...
for
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. Scoring a tournament-best eight goals and eight assists in nine games, he became the youngest player ever to win a
World Championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...
scoring title. Despite his performance, Canada failed to medal, being shut-out by
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
5–0 in the bronze medal game. Crosby was named the tournament's top forward and to the competition's all-star team. After being omitted from Canada's Olympic team in
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
, Crosby was named to the Canadian roster on December 30, 2009, as an alternate captain for the
2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...
. He scored the game-winning shootout goal for Canada in the second game of the preliminary round against
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
. After going pointless in the quarterfinal and semifinal against
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and
Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
respectively, Crosby scored the winning goal 7 minutes and 40 seconds into overtime against the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
in the
gold medal game Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal, a group 11 ...
. The goal has later become known as the "Golden Goal" due to it being scored in the gold medal game. It is also regarded by some as "Canada's most iconic sports moment". Following the Penguins' second-round elimination in the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, Crosby declined an invitation to join Canada midway through the
2010 IIHF World Championship The 2010 IIHF World Championship was the 74th IIHF World Championship, an annual international ice hockey tournament. It took place between 7 and 23 May 2010 in Germany. The games were played in the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, SAP Arena in Mannh ...
. Crosby was selected to represent Canada at the
2014 Winter Olympics The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXII Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Sochi 2014 (), were an international winter multi-sport event that was held from 7 to 23 February 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Opening ro ...
and was later named team captain. Canada won gold, with Crosby contributing one goal and two assists in six games. He scored his only goal in the final against
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
, further establishing his reputation as "a player who rises up in big games". In 2015, Crosby captained Canada to its first World Championship title since
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
, with the team winning all 10 games and scoring 66 goals. Crosby, scoring four goals and seven assists in nine games, became the 26th member of the
Triple Gold Club The Triple Gold Club is the group of ice hockey players and coaches who have won an Ice hockey at the Olympic Games, Olympic Games gold medal, a Ice Hockey World Championships, World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup, the championship t ...
. He is the first member of the club to captain all three championship teams, and the first member to be a first overall NHL draft pick. In 2016, Hockey Canada named Crosby captain for the
2016 World Cup of Hockey The 2016 World Cup of Hockey (abbreviated WCH2016) was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the third installment of the National Hockey League (NHL)-sanctioned competition, 12 years after the second World Cup of Hockey in 2004. It was ...
. Crosby, who led the tournament in scoring with 10 points, helping Canada win the championship, and was named the most valuable player. He joined
Bobby Orr Robert Gordon Orr (born March 20, 1948) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time. Orr used his skating speed, scoring, and play-making abilities to revolutionize the ...
and Wayne Gretzky as the only players to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy and World Cup MVP. Canada's head coach
Mike Babcock Mike Babcock (born April 29, 1963) is a Canadian former ice hockey player and coach. He spent parts of eighteen seasons as a head coach in the National Hockey League (NHL), beginning when he was named head coach of the Anaheim Ducks, Mighty Duck ...
described Crosby as a serial winner, saying, "He's that high-end competitor. He's a good leader because he tries to do it right all the time. He demands a lot out of himself. In doing so, he demands a lot out of his teammates." In 2020, he was named to the IIHF All-Time Canada Team and the Men's All-Decade Team. On October 3, 2021, Crosby was one of the first three players named to roster for Canada's team for the
2022 Winter Olympics The 2022 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXIV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Beijing 2022 (2022), were an international winter multi-sport event held from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Beijing, China, and surrounding areas wit ...
, alongside Connor McDavid and
Alex Pietrangelo Alexander Pietrangelo (born January 18, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the St. Louis Blues for parts of twe ...
. However, due to the NHL's subsequent decision not to attend the Winter Olympics as a result of the
Omicron variant Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a Variants of SARS-CoV-2, variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It was first detected in Botswana and has ...
's impacts on scheduling, Crosby was unable to compete. He said afterward that "I've been fortunate enough to be part of two. I definitely feel for the guys who have missed numerous opportunities." On June 28, 2024, Crosby was one of the first six players selected to represent Team Canada in the
2025 4 Nations Face-Off The 4 Nations Face-Off () was an international ice hockey tournament held from February 12 to 20, 2025. The games were played in Montreal at Bell Centre and in Boston at TD Garden. Hosted by the National Hockey League (NHL) and featuring only NH ...
, the first international tournament with full NHL participation since 2016. He was later named captain of the team. Crosby missed the Penguins' final two games before the tournament due to injury, but confirmed that he would participate still. He had three assists in Team Canada's 4–3 opening victory against Sweden, including on the overtime winner. Canada went on to win the tournament, with Crosby finishing with five points. Later the same year, following Pittsburgh not qualifying for the
2025 Stanley Cup playoffs The 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs is the Stanley Cup playoffs, playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 2024–25 NHL season, 2024–25 season. The playoffs began on April 19, 2025, and will conclude no later than June 20, 2025, ...
, Crosby accepted an invitation to join Team Canada at the
2025 IIHF World Championship The 2025 IIHF World Championship was co-hosted by Stockholm, Sweden, and Herning, Denmark, from 9 to 25 May 2025. This decision regarding Sweden was made at the 2018 semi-annual International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) congress in Malta, and w ...
in Stockholm. This was to be his first appearance at the World Championship since 2015. Former Penguins teammate Marc-André Fleury, who had retired from the NHL at season's end, also announced that he would participate in the tournament as his final competition.


Player profile


Style of play

As captain and first-line centre for Canada, Crosby played with different line mates in almost every game as the coaching staff struggled to find players capable of keeping pace with the superstar centre at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, and again at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. Crosby's fellow countryman and Olympic teammate, Rick Nash, was questioned by the media about this, at one point saying, "I think he's a tough guy to keep up with. He's so fast. The way he thinks about the game seems like it's far beyond everyone else's process. It's the same thing in the last Olympics, keep shuffling around until you found something that fit." Team Canada's assistant coach in Vancouver, Ken Hitchcock, recalled, "Sid thinks at a level, when the other team has the puck, that's above everyone else in the league [NHL]. His anticipation when the other team has the puck is so high, he knows where it's going ahead of time. He can pick off passes, make you make errors. And then he also knows where people are located on the ice, so he can turn that turnover into a scoring chance." Other professional NHL players have particularly noted Crosby for his Backhand shot (ice hockey), backhand shot. For example, in his column for ''The Players' Tribune'' in July 2015, Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings praised Crosby for having "the best backhand shot" in the NHL. "His blade is almost completely flat, which combined with his ridiculous forearm strength gives him the ability to go forehand to your five hole instantly or turn it over to the backhand and roof it (a lot of guys can't do this with a flat blade)."Elite Snipers 101
, theplayerstribune.com. Retrieved December 29, 2015.


Reputation

Noted for his on-ice vision, passing ability, leadership, work ethic, and complete overall game, Crosby is considered to be one of the greatest players of all time.
Bobby Orr Robert Gordon Orr (born March 20, 1948) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time. Orr used his skating speed, scoring, and play-making abilities to revolutionize the ...
named Crosby among the five best players in the history of NHL. Gretzky said of Crosby in September 2016, "He's proven over and over that he's the best player in the game today. And it seems like the more important the game, the more impact that he makes on a game." Gordie Howe was also impressed by Crosby, "I met him and I've seen him play. Unless you put two guys on him, he'll kill you in a game." In October 2016, Mario Lemieux praised his protégé for his ability to play both sides of the puck: "I think he's more of a complete player. Defensively, I think he's improved a lot over the last couple of years." In an April 2018 article for ''The Washington Post'', other players, teammates and coaches highlighted his work ethic and strive for greatness as a major factor to Crosby's lasting success. "While his natural ability – powerful skating, pistol-quick hands, uncommon feel – made him a phenom, his creative, distinct capacity for work has enabled him to stay atop the NHL." In March 2019, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan described Crosby as "best 200-foot player in the game" and the "heartbeat" of the Penguins. On January 27, 2017, in a ceremony during the All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, Crosby was named one of the
100 Greatest NHL Players In 2017, the National Hockey League commemorated its 100th anniversary with a list of the 100 Greatest NHL Players. The list was made through voting compiled by a panel of 58 people, including media members, NHL alumni and NHL executives. The lis ...
in history. In that same year, Fox Sports ranked Crosby 15th on their "21 greatest athletes of the 21st century (so far)" list, and The Sports Network, TSN named him the eighth-best NHL player of all time. Four months before the 2022 Winter Olympics, Rob Rossi of ''The Athletic'' called him "arguably North America's most dominant team-sport Winter Olympian." In a survey conducted by Sportsnet in June 2017, Crosby was voted by Canadians to be the greatest athlete of the 21st century. A poll conducted by the NHLPA in March 2018 of more than 500 players resulted in Crosby being voted the "most difficult to play against, best role model, best team player, the player you'd want to win one game, and the player who would be a great coach upon retirement". In April 2018, Crosby was chosen as Nova Scotia's "Best athlete ever" by the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame. In March 2019, an anonymous survey conducted by ''The Athletic'' showed that Crosby was regarded the best all-around NHL player by his peers. Considered a generational talent and a franchise player, drafting Crosby changed the fortunes of a struggling Pittsburgh Penguins. It helped secure funding for PPG Paints Arena, a new arena and ended speculation that the franchise would relocate to another city. In 2005–06 NHL season, 2005–06, his presence helped Pittsburgh's attendance increase by 33%. Crosby's arrival also aided in reinvigorating and expanding the roots of hockey in the Pittsburgh area. Penguins CEO and president David Morehouse said, "We were in last place, we were last in revenues, we were last in attendance, our TV ratings were minimal and we were in the oldest building in the NHL... We were able to draw attention to us as a franchise because of the drafting of Sidney Crosby and the subsequent success we had." Crosby is well known for welcoming new teammates with open arms. Former teammate and NHL veteran Matt Cullen has said that "[he watches] how he makes time to make a real effort to include guys and go out of his way to spend time with younger guys, and I know that goes a long way." Crosby often does research on new members of the organization, even players who have not yet made the roster, and makes sure to greet them. Some current players who grew up watching Crosby, such as Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, have said that they tried to emulate other players as emerging youth hockey stars because "playing at his [Crosby's] level just wasn't realistic."


Jerseys

Crosby's number 87 Pittsburgh Penguins jersey was the top seller on the NHL's website from September 2005 to February 2008. It has continued to be among the top-selling jerseys since his rookie season. In January 2005, an Air Canada baggage handler in Montreal stole Crosby's red Canada jersey from the World Junior Hockey Championship. It was recovered later in a mailbox. His white jersey from the tournament was temporarily delisted from an auction while the red one was missing. It eventually sold for , which went to youth hockey charities and 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake relief. Less than a year later, one of Crosby's game-worn sweaters disappeared. The jersey he wore in his first NHL game, played against the New Jersey Devils, disappeared from his father's luggage during a flight from Pittsburgh to Buffalo, New York, Buffalo. The jersey was later found at the Pittsburgh International Airport between a piece of equipment and a stairwell. Crosby's jersey from his third NHL game was the highest-selling NHL jersey in an auction for Hurricane Katrina relief – it sold for $21,010. During an online auction held by the NHL and the NHL Players Association to benefit Hockey Fights Cancer, Crosby's game-worn jersey from the first period of the 2007 All-Star Game earned the most money. Crosby's sold for , more than eight times the next highest price—$ for the jersey worn by Brendan Shanahan of the New York Rangers. Following Crosby's Olympic gold medal victory with Canada in 2010, it was announced that his hockey stick, stick and hockey glove, glove were missing. It was initially suspected that they might have been stolen; Reebok Canada offered a reward of for their return, "no questions asked". On March 10, the items were found: Crosby's stick had been placed in a shipment bound for the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in Saint Petersburg, Russia, (the shipment was intercepted in Toronto) and his glove was found in a hockey bag belonging to Olympic teammate and Boston Bruins' centre Patrice Bergeron, whose :wikt:stall, stall was beside Crosby's in the locker room.


Personal life

Crosby rarely discusses his personal life and avoids social media. Andy O'Brien, Crosby's fitness trainer for over 15 years, has said: "He [Crosby] wants to be one of the guys and doesn't really seek to separate himself or get special treatment in any way... He takes a lot of enjoyment in the regular, simple things in life and having a normal, ordinary routine". Greg Powers described Crosby as essentially the brother of Lemieux's son Austin, as he lived with Lemieux's family in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, from 2005 until 2010. In May 2010, Crosby purchased his own home in the same area. In June 2006, he had bought his first house on Grand Lake (Nova Scotia), Grand Lake in Halifax, Nova Scotia. On May 29, 2010, it was announced that Crosby would sign the richest endorsement contract in NHL history with Reebok, expected to pay Crosby $1.4 million per year for five to seven years. In 2015, he signed a six-year endorsement contract with Adidas. Crosby also has endorsement deals with Bell Canada, Bell, Tim Hortons, and Gatorade. Regarded as one of Canada's "legendary goal-scorers and storied leaders", Crosby was featured in Canada Post's ''NHL Great Canadian Forwards'' Postage stamp, stamp collection, alongside Phil Esposito, Guy Lafleur, Darryl Sittler, Mark Messier, and Steve Yzerman. In September 2016, he won an Emmy Award for his role in ''There's No Place Like Home With Sidney Crosby''. He also won for his participation in the ''Merci Sidney'' video that followed his return to Rimouski for his QMJHL jersey retirement ceremony. Crosby has a younger sister named Taylor who is a hockey goaltender. Like her brother, she went to high school at Shattuck-Saint Mary's in Faribault, Minnesota, to play with the school's hockey program. In 2014, Taylor joined the Northeastern Huskies women's ice hockey team as a freshman at Northeastern University in Boston. In 2015, she transferred to Minnesota's St. Cloud State University and played with the St. Cloud State Huskies women's ice hockey team through to graduation at the end of the 2017–18 school year. Crosby continues to be active in the community in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. He created the Sidney Crosby Foundation in 2009, an organization committed to helping charities benefiting children. In 2015, he started a hockey school in Cole Harbour. His "Little Penguins Program" has provided free equipment and lessons to more than ten thousand local youngsters in Pittsburgh.


Career statistics

.


Regular season and playoffs

Bold indicates led league * 1999–2000 stats are from "Age-old question: Cole Harbour hockey association bars peewee player from bantam tourney". The Halifax Daily News. April 5, 2000.


International


Honours and achievements


Records


IIHF

* Youngest player to win a World Championship scoring title


Pittsburgh Penguins

* Assists (63) and points (102) in a season by a rookie * Most regular season overtime goals (13) * Most games played * Most playoff points * Most playoff assists * Most playoff games * Most points in the Stanley Cup Finals (20) * Most playoff multi-point games


NHL

* First rookie to record 100 points and 100 penalty minutes in a season * Youngest player to record 100 points in a season (18 years, 253 days) * Youngest player to record 200 career points (19 years and 207 days) * Youngest player to record 2 consecutive 100-point seasons (19 years, 215 days). * Youngest player voted to the starting line-up in an All-Star Game * Youngest Art Ross Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award winner * Youngest player to be named to the first All-Star team * Youngest player to lead NHL playoffs in scoring (20 years, 9 months, and 28 days) * Youngest NHL captain to win
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
(21 years, 10 months, and 5 days) * 6th player in NHL history to win multiple Conn Smythe Trophies. * Fewest games played by an NHL team's leading scorer (his 66 points in 41 games were the most of any player on the 2010–11 Penguins squad)


See also

* List of Pittsburgh Penguins players * List of NHL players with 50 goal seasons * List of NHL players with 100-point seasons * List of NHL players with 1,000 points * List of NHL players with 1,000 games played * List of NHL players with 500 goals


Notes


References


Further reading

*


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Crosby, Sidney 1987 births Living people Art Ross Trophy winners Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Canadian ice hockey centres Canadian philanthropists Conn Smythe Trophy winners First overall NHL draft picks Hart Memorial Trophy winners Ice hockey people from Halifax, Nova Scotia Ice hockey people from Pittsburgh Ice hockey players at the 2010 Winter Olympics Ice hockey players at the 2014 Winter Olympics Lester B. Pearson Award winners Medalists at the 2010 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 2014 Winter Olympics Members of the Order of Nova Scotia National Hockey League All-Stars NHL first-round draft picks Northern Star Award winners Officers of the Order of Canada Olympic gold medalists for Canada Olympic ice hockey players for Canada Olympic medalists in ice hockey People from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia Sportspeople from Sewickley, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Penguins draft picks Pittsburgh Penguins players Rimouski Océanic players Rocket Richard Trophy winners Stanley Cup champions 4 Nations Face-Off players