On July 30, 2005, in the NHL Entry Draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins selected center Sidney Crosby with the first overall pick. Recognized early as an extraordinary talent with the potential to make a major impact, Crosby has more than fulfilled the prediction.
Even Wayne Gretzky has declared Crosby among the best, stating that he “has 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.”
Quick Facts: Sidney Crosby
Position: Center | Shoots: Left
Born: Aug. 7, 1987 (Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia)
Drafted: 1st overall, 2005 (Pittsburgh)
- Nicknames: Sid the Kid, The Next One
- Seasons Played: 20 (2005–2025)
- Stanley Cups: 3
- Olympic Gold: 2 (2010, 2014)
- World Cup of Hockey Gold: 1 (2016, MVP)
- Career Points: 1,687 (as of 2024-25 season)
- First NHL Goal: Oct. 8, 2005 vs. Boston (Andrew Raycroft)
- Notable Feat: First player to average a point per game in 20 seasons (NHL record)
- Most Iconic Moment: 2010 “Golden Goal” in Vancouver Olympics OT vs. USA
Early Days
Born on August 7, 1987, in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, Crosby earned the nickname “Sid the Kid” early in life. At just two years old, he fired pucks into the family dryer, already showing the precision and passion that would define his career. From ages 12 to 15, he attended Astral Drive Junior High, where he maintained straight A’s and built a reputation as a role model among his peers.
Crosby spent the following year at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, a renowned prep school in Minnesota, before joining Rimouski in the QMJHL for two seasons. He led the league in scoring both years and guided Rimouski to the 2005 Memorial Cup Final. In recognition of his impact, Rimouski retired his No. 87 in 2019, and the QMJHL retired the number league-wide.
Pre-Draft Analysis
The NHL Central Scouting report (2005) predicted Sidney Crosby’s evolution with remarkable accuracy, describing him as a skilled skater with exceptional balance and agility, quick hands, and the ability to dominate breakaways while remaining incredibly hard to defend against. His vision and hockey sense were described as “unparalleled” (NHL Central Scouting, 2005).
Above all else, Crosby has always been considered a team player and is widely regarded as one of the most elite to ever play the game.
“I promise to play for the logo on the front, not the name on the back.” – Sidney Crosby
NHL Career Start
In his rookie season (2005-06), Sidney Crosby scored 102 points (39G, 63A) and became the youngest player in NHL history to reach 100 points in a season. On May 31, 2007, at just 19 years old, he took the captaincy of the Penguins.
Early in his career, injuries shortened several seasons, but Crosby still led Pittsburgh to the Stanley Cup Final in 2008 and captured the Cup in 2009, becoming the youngest captain ever to do so. He topped the NHL in goals in 2009-10 (51) and again in 2016-17 (44), and claimed his second Art Ross Trophy in 2013-14 with 104 points.
Crosby won back-to-back Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP in 2016 and 2017, solidifying his reputation as one of the most complete players in NHL history.
International Career
Crosby’s international résumé includes the iconic “Golden Goal” at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and gold at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. He was MVP at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, captaining Canada to gold while leading the tournament in scoring.ver Olympics and was instrumental in Canada’s consecutive victories at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Crosby earned Most Valuable Player honors at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey for his outstanding performance, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer. As Team Canada’s captain, he led the event with three goals and 10 points in six games. He anchored a dominant top line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron.
In February 2025, he captained Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off and recorded three assists in a 4-3 overtime win over Sweden. In June of 2025, Hockey Canada named its first six players for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, selecting Crosby alongside Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Brayden Point, Cale Makar, and Sam Reinhart. The announcement reaffirmed his place among the game’s elite leaders as he prepares for his third Olympic tournament.
Career Milestones
Sidney Crosby achieved numerous significant milestones throughout his career. In his 11th season, he scored 30 goals for the Penguins, matching Mario Lemieux’s record. On February 15, 2022, he netted his 500th career goal on a power play against the Philadelphia Flyers, becoming the 46th player in NHL history — and the 18th to do so with one team — to reach the 500-goal mark. He joined Lemieux as the only Penguins to score 500 goals for the franchise.
That same goal also made him just the second active NHL player, alongside Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, to reach 500 goals. Crosby accomplished the feat in the first period of Pittsburgh’s thrilling 5-4 overtime win at PPG Paints Arena.
A few months later, on April 10, 2022, he recorded two goals — including the overtime winner — and an assist in a win over the Nashville Predators to surpass 1,400 NHL points. He became the 22nd player in league history to hit the mark and joined Joe Thornton and Ovechkin as the only active players to do so. He also became the seventh-fastest to reach 1,400 points, behind Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Marcel Dionne, Phil Esposito, Jaromír Jágr, and Steve Yzerman.
In Game 4 of the 2022 Eastern Conference First Round, Crosby assisted on Jake Guentzel’s goal at 3:38 of the second period, marking his 200th career playoff point. He became just the sixth player in NHL history to achieve the milestone, joining Gretzky (382), Mark Messier (295), Jari Kurri (233), Glenn Anderson (214), and Jágr (201).
Later in 2022, the Governor General appointed Crosby as an Officer of the Order of Canada, the country’s second-highest civilian honor, recognizing him as one of the greatest hockey players of all time and commending his commitment to youth community initiatives.
On April 8, 2023, he reached 1,500 career points in a 5–1 win against the Detroit Red Wings, becoming the 15th NHL player to achieve the milestone and doing so in the sixth-fewest games. That season, he also secured his 19th year averaging at least a point per game, tying Gretzky’s record. Crosby reached 1,000 career assists, becoming the seventh player to do so with one team and accomplishing it in the seventh-fewest games in NHL history, behind Gretzky (645), Lemieux (856), Paul Coffey (1,105), Adam Oates (1,174), Ron Francis (1,235), and Dionne (1,259).
In March 2024, Crosby scored his 35th goal of the season, becoming the first active player — and the 14th in NHL history — to record 15 or more 40-assist seasons. Around the same time, he tallied his 239th career multi-assist game, surpassing Joe Thornton for 10th place all-time.
On April 1, 2024, in a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers, he posted three points, further cementing his legacy in his 19th point-per-game season.
Additionally, he reached a milestone by earning his 1,000th NHL assist when he passed to Erik Karlsson. Karlsson then scored the game-winning goal 1:40 into overtime, leading the Penguins to a 6-5 triumph over the Red Wings in Pittsburgh on April 11.
Crosby became the seventh player to achieve 1,000 assists with a single team and accomplished this feat in the seventh-fewest games in NHL history, reaching the milestone in 1,269 games. Only Gretzky (645), Lemieux (856), Paul Coffey (1,105), Adam Oates (1,174), Ron Francis (1,235), and Dionne (1,259) achieved this milestone in fewer games.
At the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, Crosby had tallied 42 goals, 52 assists for 94 points and a plus/minus rating of +7. Crosby has amassed a career total of 592 goals, 1004 assists, and 1596 points in 1272 games over the past 19 seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He became the first player to join the NHL’s Top-10 All-time points list since Jaromír Jágr achieved this over 16 years ago (February 2008).
On Oct. 16, 2024, Crosby recorded his 1,600th career point, becoming the first NHL player to reach the milestone since Jaromír Jágr in 2011. In that same game, he assisted on Evgeni Malkin’s 500th goal and scored the overtime winner against Buffalo. A month later, on Nov. 23, 2024, he scored his 600th NHL goal, making him the 21st player to reach the mark.
On Mar. 27, 2025, Crosby secured his 20th season averaging at least a point per game, breaking Wayne Gretzky’s previous record of 19.
2024-25 Season
In his 20th NHL campaign, Crosby played 80 games, tallying 33 goals and 58 assists for 91 points, winning 57.0% of his faceoffs, and averaging 20:22 of ice time per game. While the Penguins faced challenges and Crosby finished with a -20 rating, he remained the team’s offensive catalyst and a top two-way center in the league.
Career Totals
Through 1,352 regular-season games, Crosby has amassed 625 goals, 1,062 assists, and 1,687 points, with a career plus/minus of +197 and a faceoff win rate of 52.8%. His career includes three Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals, a World Cup of Hockey gold, and multiple individual awards that place him firmly among the all-time greats.
The 2025-26 season will mark Sidney Crosby’s 21st season in the league.
Awards & Honors
Junior/Amateur
- QMJHL All-Rookie Team (2004)
- QMJHL First All-Star Team (2004, 2005)
- QMJHL Player of the Year (2004, 2005)
- Canadian Major Junior First All-Star Team (2004, 2005)
- Canadian Major Junior Rookie of the Year (2004)
- Canadian Major Junior Player of the Year (2004, 2005)
NHL
- NHL All-Rookie Team (2006)
- NHL First All-Star Team (2007, 2013, 2014, 2016)
- NHL Second All-Star Team (2010, 2015, 2017, 2019)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (2007, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024)
- NHL All-Star Game MVP (2019)
- Stanley Cup Champion (2009, 2016, 2017)
- Art Ross Trophy (2007, 2014)
- Hart Memorial Trophy (2007, 2014)
- Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy (2010, 2017)
- Ted Lindsay Award (2007, 2013, 2014)
- Conn Smythe Trophy (2016, 2017)
- Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award (2010)
- 100 Greatest NHL Players (2017)
International
- Olympic Gold Medal (2010, 2014)
- World Cup of Hockey Gold Medal (2016, MVP)
- Named to Canada’s “First Six” for 2026 Winter Olympics (2025)
- 4 Nations Face-Off Champion (2025)
Other Honors
- Officer of the Order of Canada (2022)
- Holds NHL record for most seasons averaging at least a point per game (20)
Quotes
“You’d hear about this kid who was very dominant, and every year I was supposed to play against him he’d move up, because he was that good. So I remember watching him, and he’d be playing with kids three years older, and I remember the game I watched for the first time: It was 6-1, and he had five goals and an assist. He’s always been a dominant player at every age, and you knew he was going to be a good player.” – Brad Marchand
“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.” – Mike Babcock
“I think he’s more of a complete player… Defensively, I think he’s improved a lot over the last couple of years…That’s the biggest thing that in his game has improved, is that he can play both sides of the puck.” – Mario Lemieux
“We have so much respect for how good of a player he is, but I don’t think he’s as good as he is by accident. His work ethic is second to none. This kid comes to the rink every day. He’s the first guy on the ice. He works on his game tirelessly every single day to be the best. Right now, he certainly is playing inspiring hockey for our group.” – Mike Sullivan
ITR 47: Then There Was Nothing – Inside The Rink
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