Sidney Patrick Crosby
ONSThe Order of Nova Scotia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Instituted on 2 August 2001, when Lieutenant Governor Myra Freeman granted Royal Assent to the Order of Nova Scotia Act, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to honour...
(born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional
ice hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player and
captainIn ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
of the
Pittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
of the
National Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). Crosby was
drafted first overall by the Penguins out of the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey LeagueThe Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
(QMJHL). During his two-year major junior career with the
Rimouski OcéanicThe Rimouski Océanic are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League . The franchise was granted for the 1969–70 season...
, he earned back-to-back
CHL Player of the YearThe CHL Player of the Year award is given out annually to the player judged to be the most outstanding in the Canadian Hockey League. It is selected from the winners of the Red Tilson Trophy , Michel Briere Memorial Trophy , and the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy .-Winners:* 2010-11 Ryan Ellis,...
awards and led his club to the
2005 Memorial CupThe 2005 Memorial Cup was held May 21–29, 2005 at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario. The Cup tournament featured the champions from the Western Hockey League, the Kelowna Rockets, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Rimouski Océanic, the Ottawa 67's representing the Ontario Hockey...
final. Nicknamed "
The Next OneThe Next One is a nickname that has belonged to the following ice hockey players:* Eric Lindros* Sidney Crosby* John TavaresThe name is a play on Wayne Gretzky's nickname, "The Great One". Each of the players listed has been or is currently billed as the next Wayne Gretzky...
", he was one of the most highly-regarded draft picks in hockey history, leading many to refer to the
2005 Draft LotteryThe 2005 NHL Entry Draft was the 43rd NHL Entry Draft.As a lockout cancelled the games of the 2004–05 NHL season, the draft order was determined by lottery on July 22, 2005. Teams were assigned 1 to 3 balls based on their playoff appearances and first overall draft picks from the past three years...
as the "Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes".
In his first NHL season, Crosby finished sixth in league scoring with 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists) and was a runner-up for the
Calder Memorial TrophyThe 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." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
(won by
Alexander OvechkinAlexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
). By his second season, he led the NHL with 120 points (36 goals, 84 assists) to capture the
Art Ross TrophyThe Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception...
, becoming the youngest player and the only teenager to win a scoring title in any major North American sports league. That same season, Crosby also won the
Hart Memorial TrophyThe Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
as the Professional Hockey Writers Association's choice for
most valuable playerIn sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
and the
Lester B. Pearson AwardThe 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. It has been awarded 40 times to 23 different players since its beginnings...
as the
NHL Players AssociationThe National Hockey League Players' Association or NHLPA is the labor union for the group of professional hockey players who are under Standard Player Contracts to the thirty member clubs in the National Hockey League located in the United States and Canada...
's choice for most outstanding player, becoming the seventh player in NHL history to earn all three awards in one year. Crosby started the 2007–08 season with the team's captaincy and subsequently led them to the
2008 Stanley Cup FinalsThe 2008 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the National Hockey League champion for the 2007–08 season. As a culmination of the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings defeated the Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh...
, where they were defeated by the
Detroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
in six games. The Penguins returned to the Finals against Detroit the
following yearThe Red Wings took Game 1, 3–1, as three different Detroit players scored goals off of unusual bounces. The first period featured back and forth action, with each team having a variety of chances...
and won in seven games; Crosby became the youngest captain in NHL history to win the
Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
. In the 2009–10 season, Crosby scored a career-high 51 goals, tying him with
Steven StamkosSteven Stamkos is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, an alternate captain for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . Stamkos was the first overall pick in the 2006 OHL Entry Draft, from the Markham Waxers of the OMHA. Playing with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey...
for the Rocket Richard Trophy as the league-leader; with 58 assists, he totaled 109 points, second in the NHL. During the off-season, Crosby received the
Mark Messier Leadership AwardThe Mark Messier Leadership Award is a National Hockey League award that recognizes an individual as a superior leader within their sport, and as a contributing member of society...
. In
2010–11The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
, Crosby sustained a concussion as a result of hits to the head in back-to-back games. The injury left him sidelined for ten-and-a-half months.
Internationally, Crosby has represented
CanadaHockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
in numerous tournaments for the country's junior and men's teams. After competing in the
2003 U-18 Junior World CupThe 2003 U-18 Junior World Cup was an under-18 international ice hockey tournament held in Břeclav, Czech Republic and Piešťany, Slovakia from August 11–18, 2003. The United States captured their first gold medal at the tournament, defeating Russia 3–2 in the gold medal game...
, he represented Canada in back-to-back
IIHF World U20 ChampionshipsThe International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world...
, winning silver in
2004The 2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was held between December 26, 2003 and January 5, 2004 in Helsinki and Hämeenlinna, Finland...
and gold in
2005The 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was held between December 25, 2004, and January 4, 2005, at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, United States...
. At the
2006 IIHF World Championship-Group B :All times local - Group C :All times local - Group D :All times local -Qualifying round:The top three teams from each group in the Preliminary round advance to the Qualifying Round...
, he led the tournament in scoring, while also earning Top Forward and All-Star Team honours. Four years later, Crosby was named to Team Canada for the
2010 Winter OlympicsIce hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at Canada Hockey Place, home of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks, and at UBC Winter Sports Centre, home of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport's UBC Thunderbirds. Twelve teams competed in the men's event and eight teams competed in the...
in
VancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. Playing the United States in the gold medal game, he scored the game-winning goal in
overtimeOvertime is a method of determining the winner and loser of an ice hockey match when the scores are tied after regulation. The two main methods are the overtime period and the shootout.-Overtime periods:...
.
Early life
Crosby was born in Halifax,
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, on August 7, 1987, to Troy Crosby and Trina Forbes-Crosby. Crosby's jersey number (87) and 2007 contract signing ($8.7 million per year) reflect his birthdate (8/7/87). Crosby grew up in nearby
Cole HarbourCole Harbour is a Canadian suburban community in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality. It is the hometown of Sidney Crosby.-Geography:...
, and has a younger sister, Taylor. His father was a
goaltenderIn ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
who played for the Verdun Junior Canadiens in the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey LeagueThe Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
(QMJHL). Troy played in the
1985 Memorial CupThe 1985 Memorial Cup occurred May 11-May 18 at the Shawinigan Municipal Auditorium in Shawinigan, Quebec and at Centre Civique in Drummondville, Quebec. The tournament was originally only to be played in Shawinigan, but support columns in the seats of the ancient Auditorium made televising the...
and had been drafted 240th overall by the
Montreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
in
1984The 1984 NHL Entry Draft took place on June 9, 1984, at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec.The 1984 Entry Draft was noted for the unusually high number of future Hall of Famers picked, particularly in lower rounds. In addition to Mario Lemieux being taken first overall, Patrick Roy was chosen...
, but never played at the NHL level. Growing up, Crosby admired
Steve YzermanStephen Gregory "Steve" Yzerman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League...
and, like his father, was a Canadiens fan.
Crosby began playing hockey by himself in his basement at two years old, shooting pucks against the family's clothes dryer; he learned to skate at three.
From age twelve to fifteen, Crosby attended
Astral Drive Junior High SchoolAstral Drive Junior High School is a junior high school in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.The school has students from Astral Drive Elementary, Caldwell Road School, and Colby Village Elementary.The school offers English, and both early and late immersion classes...
. 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." When he was fifteen, Crosby transferred to
Shattuck-Saint Mary'sShattuck-St Mary's School is a coeducational Episcopal Church-affiliated boarding school in Faribault, Minnesota, and is known for its Centers of Excellence hockey, soccer, music and figure skating programs.-National recognition:...
in
Faribault, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 20,818 people, 7,472 households, and 4,946 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,644.8 people per square mile . There were 7,668 housing units at an average density of 605.8 per square mile...
, to play with the school's hockey program. While playing for the
Rimouski OcéanicThe Rimouski Océanic are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League . The franchise was granted for the 1969–70 season...
of the QMJHL, Crosby attended and graduated in 2005 from
Harrison Trimble High SchoolHarrison Trimble High School is a high school situated in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. It was opened in 1953 and is Moncton's biggest school after Moncton High School. Following expansions in the 50s and 60s, there were almost 1200 students in grades 10 to 12 by 1975. Today it serves purpose...
, in
Moncton, New BrunswickMoncton is a Canadian city, located in Westmorland County, New Brunswick. The city is situated in southeastern New Brunswick, within the Petitcodiac River Valley, and lies at the geographic centre of the Maritime Provinces...
.
Minor hockey
Early in his minor hockey years, Crosby began attracting media attention for his play and gave his first newspaper interview at age seven. At thirteen, the Nova Scotia Minor Hockey Council refused to allow him to play midget, a level of minor hockey designated for fifteen- to seventeen-year-olds. His family sued and lost. The following year, he entered the midget level with the triple-A Dartmouth Subways. Crosby went on to score a combined 217 regular season and playoff points, leading Dartmouth to a second-place finish at the 2003
Air Canada Cup. He won the MVP and Top Scorer awards at the national tournament after recording 18 points in 5 games.
During his midget season, he appeared on the
Canadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
's Hockey Day in Canada telecast. Throughout Crosby's minor career, he was also negatively targeted for his talent, however. 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. Partly because of this mistreatment, Crosby chose to leave the country to play for the renowned hockey program at
Shattuck-Saint Mary's Boarding SchoolShattuck-St Mary's School is a coeducational Episcopal Church-affiliated boarding school in Faribault, Minnesota, and is known for its Centers of Excellence hockey, soccer, music and figure skating programs.-National recognition:...
in
MinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
for the 2002–03 hockey season. In 57 games with the Sabres, he recorded 72 goals and 162 points, leading the school to a United States national championship.
Junior career
Crosby was selected first overall in the 2003 Midget Draft by the
Rimouski OcéanicThe Rimouski Océanic are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League . The franchise was granted for the 1969–70 season...
of the
QMJHLThe Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
. In his first exhibition game, he scored eight points, leading his teammates to nickname him "Darryl" (in reference to
Darryl SittlerDarryl Glen Sittler is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1970 until 1985 for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Detroit Red Wings. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989.On February 7, 1976, Sittler set an NHL...
's ten-point in the NHL 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 LeagueThe Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey...
(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 Beliveau TrophyThe Jean Béliveau Trophy is awarded to the top regular season scorer of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The award is named after Quebec native Jean Beliveau, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.-Winners:-External links:* List of trophy winners....
as the league's leading point-scorer. He was further recognized with the RDS/JVC Trophy (overall rookie of the year) and
Michel Briere Memorial TrophyThe Michel Brière Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. It is named for former QMJHL and NHL player Michel Briere, who was killed in a car accident....
(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 RookieThe Michel Bergeron Trophy is awarded annually to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's "Offensive Rookie of the Year." From 1969 to 1980, the trophy was awarded to the QMHL's "Overall Rookie of the Year." The Bergeron trophy's counterpart since 1980, is the Raymond Lagacé Trophy, awarded to the...
,
Offensive PlayerThe Telus Cup – Offensive is awarded annually to the person voted the best offensive player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. It was known as the Shell Cup from 1989–90 to 1993–94, and as the Ford Cup from 1994–95 to 1996–97.-Winners:...
and
Personality of the YearThe Paul Dumont Trophy is awarded annually to the "Personality of the Year" in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The award can uniquely be won by anyone connected to the league, including players and staff.-Winners:-External links:...
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 CataractesThe Shawinigan Cataractes are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team is based out of Shawinigan, Quebec. The Cataractes have been previously known as the Shawinigan Bruins until 1973, and were called the Shawinigan Dynamos from 1973–78.The Cataractes play their...
in the quarterfinals, then were eliminated by the
Moncton WildcatsThe Moncton Wildcats are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They play at the Moncton Coliseum in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada....
in the semifinals. Crosby recorded 16 points (7 goals and 9 assists) over 9 post-season games.
During the off-season, the
World Hockey AssociationThe World Hockey Association was a proposed professional hockey league intended to compete with the established National Hockey League during the 2004–05 NHL lockout...
, 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
US$The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
7.5 million deal 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[ed] hard most of his life to play in the NHL." The deal would have paid him $2.5 million annually and an additional $2 million payout regardless of whether the WHA was realized as a legitimate league or not. It was not clarified, however, how Hamilton could have signed Crosby, as Toronto held his WHA 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 RoussinDany Roussin is a professional ice hockey player who currently plays for Saint Georges COOL-FM of the LNAH..-QMJHL:Dany was taken in the first round of the QMJHL Entry Draft by the Sherbrooke Beavers. After two seasons with the Beavers, where he was stuck playing in a defensive role for Sherbrook,...
and
Marc-Antoine PouliotMarc-Antoine Pouliot is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, currently playing for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League . He was selected 22nd overall by Edmonton in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.-Junior:...
, who finished second and third in league-scoring with 116 and 114 points, respectively. In addition to his scoring title, Crosby was once again named Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player and Personality of the Year honours, while repeating as a QMJHL First All-Star. The Océanic finished with the regular season with the
best record in the leagueThe Jean Rougeau Trophy is awarded annually to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team that records the most points in the regular season. The trophy was named for former league president Jean Rougeau.-Winners:-External links:* List of trophy winners....
, registering 45 wins and 98 points, including a league record-setting 28-game undefeated streak. They went on to capture the
President's CupThe President's Cup is awarded annually by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to the league's playoffs champion.--Winners—Teams that went on to win the Memorial Cup are listed in bold font.-External links:* List of trophy winners....
as QMJHL playoff champions, defeating the
Halifax MooseheadsThe Halifax Mooseheads are a CHL ice hockey club in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The team was founded in 1994 and began play in the Dilio division of the QMJHL for the 1994-1995 season. While the franchise has never won a league championship, they have...
in the finals. Crosby led the playoffs with 31 points (14 goals and 17 assists) over 13 games, earning him the
Guy Lafleur TrophyThe Guy Lafleur Trophy is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs. It is named for Hockey Hall of Famer and QMJHL alumnus Guy Lafleur.-Winners:-External links:* List of trophy winners....
as post-season MVP. With their QMJHL championship, the Océanic qualified for the
2005 Memorial CupThe 2005 Memorial Cup was held May 21–29, 2005 at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario. The Cup tournament featured the champions from the Western Hockey League, the Kelowna Rockets, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Rimouski Océanic, the Ottawa 67's representing the Ontario Hockey...
, Canada's national major junior tournament. Meeting the
London KnightsThe 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.-Early days–1968:...
in the final, the Océanic were shutout 4–0. Despite the loss, Crosby was named to the Tournament All-Star Team and captured the
Ed Chynoweth TrophyThe Ed Chynoweth Trophy is awarded to the leading scorer at the Memorial Cup tournament. It was first awarded in 1996. In the case of a tie in points, the award is given to the player with the fewest games played. If they have played the same number of games, the award goes to the player with the...
as the competition's leading scorer 11 points (6 goals and 5 assists) over 5 games. Knights forward
Corey PerryCorey Perry is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . Drafted out of the Ontario Hockey League , he captured a Memorial Cup with the London Knights and a gold medal with Team Canada at the World Junior Championships during...
was awarded the
Stafford Smythe Memorial TrophyThe Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy is a Canadian Hockey League trophy, awarded to the most valuable player in the annual Memorial Cup Tournament...
as the MVP.
Soon thereafter, Crosby attended the NHL prospect combine in preparation of the
2005 NHL Entry DraftThe 2005 NHL Entry Draft was the 43rd NHL Entry Draft.As a lockout cancelled the games of the 2004–05 NHL season, the draft order was determined by lottery on July 22, 2005. Teams were assigned 1 to 3 balls based on their playoff appearances and first overall draft picks from the past three years...
. In addition to his fitness and strength, teams were reportedly also impressed by his personality and self-assurance. During Crosby's amateur years,
Wayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
was asked if he thought anyone could break his records. He answered that Crosby could, while adding that he was the best player he had seen since
Mario LemieuxMario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
.
2005–06
Entering the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Crosby was listed first overall in the
NHL Central Scouting BureauThe NHL Central Scouting Bureau or NHL Central Scouting Services is a department within the National Hockey League 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 to the professional game in the...
and International Scouting Services' respective rankings of prospects. He had also won the
Mike Bossy TrophyThe Mike Bossy Trophy is awarded annually to the player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League judged to be the best professional prospect. The award is named after former New York Islanders forward Mike Bossy, who played in the QMJHL prior to his Hockey Hall of Fame career.-Winners:-External...
as the QMJHL's best prospect. Crosby went on to be selected first overall in the draft by the
Pittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
on July 30, 2005. Due to the labour stoppage that suspended the entire 2004–05 NHL season, 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.
Crosby made his NHL debut on October 5, 2005 against the
New Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, and registered an assist on the team's first goal of the season, scored by
Mark RecchiMark Louis Recchi is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 22 years in the National Hockey League , most notably for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens...
in a 5–1 loss. He scored his first NHL goal in the Penguins' home opener on October 8 against the
Boston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
. Despite also having registered two assists for a three-point night, the Penguins were defeated 7–6 in
overtimeOvertime is a method of determining the winner and loser of an ice hockey match when the scores are tied after regulation. The two main methods are the overtime period and the shootout.-Overtime periods:...
. Crosby began his rookie season playing alongside
Hall of FamerThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
Mario LemieuxMario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
. Unfortunately, Lemieux was forced to retire due to an irregular heartbeat after having played just 26 games of the season.
Near the midway point of the season, Penguins head coach
Ed OlczykEdward Walter "Eddie" Olczyk is an American former head coach for the National Hockey League Pittsburgh Penguins and former center for Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins...
was fired and replaced by
Michel TherrienMichel Therrien is a hockey scout for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League. Prior to that he was a player and head coach for the Montreal Canadiens and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Therrien coached the Canadiens for three seasons, taking them to the Eastern Conference semi-finals in the...
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
Don CherryDon Cherry may refer to:* Don Cherry hockey player, coach, and commentator* Don Cherry , trumpeter* Don Cherry...
, who claimed that Crosby did not have the experience for the position. He stated, "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 GoncharSergei Viktorovich Gonchar is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League...
,
Zigmund PalffyŽigmund "Ziggy" Pálffy is a Slovak professional ice hockey player of Hungarian origin, who plays for HK 36 Skalica of the Slovak Extraliga....
and Mark Recchi, the Penguins still finished with the worst record in the
Eastern ConferenceThe Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western 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 had been previously held by Mario Lemieux. He additionally 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 ThorntonJoseph Eric Thornton is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League . He was selected first overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft and went on to play seven seasons with the club, five as its Captain. During the...
and
Dany HeatleyDaniel James Heatley is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger, and alternate captain for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League . Originally drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers second overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the top NHL rookie in 2002...
. Throughout the season, Crosby had battled with
Washington CapitalsThe Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
forward and
2004The 2004 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is especially notable because it was the last NHL event to take place before the beginning of the lockout which canceled all the games scheduled for the 2004–05 NHL season.- Selections by round :Listed...
first-overall pick
Alexander OvechkinAlexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
for the rookie scoring lead. He would finish second to Ovechkin's 106 points and also lose out to the Capitals forward for the
Calder Memorial TrophyThe 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." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
as NHL rookie of the year.
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 HrudeyKelly Hrudey is a former NHL ice hockey goaltender and current hockey broadcaster with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. During his NHL career, Hrudey played for the New York Islanders , Los Angeles Kings , and San Jose Sharks .-Playing career:Hrudey played junior hockey for three years with...
compared Crosby to
Wayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
, 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.
2006–07
In his second NHL season, Crosby built on his rookie success. On October 28, 2006, Crosby scored his first NHL
hat trickHat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
in an 8–2 victory over the
Philadelphia FlyersThe Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. 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, 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 NHL season with 36 goals and 84 assists in 79 games to become the first teenager to lead the NHL in scoring since Wayne Gretzky in 1980. Being only nineteen years old at the time, he became the youngest player in NHL history to win the
Art Ross TrophyThe Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception...
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 Calder Trophy-winner
Evgeni MalkinEvgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League ....
and runner-up
Jordan StaalJordan Lee Staal is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League...
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
2001The 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , were played from April until June. The Colorado Avalanche defeated the New Jersey Devils to win its second Stanley Cup....
. Playing the
Ottawa SenatorsThe Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the opening round, Crosby scored a goal in his
Stanley Cup playoffThe Stanley Cup playoffs is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records...
debut in a 6–3 losing effort. He finished the series with 5 points in 5 games as the Penguins were ousted by the eventual
Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
runner-up.
Following the Penguins defeat, Crosby was named Pittsburgh's
team captainIn ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
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 had offered him the captaincy, but he had 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 later in June 2007, Crosby completed a rare off-season hat trick, winning the
Hart Memorial TrophyThe Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
and the Lester B. Pearson Award 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 also became the youngest player ever to be named to the NHL's First All-Star Team.
2007–08
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 dollar 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 trickIn ice hockey, a Gordie Howe hat trick is a variation on the hat-trick, wherein a player scores a goal, records an assist, and gets in a fight all in one game. It is named after Gordie Howe, well known for his skill at both scoring and fighting....
on December 20, 2007, in a game against the
Boston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
. 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 defenceman
Andrew FerenceAndrew James Stewart Ference is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League...
to complete the hat trick. Nearly a month later, however, on January 18, 2008, Crosby suffered a high ankle sprain crashing leg-first into the boards in a game against the
Tampa Bay LightningThe Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
. As a result, he missed the
2008 All-Star GameThe 56th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held on January 27, 2008 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, home of the Atlanta Thrashers, during the 2007–08 NHL season....
, to which he was named a starter. After missing 21 games, he returned on March 4 against the Lightning and earned an assist. Two games after his return, however, 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 IslandersThe New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
3–1. In spite of the injury-shortened campaign, Crosby still managed 72 points in just 53 games.
His absence from the Penguins' lineup served as a stepping stone for teammate
Evgeni MalkinEvgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League ....
, 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 Alexander Ovechkin and was also a Hart Trophy nominee as MVP honours also went to Ovechkin. In addition to Crosby's return to the lineup late in the regular season, the Penguins acquired star winger
Marian HossaMarián Hossa is a Slovak professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . Hossa was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft; after playing for the Senators, he played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...
from the
Atlanta ThrashersThe Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
at the trade deadline, placing the club in a strong position to make a deep playoff run. Pittsburgh finished the regular season as
Atlantic DivisionThe NHL's Atlantic Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Patrick Division. It is the only division in the NHL where all of its current members have won the Stanley Cup at least twice, though only three teams have won...
champions and just two points shy of the first-seeded
Montreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. In a rematch of the previous year's opening round, the Penguins began the
2008 playoffsThe 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 9, 2008, after the 2007–08 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions...
facing the Ottawa Senators, whom they quickly swept in four games. After then defeating the
New York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
and hated Philadelphia Flyers, each in five games, the Penguins reached the
final roundThe 2008 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the National Hockey League champion for the 2007–08 season. As a culmination of the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings defeated the Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh...
for the first time since 1992, to face the
Detroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. After being shutout 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 to fuel a 3–2 win. The Penguins, however, 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 (6g, 21a in 20 games), tying
Conn SmytheThe Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
-winner
Henrik ZetterbergHenrik “Zäta" Zetterberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey center and alternate captain currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League...
(13g, 14a in 22 games) for the playoff scoring lead.
2008–09
Early in the
following seasonThe 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
, on October 18, 2008, Crosby scored one goal and three assists to surpass benchmarks of 100 goals, 200 assists, and 300 points for his career. On the scoring play in which Crosby scored, teammate 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 to finish third in league scoring, as Evgeni Malkin captured his first career Art Ross Trophy.
Entering the
2009 playoffsThe 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 15, 2009, after the 2008–09 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference , play a best-of-seven series for the conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and...
as the defending
Prince of Wales TrophyThe Prince of Wales Trophy, also known as the Wales Trophy, is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the Eastern Conference playoff champions, prior to the final series of games for the Stanley Cup...
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 losing cause for the Penguins. Despite being down 2–0 in the series, Crosby and the Penguins took 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 HurricanesThe Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
in the Eastern Conference Final, 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."
Meeting the Detroit Red Wings for the second straight year in the Finals, Crosby won his first
Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
with the Penguins in seven games. At 21 years, 10 months, and 5 days, Crosby became the youngest NHL captain to hoist the Cup. (The youngest captain to lead his team to the Stanley Cup in the history of the trophy is
Mike GrantMichael Grant was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played for the Montreal Victorias in the AHAC.-Playing career:...
of the
1895The 1895 Amateur Hockey Association of Canada season lasted from January 3 until March 8. Each team played 8 games, and Montreal Victorias were first with a 6–2–0 record. After a required Stanley Cup challenge played between the 1894 winners, Montreal HC and Queen's, champion of the Ontario Hockey...
Montreal VictoriasThe 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. The club played at its own rink, the Victoria Skating...
, 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
Johan FranzenJohan Franzén is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :Franzén started playing ice hockey in Boro/Vetlanda HC, Landsbro near Vetlanda in Sweden...
. Following the game, Crosby was criticized by Detroit forward
Kris DraperKristopher Draper is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player. Draper is a four-time winner of the Stanley Cup, a Frank J. Selke Trophy winner and scored over 100 goals in the Red Wings uniform. Draper was a member of the famous Grind Line in Detroit, consisting of himself, Kirk Maltby...
for neglecting to shake hands with some of Detroit's players, most notably captain
Nicklas LidstromNicklas Erik Lidström is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenseman who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, and is their captain...
. 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."
2009–10
In the
2009–10 NHL seasonThe 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
, Crosby tied Tampa Bay Lightning center
Steven StamkosSteven Stamkos is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, an alternate captain for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . Stamkos was the first overall pick in the 2006 OHL Entry Draft, from the Markham Waxers of the OMHA. Playing with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey...
for the lead in goals scored, with 51 goals, earning the Rocket Richard Trophy. He also garnered 58 assists for a total of 109 points, good enough to tie with
Alex OvechkinAlexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
for second in league points, trailing only the
Vancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
'
Henrik SedinHenrik Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . His identical twin brother Daniel also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one...
's 112. Additionally, Crosby won the
Mark Messier Leadership AwardThe Mark Messier Leadership Award is a National Hockey League award that recognizes an individual as a superior leader within their sport, and as a contributing member of society...
, 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 honor, the other being in January 2007, during the award's first year when it was presented monthly.
Crosby's Penguins were defeated in the second round of the
2010 Stanley Cup playoffsThe 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 14, 2010, after the 2009–10 NHL regular season. The Finals ended on June 9, 2010, with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Philadelphia Flyers four games to two to win their fourth championship and their first since 1961...
, losing to the
Montreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
in seven games. Crosby had 19 points in 13 games in the playoffs, though through seven games against the Canadiens he had only 1 goal and 4 assists for a total of 5 points. This was due in part to the Canadiens putting focus on defending against Crosby during the series, and Canadiens' goaltender
Jaroslav HalakJaroslav Halák is a Slovak professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League . Halák was the 271st overall pick by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.-Montreal Canadiens:...
's solid play was also considered a factor.
2010–11
Crosby had a 25 game point streak, which began November 5, 2010, against the
Anaheim DucksThe Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, and ended December 28, 2010 against the
New York IslandersThe New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. During this streak he had 27 goals (including three
hat-trickA hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
s), 24 assists, and 51 points. This streak is tied for 11th longest point streak in NHL history.
On January 3, 2011, Crosby was selected as a
2011 All-StarThe 58th National Hockey League All-Star Game, also known as the 2011 National Hockey League All-Star Game presented by Discover, was the National Hockey League’s annual All-Star game played on January 30, 2011. The game took place during the 2010–11 NHL season at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North...
, along with teammates
Evgeni MalkinEvgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League ....
,
Marc-Andre FleuryMarc-André Fleury is a French Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League...
, and
Kris LetangKristopher Allen Letang is a French Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . He played junior in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for three seasons, during which time he was selected 62nd overall by the Penguins...
, as well as the
Chicago BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
'
Jonathan ToewsJonathan Bryan Toews is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who plays for and is captain of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . He is currently the youngest captain in the NHL, having been appointed in 2008....
and
Duncan KeithDuncan Keith is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is an alternate captain for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...
, in an online fan vote. However, neither Crosby nor Malkin were avaliable to play in the All-Star Game due to injuries and rookie
Jeff SkinnerJeffrey Skinner is a Canadian ice hockey player for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League . Selected seventh overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Skinner was the youngest player in the NHL during the season.-Early life:Skinner was born to lawyers Andrew...
along with
Paul StastnyPaul Stastny is an American professional ice hockey center, an alternate captain for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League . Of Slovak lineage, Stastny is the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Peter Stastny, who played for the Avalanche's predecessor, the Quebec Nordiques...
were named as replacements.
In consecutive games, the
2011 NHL Winter ClassicThe 2011 NHL Winter Classic was the fourth edition of the annual outdoor ice hockey game held by the National Hockey League as a regular season game. The Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the Washington Capitals at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA on January 1, 2011 at 8:00 p.m...
on January 1, 2011 against the
Washington CapitalsThe Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
and January 5 against the
Tampa Bay LightningThe Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
, Crosby suffered hits to his head from
Dave SteckelDavid Steckel is an American professional ice hockey center currently playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
and
Victor HedmanVictor Erik Olof Hedman is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . He was drafted second overall by the Lightning in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft...
, respectively. After experiencing several concussion symptoms, Crosby did not return for the rest of the regular season, and he missed the 2010–11 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Penguins were further crippled when Evgeni Malkin suffered a torn ACL and MCL, taking him out for the rest of the season. This left the Penguins without the services of 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, defenseman
Kris LetangKristopher Allen Letang is a French Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . He played junior in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for three seasons, during which time he was selected 62nd overall by the Penguins...
. In doing this, Crosby set an NHL record for fewest games played by an NHL team's points leader.
2011–12
Crosby missed the first 20 games of the
2011–12 seasonThe 2011–12 Pittsburgh Penguins season is the franchise’s 45th season in the National Hockey League .-Regular season:-Standings:-Pre-season:...
due to the lingering effects of his concussion. He returned on November 21, 2011 against the
New York IslandersThe New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, scoring two goals and two assists in a 5–0
shutoutIn team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
win for the Penguins.
International play
Junior
Crosby debuted internationally for
Team CanadaHockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
at the
2003 U-18 Junior World CupThe 2003 U-18 Junior World Cup was an under-18 international ice hockey tournament held in Břeclav, Czech Republic and Piešťany, Slovakia from August 11–18, 2003. The United States captured their first gold medal at the tournament, defeating Russia 3–2 in the gold medal game...
in the
Czech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and
SlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. 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, Team Canada lost in the bronze medal game to the Czech Republic 8–2. Crosby scored four goals and six points over five tournament games.
Crosby went on to compete in two
World Junior ChampionshipsThe International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world...
with
Team Canada's under-20 teamThe Canadian men's national under 20 ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in Canada. The team represents Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Junior Hockey Championship, held annually every December and January...
. When he was named to the team in December 2003, he became the fifth sixteen-year-old to represent Canada at the tournamen, following
Jay BouwmeesterJay Daniel Bouwmeester is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and an alternate captain of the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He was a first round selection, third overall, of the Florida Panthers at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft...
,
Jason SpezzaJason Anthony Rocco Spezza is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre, an alternate captain of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League...
,
Eric LindrosEric Bryan Lindros is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Lindros played junior hockey in the OHL for the Oshawa Generals prior to being selected first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques...
, and Wayne Gretzky. Competing in the
2004 World Junior ChampionshipsThe 2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was held between December 26, 2003 and January 5, 2004 in Helsinki and Hämeenlinna, Finland...
in
HelsinkiHelsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, 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 in a 7–2 win. Crosby finished the tournament with 2 goals and 3 assists in 6 games, helping Canada to a silver medal finish. The following year, he returned for Team Canada at the
2005 World Junior ChampionshipsThe 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was held between December 25, 2004, and January 4, 2005, at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, United States...
in Grand Forks. He improved to 6 goals and 3 assists as Canada earned gold. Crosby stated the following year that his most memorable hockey moment was winning his World Junior gold medal.
Men's
After completing his rookie season with the
Pittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
, Crosby competed in the
2006 World ChampionshipsThe 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was the 70th such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams representing 45 countries participated in four levels of competition. The competition also served as qualifications for the 2007 competition...
as an alternate captain for Team Canada. Tallying a tournament-best 8 goals and 8 assists in 9 games, he became the youngest player ever to win a World Championship scoring title.
Despite his performance, Canada failed to medal, being shutout by Finland 5–0 in the bronze medal game. Crosby was named the tournament's top forward and to the competition's all-star team.
After having been left off the Olympic team in
2006-Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and...
, Crosby was named to Team Canada on December 30, 2009, as an alternate captain for the
2010 Winter OlympicsIce hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at Canada Hockey Place, home of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks, and at UBC Winter Sports Centre, home of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport's UBC Thunderbirds. Twelve teams competed in the men's event and eight teams competed in the...
in
VancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. He scored the game-winning shootout goal for Canada in the second game of the preliminary round against Switzerland. After going pointless in the quarter- and semi-final against Russia and Slovakia, respectively, Crosby scored the winning goal seven minutes and forty seconds into overtime against the United States in the gold medal game.
Following the Penguins' second-round elimination in the
2010 Stanley Cup playoffsThe 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 14, 2010, after the 2009–10 NHL regular season. The Finals ended on June 9, 2010, with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Philadelphia Flyers four games to two to win their fourth championship and their first since 1961...
, Crosby declined an invitation to join Team Canada midway through the
2010 IIHF World ChampionshipThe 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 Mannheim, and one game at Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen...
in
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Jerseys
Crosby's 87 Pittsburgh Penguins jersey was the top seller on the NHL's website from September 2005 to February 2008. In January 2005, an
Air CanadaAir Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
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 $22,100, which went to youth hockey charities and
2004 Indian Ocean EarthquakeThe 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman 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 DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, disappeared from his father's luggage during a flight from Pittsburgh to
BuffaloBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. The jersey was later found at the
Pittsburgh International AirportPittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...
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 KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
relief – it sold for $21,010.
During an online auction held by the NHL and the NHL Players Association to benefit
Hockey Fights CancerHockey Fights Cancer is a charitable initiative of the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players Association dedicated to raising money and awareness toward cancer research...
, Crosby's game-worn jersey from the first period of the 2007 All-Star Game earned the most money. Crosby's sold for $47,520, more than eight times the next highest price—$5,681 for the jersey worn by
Brendan ShanahanBrendan Frederick "Shanny" Shanahan is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger who currently serves as the National Hockey League's Vice President of Hockey and Business Development and head disciplinarian. Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils second overall in the 1987 NHL Entry...
of the
New York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
.
Following Crosby's Olympic gold medal victory with Canada in 2010, it was announced that his
stickA hockey stick is a piece of equipment used in field hockey, ice hockey or roller hockey to move the ball or puck.- Field hockey :Field hockey sticks have an end which varies in shape, often depending on the players position...
and glove were missing. It was initially suspected that they might have been stolen;
ReebokReebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
Canada offered a reward of
CAD$The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
10,000 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 St. Petersburg, Russia (the shipment was intercepted in
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
) and his glove was found in a hockey bag belonging to
Patrice BergeronPatrice Bergeron is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain currently playing for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League...
whose
stallA stall is a small enclosure of some kind, usually less enclosed than a room.-Market stall:A market stall is usually an immobile temporary structure erected by merchants to display and shelter their merchandise...
was beside Crosby's in the locker room.
Personal life
Crosby lived with the
LemieuxMario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
family in
Sewickley, PennsylvaniaSewickley is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, west northwest of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River. It is a residential suburb of Pittsburgh. The population was 3,827 at the 2010 census...
from 2005 until 2010. In the spring of 2010, Crosby purchased his own home in the same area. In the summer of 2006 he bought his first house in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
In time for Crosby's first season, Gare Joyce issued a biography, Sidney Crosby: Taking the Game by Storm. The November 2005 edition of
GQ MagazineGQ is a monthly men's magazine focusing on fashion, style, and culture for men, through articles on food, movies, fitness, sex, music, travel, sports, technology, and books...
featured him in a series of shirt-less photos. In 2007, Crosby was nominated for Time Magazines 100 Most Influential People list. Crosby holds an endorsement deal with
ReebokReebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
and designed a fashion line in 2007. On May 29, 2010, it was announced that Sidney Crosby will sign the richest endorsement deal in National Hockey League history with Reebok. The deal is expected to pay Crosby $1.4 million a year for five to seven years. Crosby also has endorsement deals with
BellBell Canada is a major Canadian telecommunications company. Including its subsidiaries such as Bell Aliant, Northwestel, Télébec, and NorthernTel, it is the incumbent local exchange carrier for telephone and DSL Internet services in most of Canada east of Manitoba and in the northern territories,...
,
Tim HortonsTim Hortons Inc. is a Canadian fast casual restaurant known for its coffee and doughnuts. It is also Canada's largest fast food service with over 3000 stores nationwide. It was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and Jim Charade, after an initial venture in...
and
GatoradeGatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
.
In 2008, Crosby appeared in the documentary film
Pond HockeyPond Hockey is a 2008 American documentary film directed by Tommy Haines and produced by Northland Films. The film is an examination of the changing culture of pond hockey.-Plot synopsis:...
, where he discusses his experiences of playing pond hockey.
Awards
Midget AAA
| Award |
Year(s) |
| Midget AAA National Championships Tournament MVP Award |
2002 |
| Midget AAA National Championships Top Scorer Award |
2002 |
QMJHLThe Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
| Award |
Year(s) |
| RDS The RDS Cup is awarded annually by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to the overall Rookie of the Year. The Cup was known as the Molson Cup from 1991 to 1994, and the New Face Cup from 1994 to 1996, but is now sponsored by the French-language sports network Réseau des sports .-Winners:-External...
/JVC Trophy (rookie of the year) |
2004 |
| QMJHL All-Rookie Team |
2004 |
| QMJHL First All-Star Team |
2004, 2005 |
| Michel Brière Memorial Trophy The Michel Brière Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. It is named for former QMJHL and NHL player Michel Briere, who was killed in a car accident....
(most valuable player) |
2004, 2005 |
| Jean Béliveau Trophy The Jean Béliveau Trophy is awarded to the top regular season scorer of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The award is named after Quebec native Jean Beliveau, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.-Winners:-External links:* List of trophy winners....
(league leading scorer) |
2004, 2005 |
| Mike Bossy Trophy The Mike Bossy Trophy is awarded annually to the player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League judged to be the best professional prospect. The award is named after former New York Islanders forward Mike Bossy, who played in the QMJHL prior to his Hockey Hall of Fame career.-Winners:-External...
(best professional prospect) |
2005 |
| Paul Dumont Trophy The Paul Dumont Trophy is awarded annually to the "Personality of the Year" in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The award can uniquely be won by anyone connected to the league, including players and staff.-Winners:-External links:...
(Personality of the Year) |
2004, 2005 |
| Guy Lafleur Trophy The Guy Lafleur Trophy is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs. It is named for Hockey Hall of Famer and QMJHL alumnus Guy Lafleur.-Winners:-External links:* List of trophy winners....
(Playoff MVP) |
2005 |
| Michel Bergeron Trophy The Michel Bergeron Trophy is awarded annually to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's "Offensive Rookie of the Year." From 1969 to 1980, the trophy was awarded to the QMHL's "Overall Rookie of the Year." The Bergeron trophy's counterpart since 1980, is the Raymond Lagacé Trophy, awarded to the...
(offensive rookie of the Year) |
2004 |
| Offensive Player of the Year |
2004, 2005 |
CHLThe Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey...
| Award |
Year(s) |
| CHL Rookie of the Year The CHL Rookie of the Year Award is given out annually to the top rookie in the Canadian Hockey League.-Winners:*2010–11 Nail Yakupov, Sarnia Sting*2009–10 Matt Puempel, Peterborough Petes*2008–09 Brett Connolly, Prince George Cougars...
|
2004 |
| CHL Player of the Year The CHL Player of the Year award is given out annually to the player judged to be the most outstanding in the Canadian Hockey League. It is selected from the winners of the Red Tilson Trophy , Michel Briere Memorial Trophy , and the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy .-Winners:* 2010-11 Ryan Ellis,...
|
2004, 2005 |
| Leading Scorer |
2004, 2005 |
| Canada Post Cup (three stars) |
2004, 2005 |
| Top Pro Prospect |
2005 |
| Memorial Cup All-Star Team |
2005 |
Ed Chynoweth TrophyThe Ed Chynoweth Trophy is awarded to the leading scorer at the Memorial Cup tournament. It was first awarded in 1996. In the case of a tie in points, the award is given to the player with the fewest games played. If they have played the same number of games, the award goes to the player with the...
(Memorial Cup Leading Scorer) |
2005 |
NHL
| Award |
Year(s) |
| Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy (Goals Leader) |
2010 |
Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
|
2009 |
Art Ross TrophyThe Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception...
(Leading Scorer) |
2007 |
| Lester B. Pearson Award (Peer-voted Best Player) |
2007 |
Hart Memorial TrophyThe Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
(NHL MVP) |
2007 |
| Sporting News NHL Player of the Year |
2007 |
| NHL First All-Star Team |
2007 |
| NHL All-Rookie Team The NHL All-Rookie Team is chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association from the best rookies in the National Hockey League at each position for the season just concluded based on their performance in that year...
|
2006 |
| Rookie of the Month |
October 2005 |
| All-Star Game |
2007, 2008*, 2009*, 2011* |
Mark Messier Leadership AwardThe Mark Messier Leadership Award is a National Hockey League award that recognizes an individual as a superior leader within their sport, and as a contributing member of society...
|
Jan. 2007, 2010 |
- Could not play because of injury.
World Junior Hockey Championships
| Award |
Year(s) |
| Silver Medal |
2004 HelsinkiThe 2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was held between December 26, 2003 and January 5, 2004 in Helsinki and Hämeenlinna, Finland...
|
| Gold Medal |
2005 Grand ForksThe 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was held between December 25, 2004, and January 4, 2005, at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, United States...
|
Ice Hockey World ChampionshipsThe Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
| Award |
Year(s) |
| World Championship All-Star Team |
2006 The 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was the 70th such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams representing 45 countries participated in four levels of competition. The competition also served as qualifications for the 2007 competition...
|
| World Championship Best Forward |
2006 |
| World Championship Leading Scorer |
2006 |
Winter Olympic GamesThe Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
| Award |
Year(s) |
| Olympic Gold Medal |
2010 Winter OlympicsThe 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
|
Other
| Award |
Year(s) |
| Sporting News, Top Under-25 Athlete |
2010 |
Lou Marsh TrophyThe Lou Marsh Trophy, also known as the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy and Lou Marsh Award, is a trophy that is awarded annually to Canada's top athlete, professional or amateur. It is awarded by a panel of journalists, with the vote taking place in December. It was first awarded in 1936...
|
2007, 2009 |
| Lionel Conacher Award The Lionel Conacher Award is an annual award given to Canada's male athlete of the year. The sports writers of the Canadian Press first conducted a poll to determine the nation's top athlete, of either gender, in 1932. Separate polls for the best male and female athletes were conducted beginning...
|
2007, 2009, 2010 |
| ESPY -People:* Cecil Espy , American baseball player* Duane Espy, American baseball figure* James Pollard Espy , American meteorologist.* Mike Espy , American politician* William Gray Espy , American actor...
award winner, best NHL playerThe Best NHL Player ESPY Award has been presented annually since 1993 to the National Hockey League player, irrespective of nationality, adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year, typically most significantly in the NHL season contested during or immediately prior to the holding of the ESPY...
|
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 |
| AIF The American Ireland Fund is an organization that raises funds for the support of peace and reconciliation, community development, education, arts and culture in Ireland. Since its founding it has raised more than US $250 million...
Chairman's Award for leadership in community and charitable activities |
2008 |
| Dapper Dan Sportsman of the Year |
2006, 2007 |
| The Order of Nova Scotia |
2008 |
IIHF
- Youngest player to score in a World Junior Tournament (16 years, 4 months, 21 days)
- Youngest player to win a World Championship scoring title
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.
- Youngest player voted to the starting lineup 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 full team captain
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
(In January 1984, Brian BellowsBrian Bellows is a retired professional ice hockey player. He played nearly 1200 games in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Washington Capitals...
of the Minnesota North StarsThe Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
was made interim captain at 5 months younger than Crosby, but he only served the latter half of the 1983–84 season replacing injured captain Craig Hartsburg Craig William Hartsburg is a retired Canadian professional hockey player and associate coach in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames. He also coached in the Ontario Hockey League. He has previously been an NHL head coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and...
)
- 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 an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
(21 years, 10 months, and 5 days)
- 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)
Regular season and playoffs
| |
|
Regular season |
|
Playoffs |
| Season In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...
|
A In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...
|
Pts Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...
|
PIMA penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...
|
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 1999–00 |
Cole Harbour Red Wings |
Peewee AAA |
~70 |
— |
— |
~200 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 1999–00 |
Cole Harbour Red Wings |
Bantam AAA |
1 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2000–01 |
Cole Harbour Red Wings |
Bantam AAA |
63 |
86 |
96 |
182 |
— |
5 |
10 |
6 |
16 |
— |
| 2001–02 |
Dartmouth Subways |
Midget AAA |
74 |
95 |
98 |
193 |
114 |
7 |
11 |
13 |
24 |
0 |
| 2002–03 |
Shattuck St. Mary's |
USHS |
57 |
72 |
90 |
162 |
104 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2003–04 |
Rimouski Océanic The Rimouski Océanic are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League . The franchise was granted for the 1969–70 season...
|
QMJHLThe Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
|
59 |
54 |
81 |
135 |
74 |
9 |
7 |
9 |
16 |
10 |
| 2004–05 |
Rimouski Océanic |
QMJHL |
62 |
66 |
102 |
168 |
84 |
13 |
14 |
17 |
31 |
16 |
| 2005–06 |
Pittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
|
NHLThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
|
81 |
39 |
63 |
102 |
110 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2006–07 |
Pittsburgh Penguins |
NHL |
79 |
36 |
84 |
120 |
60 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
4 |
| 2007–08 |
Pittsburgh Penguins |
NHL |
53 |
24 |
48 |
72 |
39 |
20 |
6 |
21 |
27 |
12 |
2008–09The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
|
Pittsburgh Penguins |
NHL |
77 |
33 |
70 |
103 |
76 |
24 |
15 |
16 |
31 |
14 |
2009–10The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
|
Pittsburgh Penguins |
NHL |
81 |
51 |
58 |
109 |
69 |
13 |
6 |
13 |
19 |
6 |
| 2010–11 The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
|
Pittsburgh Penguins |
NHL |
41 |
32 |
34 |
66 |
31 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| NHL totals |
412 | 215 | 357 | 572 | 387 |
62 | 30 | 52 | 82 | 36 |
Bolded numbers indicate league leader.
- 1999–2000 stats are from:
International statistics
| Year |
Team |
Comp |
|
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
PIM |
| 2003 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 11–18, 2003. The United States captured their first gold medal at the tournament, defeating Russia 3–2 in the gold medal game...
|
Canada Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
|
JWC18 The Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament is an annual event held each August for national under-18 ice hockey teams from around the world. Unsanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation , the tournament is not granted official status by the sport's governing body...
|
5 |
4 |
2 |
6 |
10 |
2004The 2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was held between December 26, 2003 and January 5, 2004 in Helsinki and Hämeenlinna, Finland...
|
CanadaThe Canadian men's national under 20 ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in Canada. The team represents Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Junior Hockey Championship, held annually every December and January...
|
WJC |
6 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
2005The 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was held between December 25, 2004, and January 4, 2005, at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, United States...
|
Canada |
WJC |
6 |
6 |
3 |
9 |
4 |
| 2006 The 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was the 70th such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams representing 45 countries participated in four levels of competition. The competition also served as qualifications for the 2007 competition...
|
Canada |
WCThe Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
|
9 |
8 |
8 |
16 |
10 |
| 2010 |
Canada |
OLYThe 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
|
7 |
4 |
3 |
7 |
4 |
| Junior int'l totals |
17 |
12 |
8 |
20 |
18 |
| Senior int'l totals |
16 |
12 |
11 |
23 |
14 |
External links