Sidney Crosby never intended to mirror Mario Lemieux in terms of his importance to the Pittsburgh Penguins, his influence, or his statistics.
“I never thought about that,” said Crosby, the Penguins’ captain. “I dreamed of playing in the NHL, and I’m grateful for that, for all these years.”
However, on Monday, the 37-year-old center achieved a milestone that brought him closer to Lemieux in one category.
Crosby reached 1,033 assists in the NHL, tying Lemieux for the most in Penguins history, after recording three assists in the first period of a 7-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. He also added an empty-net goal at 17:30 of the third period.
“I don’t think about where I am on the list,” Crosby commented. “But being tied with Mario is pretty cool. Like I said, I never would’ve expected that, so it’s just a bonus.”
Crosby, selected first overall in the 2005 NHL Draft, holds the record for the most games played in Penguins history (1,308). He has accumulated 1,635 points and 602 goals, both second to Lemieux’s 1,723 points and 690 goals.
“Being in this company is elite,” said Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan. “Mario is one of the greatest players of all time, and so is Sid. The milestones these players have reached are extremely rare, and it’s evidence that Sid is one of the best to ever play the game. Mario is as well.”
Lemieux played 915 games for the Penguins after being selected first overall in the 1984 NHL Draft. He won two Stanley Cups as a player (1991, 1992) and three more as an owner (2009, 2016, 2017).
His stature in Pittsburgh is only rivaled by figures like Roberto Clemente, the former right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Joe Greene, the former defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“If a hockey figure could come close to that, it would be Sid,” said Bryan Rust, Crosby’s right-wing partner. “Sid’s importance to this franchise is right there with Mario’s. You can see how good he’s been throughout his career, and he just keeps going.”
Crosby currently leads the Penguins with 39 points (10 goals, 29 assists) in 36 games this season, his 20th in the NHL. He has averaged at least one point per game in each of his first 19 seasons, tying Wayne Gretzky for the most in league history.
In his first 30 games this season, Crosby posted 27 points (eight goals, 19 assists), a slower start by his standards.
But he has found his form recently, tallying 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in his last six games, including two games in which he scored one goal and had three assists.
This improved performance has helped Pittsburgh (16-15-5), now 9-3-1 in its last 13 games since Nov. 27, move within one point of the Ottawa Senators for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
“Feels like he’s involved in every goal we score,” said Rakell, Crosby’s left-wing partner. “That’s definitely true with him and Rusty. He does it all, whether it’s the final touch or the last pass to create a dangerous scoring chance. The more he can have the puck on his stick in their zone, the better it will be for us.”
Crosby’s connection to the Penguins began in the 2005-06 season, his rookie year, and Lemieux’s last. At just 18 years old, Crosby amassed 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists) in 81 games. Lemieux, in his final season, had 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 26 games before retiring on Jan. 24, 2006, at age 40.
While Crosby may be closer to the end of his career than the beginning, his time in Pittsburgh is far from over.
He signed a two-year, $17.4 million contract ($8.7 million average annual value) on Sept. 16, extending his tenure with the Penguins through the 2026-27 season. He remains 88 goals and points behind Lemieux, offering him a chance to surpass his mentor in those categories as well.
“Their legacy just keeps growing,” Sullivan said. “It’s pretty incredible to have two generational players in one organization with some crossover. To have these two players represent your team and city for almost four decades—it’s a remarkable privilege.”
Sullivan continued, “It’s another milestone that cements Sid’s place in elite company. He’s undeniably one of the greatest players to ever play the game.”
