Crosby set to play 1,400th NHL game, focused on playoff return with Penguins

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Sidney Crosby is a known history buff.

The Pittsburgh Penguins center has an appreciation for the past in general, but especially when it comes to hockey. There’s gravitas to the names that have come before -- the achievements, the stature, the aura.

In his 21st NHL season, Crosby has made himself an integral part of that history.

That’s irrefutable. Mostly.

“I mean, I don’t really think about it that way, to be honest with you,” Crosby said. “I think you try to do your best to try to help the team win and, ultimately, it’s about winning hockey games. So, I think you want to contribute and produce, but I don’t think about that a whole lot, to be honest.”

It’s still a fact. And not just because of what he’s done, but because of what the Penguins captain is actively doing.

At 38 years old, Crosby is rapidly checking off significant milestones. The next will come Monday when he plays his 1,400th NHL game for Pittsburgh, which visits the Seattle Kraken (5 p.m. ET; KHN/Prime, SN-PIT, KONG, TVAS).

Crosby leads the Penguins this season with 53 points (26 goals, 27 assists) in 47 games and is tracking toward a 21st straight season averaging at least a point per game, which would extend his NHL record.

That consistency bodes well for Pittsburgh (22-14-11) in its attempt to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after missing the past three seasons.

It’s equally promising for Canada. Crosby will again try to lead his home country to a gold medal next month in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

He’s done it twice before. Crosby was 22 years old when he famously scored in overtime of the gold medal game against the United States in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and 26 when Canada captured gold again in Sochi in 2014.

Much has changed in the 12 years since NHL players previously participated, but Crosby hasn’t. And Jon Cooper, coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Canada, knows exactly what to expect of him.

“First of all, his dedication. Also, his presence,” Cooper said. “Like, well, he just has the ‘it’ factor. Wherever he goes, he carries himself with class. But you know when he’s in the room, you know when he’s around, you know when he’s in the locker room, you know when he’s on the ice.

“It’s really impressive to watch. I’ve been extremely fortunate to be around many superstars, even from other sports, and Sid’s got to rank right at the top. You want to talk about a class act that is, like, the GOAT of his generation? That’s the guy.”

It’s been true since Crosby entered the League as an 18-year-old in 2005-06. He’s gone on to win the Stanley Cup three times (2009, 2016, 2017) and is now breezing by numbers that, at one point, might have seemed unfathomable.

On Oct. 27, he had a goal and two assists in a 6-3 win against the St. Louis Blues to become the only active player with 1,700 points.

Now at 1,740 points, he has the most in franchise history, passing Mario Lemieux (1,723) with a goal and an assist in a 4-3 shootout win against the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 21. His 1,941 combined points in the regular season and playoffs (722 goals, 1,219 assists) are also the most for the Penguins, ahead of Lemieux (1,895 points; 766 goals, 1,129 assists).

“Very proud of him,” said forward Evgeni Malkin, Crosby’s teammate since 2006. “It’s probably not a surprise. Every year, we’ve seen what he’s done. He works out on the ice, in practice, in games. He’s doing an amazing job. His leadership in the locker room, on ice.”

Crosby has the most assists in team history (1,089). He is second with 651 goals, trailing Lemieux (690). Malkin is third in points (1,381), goals (524) and assists (857).

“I’m behind him. I’m still here,” Malkin said. “And he’s feeling [it]. It’s why he plays good, because he wants to be No. 1, for sure.”

Actually, Crosby never seems interested in stats. They’re just a product of his ability. It’s still impossible not to notice how quickly he’s climbing.

After getting by Lemieux, Crosby is eighth all-time in points. Next up is childhood idol Steve Yzerman (1,755 points), then Marcel Dionne (1,771) and Ron Francis (1,798).

Crosby, signed through next season on a two-year, $17.4 million contract ($8.7 million average annual value), is likely to join Wayne Gretzky (2,857), Jaromir Jagr (1,921), Mark Messier (1,887) and Gordie Howe (1,850) as the only players with 1,800 career points.

On Thursday, he had a goal and an assist in a 6-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers. That clinched a 19th season with at least 50 points, tied with Alex Ovechkin and Gretzky for the sixth-most in League history behind Francis (22), Howe (22), Jagr (20), Messier (20) and Ray Bourque (20). Then on Saturday, Crosby scored a tying goal with 1:01 remaining in the third period to go along with an assist in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“He does all the right things,” said Flyers coach Rick Tocchet, who was a Penguins assistant when Crosby won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs in 2016 and 2017. “He’s consistent. How many years in the League? He’s done the right thing every year. So, it’s actually a guy we should be watching video of. ... That’s how you learn.”

Crosby is on pace for 45 goals this season, which would be ahead of Howe (44 in 1968-69) and Ovechkin (44 in 2024-25) for the most by a player age 38 or older. He’s missed two games the past four seasons and could reach 90 points in a fourth straight.

None of that matters. At least not to Crosby.

The numbers are nice, but only if the Penguins land back in the playoffs.

“It’s just how important the games are and, you know, how important every point is,” Crosby said. “Where we are in the standings, and things like that, I think that’s really what it’s all about. It’s a fun time of year and it’s fun to be in a race like that.”