This season will mark the 20th, and perhaps final, season of the “core three” of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang suiting up together as teammates for the Pittsburgh Penguins. They have been rostered together for 1,394 games and dressed together for 832. In those 832 games played together, the team has an amazing 469-277-86 record, good for a .615 points percentage.
Crosby, Malkin and Letang are three of just 35 players in the history of the NHL, NFL, NBA, and MLB to play 20 seasons with a single team; and the only three to do so concurrently. Further, the trio is the highest-scoring trio of teammates with a single team in NHL history, combining for 3,703 regular-season points over the past 19 seasons; oh, and three Stanley Cup Championships.
They are, by far, the longest tenured triad of teammates in any of the four major sports. The next closest would be the New York Yankees’ group of Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, and Jorge Posada. In 2010 they became the first trio in any of the four North American major sports leagues to play together on the same team for 16 consecutive seasons. The trio would go on to play together for one more season before Posada retired, ending his 17-year Yankee career. Overall, Jeter spent 20 seasons with the Yankees, Rivera 19, and Posada 17. Amazingly, Jeter’s 20 years with the Yankees is not an MLB record. That distinction goes to Brooks Robinson and Carl Yastrzemski who spent 23 seasons with the Orioles and Red Sox, respectively. In case you’re wondering, the player that holds the record for the most seasons with a single NHL franchise is Alex Delvecchio, who spent his entire 24-year career with Detroit (1950-1974).
While the Yankees’ one group has long since solidified their place in history, the Penguins trio still has the chance to build upon its legacy this season. However, even if all three were to abruptly retire at season’s end, the trio has certainly already etched their place not only in NHL history, but professional sports history. Consider the following statistics that were provided by incomparable Penguins historian, Bob Grove. In the 832 games played together, here is a breakdown of each of their points per game.
Crosby: 399-641-1040 (1.250 points per game)
Malkin: 342-556-898 (1.079 points per game)
Letang: 129-422-551 (0.662 points per game)
Totals: 870-1619-2489 (2.992 points per game when all dressed for the same game)
Of all those goals, it is astounding how many times they have factored in on each other’s goals:
Malkin’s Goals: 140 assisted by Crosby, 90 assisted by Letang
Crosby’s Goals: 125 assisted by Malkin, 124 assisted by Letang
Letang Goals: 62 assisted by Crosby, 50 assisted by Malkin
On five different occasions, the trio combined for 10 points in a single game. Additionally, they have combined on the same power play goal 49 times. The three also rank first, second, and third in regular-season games played in franchise history; Crosby (1,352), Malkin (1,213), Letang (1,161). They also all rank in the franchise’s top-five in points. Crosby needs just 36 points this season to become the franchise’s all-time points leader to pass Mario Lemieux’s 1,723. Malkin sits third with 1,346, and Letang is fifth with 772. Honorable mention to Malkin as well for leading the franchise’s all-time penalty minutes list with 1,202.
While the regular-season numbers are certainly impressive, the trio has also delivered in the playoffs. The three have been rostered together in 185 playoff games and dressed together in 134 of those games. In those games, the Penguins’ record is 74-60 (.552 winning %).
The individual playoff statistics jump off the page.
- Crosby: 180 Career Playoff Games, 71 Goals, 130 Assists, 201 Points (1.17 points per game)
- Conn Smythe Award as Playoff MVP in both 2016 and 2017
- His 201 Career Playoff Points rank sixth all-time
- Malkin: 177 Career Playoff Games, 67 Goals, 113 Assists, 180 Points (1.02 points per game)
- Conn Smythe Award as Playoff MVP in 2009
- His 180 Career Playoff Points rank 14th all-time
- Letang: 149 Career Playoff Games, 23 Goals, 67 Assists, 90 Points (.604 points per game)
While the past three seasons have not resulted in a trip to the playoffs, the trio of Crosby, Malkin, and Letang are hoping that in what is likely their final season together they can use the comradery that they have built over the past two decades to will the team into the playoffs one more time together. However, even if that doesn’t come to fruition, enjoy this one last ride of this amazing trio on the ice together because we are not likely to ever see anything like it again.
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