Pittsburgh Penguins training camp is underway at UPMC Lemieux Complex in Cranberry. While many players taking the ice today will do so for the first time at Penguins camp, for the team's star-studded "big three," it's the beginning of year 18 together.
The trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang have left a substantial mark on the Penguins organization in their nearly two-decade run as one of the most consistent cores in North American professional sports.
Apart from winning three Stanley Cup Championships, all three players rank near the top in most statistical categories in Penguins franchise history. It's become a recurring theme at PPG Paints Arena over the past few seasons that one of them be honored pregame for their latest career accomplishment.
On October 10th, the Penguins' top trio will begin their 18th season together, adding another accomplishment to their already impressive list. That mark breaks a tie with New York Yankees legends Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera as the longest-tenured trio of teammates in major North American professional sports history.
Crosby and company also enter the season hoping to tie those Yankees in another group achievement. Jeter, Posada, and Rivera won four World Series Championships during their 17-year run together (Posada didn't play in the 1996 World Series).
Sidney Crosby will also break a Penguins franchise record on opening night, beginning his 18th season with the organization. That breaks a tie with fellow-franchise savior Mario Lemieux. A season of milestones awaits the Penguins' "big three," but a fourth championship remains the sole focus of the veteran core.
More must-reads: