Mar 12, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) and center Evgeni Malkin (71) and defenseman Kris Letang (right) celebrate a game winning goal in overtime by Letang to defeat the New York Rangers at PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins won 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Penguins Superstar Trio Makes NHL History

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI
By Jennifer Streeter | Last updated Oct 7, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The average lifespan of a Penguin is around 15 to 20 years as individuals, but the average lifespan of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang as teammates could be even longer.

On the night of the 2025-26 NHL regular season opener, Pittsburgh Penguins Crosby, Malkin and Letang will make history and become the first trio of league teammates to play 20 seasons together. The Penguins open play at the New York Rangers with an 8:00 p.m. EST puckdrop, following the Rangers snatching up former Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan in May.

Crosby, Malkin and Letang are three of 35 players in the history of the NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL to play 20 seasons with a single team, but are the only three to do so concurrently.

Malkin (the No. 2 overall pick in 2004), Crosby (the No. 1 overall selection in 2005) and Letang (a third-rounder in 2005) all joined the Penguins organization within the span of one year and completely transformed its outlook. The trio were were instrumental in the 2009 Stanley Cup championship run and then the eventual back-to-back championships in 2015 and 2016.

All three are in the franchise’s all-time top five in points, with Crosby at No. 2, Malkin at No. 3 and Letang at No. 5. Additionally, Letang is the highest-scoring defenseman in team history.

Crosby already has a lot of eyes on him entering the season, as he could extend his NHL record of point-per-game seasons to 21 after having 91 points (33 goals, 58 assists) in 80 games last season.

At 1,687 points (625 goals, 1,062 assists), the Pittsburgh captain needs 36 to tie Mario Lemieux (1,723 points; 690 goals, 1,033 assists) for the most in Penguins history.

Crosby told NHL.com that said playing alongside Malkin and Letang has been so special to him.

“It's rare, and it's definitely special,” Crosby said. “You don't see that very often in hockey, let alone anything, any sport, really. So, I feel really grateful and fortunate that I've been able to play with these guys for this long, and that we have some great memories together, and that we're able to continue to play together. It's not something that that happens too often. So, definitely appreciate it.”

The trio are the highest-scoring trio of teammates with a single team in NHL history.

Maklin enters the last year of his current contract (four-year, $24.4 million), as the trio as a whole enters their latest season together not just as teammates, but as family.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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