Penguins captain Sidney Crosby breaks Steve Yzerman's record

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby breaks Steve Yzerman's NHL record

By Mike J. Asti | Last updated Sep 30, 2026 10:25 PM ET

Making history just by setting foot on the ice on Wednesday night, Sidney Crosby captained the Pittsburgh Penguins to a win in their season-opening game in Philadelphia.

However, before the Penguins would spoil the night for the home fans and dominate the rival Flyers 7-0, Crosby secured a new record that may never be broken.

No one has been an NHL captain as long as Sidney Crosby

Wearing the "C" on his sweater at the start of the 2026-27 season gives Crosby 20 consecutive years as the captain of the Penguins, the only franchise he's ever known since being drafted with the first overall pick in the 2005 NHL Draft.

Crosby's two-decade reign as captain now makes him the longest-reigning captain in NHL history, surpassing Steve Yzerman's 19-season stretch with the Detroit Red Wings.

Crosby has been Pittsburgh's captain since being awarded the honor on May 31, 2007, at the end of his second season in the league.

Two decades with the 'C' on his chest.

Sidney Crosby is the longest-tenured captain in NHL history pic.twitter.com/gcZXzic33N
— Penguins PR (@PenguinsPR) September 30, 2026

And from that moment on, and still going strong today, Crosby has claimed the mantle as the face of not only the Penguins, but the entire NHL.

Crosby has an untouchable resume that argues for a place as one of the top players ever

Crosby entered his now 22nd NHL season with 654 goals, 1,107 assists and 1,761 points, as he passed his mentor Mario Lemieux for the most in Pittsburgh history in the middle of the 2025-26 campaign. He then added one more assist on Wednesday night.

Resume-wise, he's a 10-time All-Star, two-time Hart Trophy winner as the NHL MVP (2007, 2014), also claiming the Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in points those years and has led the Penguins to three Stanley Cup titles (2009, 2016, 2017) while capturing the Conn Smythe as the playoff MVP twice.

Even extending beyond just the NHL, Crosby has won two Olympic gold medals, a silver and also a gold in both the World Junior Championships and the World Championships, among many other international accolades.

Mike J. Asti

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

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