On the 30th birthday of Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby, let’s take a look at the top five moments of his career.
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby turns 30 on Monday, August 7. How fitting number 87 celebrates his birth on the seventh day of the eighth month. Perhaps this is why Crosby loves the number 87.
Over 1,000 points and three Stanley Cups by age 30? Not bad. Not bad at all. Happy birthday Sid! pic.twitter.com/BcwhCoJWl4
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) August 7, 2017
It’s mind boggling to think that he’s already 30 years old and how much he accomplished in his 20’s. Arguably no player other than Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr had a better run in their 20’s. And Crosby lost some prime years thanks to concussion issues. Number 87 has 1,027 regular season points already, which is quite outstanding considering the era during which he has played.
Crosby has accomplished so much, it’s hard to pick out just five career-defining moments for him. However, because the Penguins captain is turning the big 30, we’ll try to do so. Here are the five defining moments of Crosby’s illustrious career (so far).
Crosby’s Rookie Season
It’s appropriate to start at the beginning. Crosby was seen as a once in a generation player going into the 2005 NHL Draft. His junior numbers set records and he dominated on the ice from the first time he stepped on it. Crosby got comparisons to legends like Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. All things considered, he has lived up to the hype.
Crosby fell into the perfect situation for both himself and the Penguins. Pittsburgh needed a savior (again) and Super Mario was no longer up to the task on the ice. Crosby went to a team where he was able to become an immediate star.
His rookie season was nothing short of phenomenal. Crosby put up 102 points, which was sixth in the league. It opened the NHL chapter of his seemingly life long rivalry with Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin. Though he lost the Calder Trophy to him, Crosby has gotten the best of his rival. Hockey fans will probably never see two rookies take the league by storm the way The Great Eight and Sid The Kid did in 2005. It gave a glimpse into the bright futures for both stars.