Sidney Crosby (born August 7, 1987) is the captain and first-line center of the Pittsburgh Penguins NHL franchise. He was born August 7, 1987 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was one of the most sought-after draft picks in NHL history when he entered into the draft in 2005.
Crosby began his rise to fame at the age of 14 when he played for a AAA hockey team in his hometown of Halifax. Playing against athletes three years his senior, he put up 194 points in 74 games.
Crosby then hoped to play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), though was not permitted. He then decided to play for an American high school, Shattuck-St. Mary's prep school in Minnesota. He set new scoring records, putting up 162 points in just 57 games.
After his impressive career at Shattuck-St. Mary's, Crosby was drafted first overall by the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL. In the 2003-2004 season, Crosby scored scored 54 goals and 89 assists, for a total of 135 points in 59 games. He was invited to play for the Canadian Junior Hockey team and became the youngest player to ever score a goal in the World Junior Championship.
Crosby put up similar numbers during the 2004-2005 season, and quickly rose to be the top prospect in the world.
Sidney Crosby was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in July 2005. During his rookie season, he scored 102 points, coming in second place for the Calder Memorial Trophy (NHL equivalent of Rookie of the Year) to Alexander Ovechkin.
In the 2007-2008 season, Crosby (as captain) led his team to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Penguins lost the series 4-2. He and Evgeni Malkin, a teammate, are currently the most potent scorers in the NHL.
Season | GP | G | A | PIM | +/- | PPG | SHG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2005-2006 | 81 | 39 | 63 | 110 | -1 | 16 | 0 |
2006-2007 | 79 | 36 | 84 | 60 | +10 | 13 | 0 |
2007-2008 | 53 | 24 | 48 | 39 | +18 | 6 | 0 |