A lot has changed since 2006, but one thing hasn’t. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are all still playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
All three appeared in the Penguins’ 3-0 victory over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, kicking off their 20th season together. They are the only three players in NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB history to play 20 seasons together for the same team at the same time.
This is actually Crosby’s 21st season with Pittsburgh, as he debuted for the Penguins in 2005. Letang and Malkin joined him a year later, and all three have been with Pittsburgh ever since.
The trio has been through a lot together over the last two decades. They’ve made 17 straight postseason appearances and won three Stanley Cups together, including back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017. They’ve also endured some leaner times, failing to make the playoffs in each of the last three seasons.
Malkin is the oldest at 39, while Crosby and Letang are both one year younger. It’s unclear how much longer they’ll keep playing, especially with the Penguins in the middle of a rebuild.
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Still, having one player spend 20 years with one team is incredibly rare, let alone three at the same time. Only 38 athletes have ever done it in the four North American major professional sports, including these three.
It’s been a special, historic run worth celebrating and appreciating while they’re still on the ice. The three may not be in their prime anymore, but they’re still committed to helping Pittsburgh win games.
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Featured image via Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images