Sidney Crosby dismisses Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier comparisons as he inches closer to historic NHL milestone

This month is going to be special for Sidney Crosby and Pittsburgh Penguins fans. The Penguins have five more games scheduled, starting with a road game against defending Stanley Cup champions Florida Panthers.

Now, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is close to a major NHL milestone. At 38, he has 1,695 career points, and he needs just five more points to reach 1,700. If he does that, he will be joining an elite list of players, including Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr, Mark Messier, Gordie Howe, and Mario Lemieux etc.

Despite his achievements, Crosby does not compare himself to these legends.

"I don’t, I don’t put myself in that category at all," Crosby said, via NHL.com "I think they’re in a whole other category of their own. ... I just have so much appreciation and respect for what they did and just what they accomplished. I don’t look at it the same way."

Over 20 seasons, Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang won three Stanley Cups in 2009, 2016, and 2017. In a separate interview, Crosby reflected on sharing his 20th NHL season with his teammates.

"It's pretty amazing when you think about it," Crosby said earlier this month. "...to get the win and obviously to be sharing 20 years with Geno and Tanger and having played this long together, it's so rare."

Sidney Crosby praised the tradition of the game

Sidney Crosby started the 2025-26 season with eight points in seven games, including four goals and four assists. He is 28 points behind Mario Lemieux (1,723 points) in the regular-season points race. Crosby values the history and tradition of the game, and he believes being associated with past greats is meaningful.

"I love the game," Crosby said. "I love the history of the game, you know, the tradition side of it. I think that you go throughout the history of hockey, everyone had people they looked up to or people that they feel like made an impact in the game. So, to be associated that way, I think that means more than anything, for sure."

So far, Crosby focuses on team success rather than personal numbers. He continues to play at a high level despite his age, and his experience is helping guide younger players. He is signed through 2026–27 on a two-year contract, and there is no offensive shortage, with him having recorded at least 91 points in each of his past three seasons.