Sidney Crosby became the Pittsburgh Penguins’ all-time leader in career points Sunday, surpassing the iconic Mario Lemieux.
Crosby recorded his 1,724th point (645 goals, 1,079 assists) with a secondary assist on a power-play goal by forward Rickard Rakell at 12:40 of the first period during a contest against the Montreal Canadiens at PPG Paints Arena.
THE HISTORY MAKING POINT!
No. 1️⃣7️⃣2️⃣4️⃣ from the new FRANCHISE LEADER ???????? pic.twitter.com/YdtwNO79hD
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) December 22, 2025
Earlier in the contest, Crosby scored the Penguins’ first goal at 7:58 of the opening period.
Lemieux, who retired in 2005, recorded 1,723 points (690 goals, 1,033 assists) in 915 games over 17 seasons.
Crosby, 21 seasons into his NHL existence, reached his mark in his 1,387th contest.
“Took me probably 500 more games,” Crosby said Oct. 21 when he surpassed another of Lemieux’s franchise records. “(Being) able to learn from someone like him, who’s been through so much and played at the level that he did and went through the adversity that he did … and just his family as a whole, is so important. I don’t know if I can put into words how much it means, but it’s meant a lot, and I really cherish that.”
Upon his arrival as the top overall selection of the 2005 NHL Draft, Crosby skated with Lemieux during the latter’s final season in the NHL (2005-06) and lived in Lemieux’s Sewickley residence for several years as he acclimated to life as a professional.
In 2007, Crosby became Lemieux’s successor as captain and has held that post ever since.
Crosby surpassed Lemieux as the Penguins’ all-time leader in assists during a 3-2 win against the New York Islanders at PPG Paints Arena on Dec. 29, 2024. Lemieux maintains the franchise’s mark for goals, with Crosby a (still) distant second in that pursuit.
In addition to becoming the Penguins’ all-time leader in points, Crosby moved past Lemieux for eighth place on the NHL’s career scoring list.
“Congratulations on passing me with 1,724 points,” Lemieux stated on a video previously recorded and displayed during a stoppage in play. “You are now one of the best ever to play the game.”
