37 Years Young: Sidney Crosby, the Timeless Wonder

Fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins have had an incredible 19 years of watching one of the greatest players of all time pull his shots, hit the ice and dominate the league.

And 19 years later — on his birthday Wednesday, or, as Pittsburgh calls it, “Sidney Crosby Day” — it’s almost as if Crosby is little different from the 18-year-old who took the league by storm after being selected first overall by the Penguins in 2005.

It’s been said many times that Crosby, now 37, has managed to outrun Father Time. At his age, the vast majority of NHL players — even The Great One himself, who saw a steep decline in health and production after age 32 — begin to succumb to age and see their fortunes steadily decline.

But not Crosby. In fact, in many ways, the opposite seems to be happening in many facets of his game. As we discussed recently , his speed increases with age. His stats — and particularly his 5v5 stats — are the best they’ve been since 2014. And his era-adjusted production has been essentially a straight line since 2014 — outside of two standout campaigns in 2016-17 and 2018-19 — showing no sign of decline over the course of a decade:

His health also seems to defy age. Crosby has played in two consecutive 82-game seasons — and he’s done so just once before in his career, in 2017-18. That’s not the case for most athletes in general, who seem to play less and less as they enter the twilight years of their careers.

But then again, not Crosby. Not Sid the Kid, who is seemingly still playing at the same level and with the same energy as a kid. This “kid” has already entered the top 10 of all-time in scoring, is vying for the all-time points-per-game season record in 2024-25, and has plenty more milestones to accomplish, some of which are expected to come this season:

Crosby currently has 592 goals and 1,596 points, and will likely break into both the 600-goal and 1,600-point clubs this season. There’s also a good chance he’ll surpass Joe Sakic’s 1,641 points for ninth place on the all-time list.

While Pittsburgh eagerly awaits the announcement of a contract extension that will hopefully make Crosby a Penguin for life, the hockey world continues to honor this ageless wonder who continues to exceed otherworldly expectations and erase any doubts that he will cement his place among the greatest players ever.

Here’s to many more years of top-level hockey and — hopefully — more stunning individual plays like this one:

And more of these:

Happy birthday, 87.

Related: Analysis of Crosby’s Chance at 2,000 Points

Related: Five Random Sidney Crosby Stats That Will Blow Your Mind

Related: Five Reasons to Be Optimistic About the Penguins in 2024-25