On the opening night of the 2024-25 season, Sidney Crosby will begin his 18th season as captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins. This is a historic achievement since few players serve as leaders for over five seasons.
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Considering the thousands of skaters who’ve played in the NHL, roughly five percent earn the honor of serving as a captain.
Like the goals, wins, and points records, a few exceptional skaters defied the odds and set milestones once deemed impossible to reach.
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Ahead of the upcoming season, Crosby is one season removed from tying Steve Yzerman, the longest-serving captain in NHL history.
Here’s a breakdown of players who had that honor for over 13 years.
Shane Doan – Arizona Coyotes
Shane Doan played his entire career with the Arizona Coyotes, debuting with the Winnipeg Jets before they relocated in 1996. He is the former franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 972 points and their longest-serving captain, wearing the “C” from 2003 to 2017.
Daniel Alfredsson – Ottawa Senators
Daniel Alfredsson is statistically the best player in the Ottawa Senators’ history, amassing 1,108 points in 1,178 games. Besides serving as the team’s captain from 1999 to 2013, he is one of just two Swedish-born skaters to wear the “C” in Ottawa, with Erik Karlsson the other.
Mario Lemieux – Pittsburgh Penguins
Mario Lemieux was the Penguins captain on three occasions, totaling 13 seasons. Until Crosby won the Stanley Cup in 2009, his former linemate was the only captain to lead the franchise to a championship.
Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Lemieux remains Pittsburgh’s leader in goals (690), assists (1,033), and points (1,723), but Crosby is closing in on all three milestones.
Zdeno Chara – Boston Bruins
Zdeno Chara led the Boston Bruins to the Stanley Cup in 2011, ending a 39-year championship drought for the club. As one of the tallest players in NHL history, he’s also a former Norris Trophy winner who led the Bruins as captain from the day he signed as a free agent in 2006 until 2020.
Jonathan Toews – Chicago Blackhawks
Jonathan Toews is one of three players on this list to have been captain of a Stanley Cup winner on three occasions. He led the team to title wins in 2010, 2013, and 2015, arguably one of the greatest eras in Chicago Blackhawks history. He wore the “C” from 2008 to 2023.
Ray Bourque – Boston Bruins
As one of the top defensemen to ever skate in the NHL, Ray Bourque came close to leading the Bruins to the Stanley Cup but had to depart and win somewhere else to retire as a champion. Even though he’s a defender and has been retired for over two decades, Bourque remains the Bruins’ all-time leading scorer with 1,506 points.
Alex Ovechkin – Washington Capitals
Crosby’s great rival, Alex Ovechkin, has been captain of the Washington Capitals since 2009 and continues pursuing Wayne Gretzky’s goal record of 894.
Ovechkin is a nine Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner with 1,550 points and 853 goals. He’s undoubtedly the greatest Russian player of all time and will go down as the game’s best goal scorer, no matter his final total.
Joe Sakic – Colorado Avalanche
Like Doan, Joe Sakic played his entire career with one organization, even when they relocated. He remains the leading scorer (1,641 points) in Colorado Avalanche history, helping the former Quebec Nordiques win the Stanley Cup during their first season in Denver in 1996. Despite a season between stints, Sakic was captain from 1990-91 and again from 1992 to 2009.
Sidney Crosby – Pittsburgh Penguins
Crosby needs no introduction as one of the game’s greatest leaders. As the face of the Penguins organization for two decades, Sid the Kid continues to cement his legacy as one of the best professional hockey players ever.
Related: 7 Fascinating Statistics About Sidney Crosby’s Career
Heading into the 2024-25 season, he continues to chase a fourth Stanley Cup title while pursuing Lemieux’s franchise records and continuing his ascent up the NHL’s all-time leaderboard, where he sits in tenth with 1,596 points.
Steve Yzerman – Detroit Red Wings
As mentioned, Yzerman maintains his record as the longest-serving captain in NHL history, wearing the “C” on his Detroit Red Wings sweater for 19 seasons.
Yzerman could have played for 20 seasons had it not been for the 2004-05 lockout, which wiped out an entire hockey season.
Even though he played his entire career with the Red Wings, he could never overcome so many of Gordie Howe’s team records. He ranks second in goals (692) and points (1,755) while claiming first in assists (1,063).
Out of 10 players on this list, Alfredsson, Lemieux, Bourque, Sakic, and Yzerman are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, while other names like Chara, Toews, Ovechkin, and Crosby are not yet eligible. Currently, Doan is the only skater eligible to earn an induction.
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