Top 10 Sidney Crosby on and off-ice moments from 2005 to 2023

Sidney Crosby, popularly known as ‘The Next One’ is one of the greatest hockey players to ever play the sport. Taking reference from the nickname of Wayne Gretzky’s ‘The Great One’, Crosby proved to be the youngest player to reach 100 points in an NHL season.

He is often called an idol by many existing NHL players, including Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid. Although these two have been often compared in records, they both dominate different eras and are clearly masters of their own class. 

Sidney Crosby’s on-ice excellence is well-known to the fans, but his off-ice exploits also dial in the interest of viewers from all over the world. Be it on or off the ice, Crosby is often deemed a “gentleman” for his behavior. 

During the Stanley Cup run, one of his stories went viral on the internet. Fans gushed about how ‘The Next One’ paid for a family tab during his vacation in the Bahamas, and several stories about him started circulating, talking about his personality off the ice. Let’s have a look at Sidney Crosby’s Top 10 moments in his career.

Related: How many Stanley Cup rings does Sidney Crosby have?

Top 5 Sidney Crosby on-ice moments

Sidney Crosby’s comeback in 2010-11 season

No player can escape the IL for a long time. As much as ominous it sounds, it’s an unbeatable foe that plagues players regardless of their records. Penguins, Sidney Crosby fell victim to the IL for almost a year. 

He was sidelined for the entire time, but his comeback blew everyone’s mind. His comeback against the New York Islanders in the 2010-11 season was celebrated by the fans. Not only did he lead the team to a 5-0 win, but he also made the team stronger than before.

Sidney Crosby establishes himself as ‘The Next One’

Sidney Crosby’s excellence on the ice led him to have the nickname ‘The Next One’. Starting from his rookie year in 2005-06 to his NHL debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Crosby has poised himself as a force to be reckoned with.

During his first NHL spotlight, he became the first player to score 100 points in a season. He ended the 2005-06 season with 102 points and etched his name in the National Hockey League history.

Sidney Crosby the Prodigy – 2008 Stanley Cup Final

Prior to winning the Stanley Cup in 2009, Sidney Crosby led the team to the finals in 2008. Unfortunately, they were wiped out by Detroit Red Wings before having a chance at the race. Even in the face of complete failure, his outstanding leadership awed the audience. 

At the age of 27, he led the Penguins, and as ‘The Great One’ said, Crosby saved the Penguins franchise. Furthermore, when Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang were going through the draft season, he stood for them against the odds. His willingness to protect and guide his teammates is envied by many.

Sidney Crosby at 27 lifted the Stanley Cup

Pittsburgh Penguins crowned Sidney Crosby the team captain in 2007. Two years later in 2009, Crosby led the team to lift the Stanley Cup after defeating Detroit Red Wings in the finals. 

He became the youngest captain in NHL history to lift the coveted Cup at 27. He further went on to win the Cup two more times with the team in 2016 and 2017. Penguins became a force to be reckoned with and Crosby’s prowess was acknowledged by Wayne Gretzky himself.

2010 Winter Olympics – Sidney Crosby’s Golden Goal Moment

No fans can ever forget the 2010 Winter Olympics. Whether they be Sidney Crosby fans or not, he awed the whole world by securing the goal in front of an 18k fan base. The February 28, 2010 game is yet to date revisited and celebrated all over NHL.

The arena erupted in celebration as the young captain scored the ‘golden goal’ with just 2:44 seconds left on the clock. It was also the country’s first gold medal since the 2022 Olympics. The moment is considered one of the most iconic moments etched in Crosby’s NHL script.

Top 5 Sidney Crosby off-ice moments

Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon’s golf game

Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon were once challenged to golf game by Biz Nasty or Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney. As any game will be boring without a proper bet, Crosby’s team and Biz Nasty made a bet on the dinner menu.

This was no ordinary dinner menu, but a fancy one to note. Biz Nasty shouted on the course “Let’s f***ing go baby!” after shooting in a hole. He teased Crosby when he was unable to hole a shot on the first try. The fun continued and to date, it is one of the most entertaining clips to watch on Crosby outside of ice skates.

Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon’s adventure at Tim Hortons and Stanley Cup party

Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon once served a day waitressing at Tim Hortons. To add a bit of fun, both of them played a guessing game with the customers who drove by. Fans were amused to find Crosby ‘the serious captain’ laughing his heart off at silly jokes and guesses, especially at MacKinnon’s antics.

One more memorable moment with MacKinnon came up during his Stanley Cup celebration at Halifax Alehouse Bar. Crosby proudly ranked himself among the Top 5 drunkest attendees present that night. He stated that he doesn’t remember what transpired after chugging down beer glasses, and may have “shut down the Alehouse that night”.

Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury’s prank games

Marc-Andre Fleury is known to be a jokester in NHL, but Sidney Crosby? Fleury’s jokes no know bound, and it certainly isn’t limited to his teammates, but also the staff members. Even after being traded by the Penguins, Fleury, and Crosby are still good friends and often engage in prank battles.

During the 2022 NHL Media Tour, Fleury tapped all of Crosby’s gear and even placed a water cup inside his helmet. He stated that it was payback for Crosby’s earlier prank on the goalie. Crosby, unaware of the whole scenario fell victim to the prank and even declared war on Fleury for their next meeting.

Sidney Crosby plays flip cup with pro golfer Justin Thomas

After a break from The Masters, pro golfer Justin Thomas along with Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, and Smylie Kaufman met with Sidney Crosby and his group at a restaurant. Thomas recalls the meeting with the NHL superstar at Carolina and states how their fun prank night began.

Both groups started ordering and passing off drinks and dishes in a fun way. Crosby started by sending a bottle of wine to their table as a warm gesture, which soon turned into a “warm tequila” prank. The group followed it up with their own flip cup tournament after retiring from the restaurant. 

Sidney Crosby pays of family tab

This Sidney Crosby story spread on the internet like wildfire during the Stanley Cup time. Crosby was on his vacation in the Bahamas where he came across a family who were his big fan. Embarrassed to disturb the NHLer’s fun time, the family didn’t approach their table. 

But their 10-year-old daughter had the courage to go ask Crosby for a photo. Crosby not only took a photo with the whole family but also paid their tab before going out of the restaurant. Despite going there with his friends, he took the time to talk about the sport and the city of hockey with them.

In case you missed:

Nathan Mackinnon looks back on his QMJHL days sharing how “The Dogg” became friends with idol Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby proudly ranks himself as ‘Top 5’ drunkest attendees at Nathan MacKinnon’s Stanley Cup celebration party

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