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{{Infobox ice hockey player
| name = Sidney Crosby
| image = avengers.jpg
| image_size = 225px
| position = [[Centre (ice hockey)|Centre]]
| shoots = Left
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 11
| weight_lb = 200
| league = [[National Hockey League|NHL]]
| team = [[Pittsburgh Penguins]]
| ntl_team = CAN
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1987|8|7}}
| birth_place = Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| draft = 1st overall
| draft_year = 2005
| draft_team = [[Pittsburgh Penguins]]
| career_start = 2005
}}

'''Sidney Crosby''' (born Sidney Patrick Crosby on August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is the captain of the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]] of the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL). 

He was drafted first overall by the Penguins out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). During his two-year major junior career with the Rimouski Océanic, he earned back-to-back CHL Player of the Year awards and led his club to the 2005 Memorial Cup final. 

Nicknamed "The Next One", Sidney was one of the most highly regarded draft picks in hockey history, leading many to refer to the 2005 Draft Lottery as the "Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes".

In his first NHL season, Crosby finished sixth in league scoring with 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists) and was a runner-up for the Calder Memorial Trophy (won by [[Alexander Ovechkin]]). By his second season, he led the NHL with 120 points (36 goals, 84 assists) to capture the Art Ross Trophy, becoming the youngest player and the only teenager to win a scoring title in any major North American sports league.[6] 

That same season, Sidney also won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the Professional Hockey Writers Association's choice for most valuable player and the Lester B. Pearson Award as the NHL Players Association's choice for most outstanding player, becoming the seventh player in NHL history to earn all three awards in one year.

Crosby started the 2007–08 season with the team's captaincy and subsequently led them to the [[2008 Stanley Cup Finals]] where they were defeated by the [[Detroit Red Wings]] in six games. The Penguins returned to the Finals against Detroit the following year and won in seven games. Sidney became the youngest captain in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup. 

In the 2009–10 season, Sidney scored a career-high 51 goals, tying him with [[Steven Stamkos]] for the Rocket Richard Trophy as the league-leader. With 58 assists, he totaled 109 points, second in the NHL. During the off-season, Sidney received the [[Mark Messier Leadership Award]]. 

In 2010–11, Sidney sustained a concussion as a result of hits to the head in back-to-back games. The injury left him sidelined for ten and a half months. However, after playing eight games in the 2011–12 season, Sidney's concussion-like symptoms returned in December of 2011, and he did not return until mid-March of 2012.

Internationally, Sidney has represented Canada in numerous tournaments for the country's junior and men's teams. After competing in the 2003 U-18 Junior World Cup, he represented Canada in back-to-back IIHF World U20 Championships, winning silver in 2004 and gold in 2005. 

At the 2006 IIHF World Championship, Sidney led the tournament in scoring, while also earning Top Forward and All-Star Team honours. Four years later, Sidney was named to Team Canada for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Playing the United States in the gold medal game, he scored the game-winning goal in overtime.

== Playing career ==
=== '''Minor hockey''' ===
Early in his minor hockey years, Sidney began attracting media attention for his play and gave his first newspaper interview at age seven.  At thirteen, the Nova Scotia Minor Hockey Council refused to allow him to play midget, a level of minor hockey designated for fifteen- to seventeen-year-olds. His family sued and lost.

The following year, Sidney entered the midget level with the triple-A Dartmouth Subways. Crosby went on to score a combined 217 regular season and playoff points, leading Dartmouth to a second-place finish at the [[2002 Air Canada Cup]].

Sidney won the MVP and Top Scorer awards at the national tournament after recording 18 points in 5 games. In addition to his accomplishments, he was called up as a 14-year-old to play two games with the [[Maritime Junior A Hockey League]]'s [[Truro Bearcats]] that season. Sidney had been drafted by the Bearcats in the 2001 MJAHL Draft as a thirteen-year-old.

During his midget season, Sidney appeared on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's ''Hockey Day in Canada'' telecast. Throughout his minor career, he was also negatively targeted for his talent, however. He has recalled numerous instances in which opposing players intentionally attempted to injure him, as well as constant verbal abuse from parents on and off the ice.

Parents taunted and threatened Sidney so harshly, he took to not wearing his jersey between tournament games while he waited to play so that he would not be recognized.  Partly because of this mistreatment, Sidney chose to leave the country to play for the renowned hockey program at Shattuck-Saint Mary's Boarding School in Minnesota for the 2002–03 hockey season.  In 57 games with the Sabres, he recorded 72 goals and 162 points, leading the team to a U18 AAA national championship.

==='''Junior career'''===
Sidney was selected first overall in the 2003 Midget Draft by the [[Rimouski Océanic]] of the [[Quebec Major Junior Hockey League|QMJHL]]. In his first exhibition game, he scored eight points, leading his teammates to nickname him "Darryl" (in reference to [[Darryl Sittler]]'s ten-point in the NHL in 1976).

In his first regular season game in the QMJHL, Sidney scored one goal and added two assists. He was named QMJHL Player of the Week for two consecutive weeks at the start of the season and won the honour four more times as the season progressed. He was named QMJHL Player of the Month and [[Canadian Hockey League]] (CHL) Player of the Week three times each.
Sidney finished his rookie QMJHL season with 54 goals and 81 assists over 59 games to capture the [[Jean Beliveau Trophy]] as the league's leading point-scorer. He was further recognized with the RDS/JVC Trophy (overall rookie of the year) and [[Michel Brière Memorial Trophy]] (most valuable player), becoming the first QMJHL player to win all three major awards at once.

Rounding out Sidney's accolades for the 2003–04 regular season were QMJHL All-Rookie and First All-Star Team honours, as well as [[Michel Bergeron Trophy|Offensive Rookie]], [[Telus Cup – Offensive|Offensive Player]] and [[Paul Dumont Trophy|Personality of the Year]] Awards. As a team, the Océanic led the Eastern Division with 34 wins and 76 points.

After receiving a first-round bye in the 2003 QMJHL playoffs, they defeated the [[Shawinigan Cataractes]] in the quarterfinals, then were eliminated by the [[Moncton Wildcats]] in the semifinals. Sidney recorded 16 points (7 goals and 9 assists) over 9 post-season games.

During the off-season, the [[World Hockey Association (proposed)|World Hockey Association]], a major professional league proposed to rival the NHL, held an Entry Draft on July 17, 2004. Holding the first overall selection, Toronto chose Sidney. The following month, it was reported that Crosby turned down a US$7.5&nbsp;million deal over three years to play for Hamilton. Crosby told reporters that while "it took a lot to say no to that much money", he "work[ed] hard most of his life to play in the NHL."

The deal would have paid Sidney $2.5 million annually and an additional $2 million payout regardless of whether the WHA was realized as a legitimate league or not. It was not clarified, however, how Hamilton could have signed Crosby, as Toronto held his WHA rights. Nevertheless, the WHA never materialized.

Returning to the Océanic for the [[2004–05 QMJHL season|2004–05 season]], Sidney continued dominating the league, leading the league with 66 goals, 102 assists and 168 points over 62 games to capture his second consecutive Beliveau Trophy. Joining Crosby on Rimouski's top line were wingers [[Dany Roussin]] and [[Marc-Antoine Pouliot]], who finished second and third in league-scoring with 116 and 114 points, respectively.

In addition to his scoring title,  Sidney was once again named Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player and Personality of the Year honours, while repeating as a QMJHL First All-Star. The Océanic finished with the regular season with the best record in the league, registering 45 wins and 98 points, including a league record-setting 28-game undefeated streak. They went on to capture the [[President's Cup (QMJHL)|President's Cup]] as QMJHL playoff champions, defeating the [[Halifax Mooseheads]] in the finals.

Sidney led the playoffs with 31 points (14 goals and 17 assists) over 13 games, earning him the [[Guy Lafleur Trophy]] as post-season MVP. With their QMJHL championship, the Océanic qualified for the [[2005 Memorial Cup]], Canada's national major junior tournament. Meeting the [[London Knights]] in the final, the Océanic were shutout 4–0.

Despite the loss, Sidney was named to the Tournament All-Star Team and captured the [[Ed Chynoweth Trophy]] as the competition's leading scorer 11 points (6 goals and 5 assists) over 5 games. Knights forward [[Corey Perry]] was awarded the [[Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy]] as the MVP.

Soon thereafter, Sidney attended the NHL prospect combine in preparation of the [[2005 NHL Entry Draft]]. In addition to his fitness and strength, teams were reportedly also impressed by his personality and self-assurance. During Sidney's amateur years, [[Wayne Gretzky]] was asked if he thought anyone could break his records. He answered that Crosby could, while adding that he was the best player he had seen since [[Mario Lemieux]].

=== '''NHL career''' ===
==== 2005–06 ====
Entering the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Sidney was listed first overall in the [[NHL Central Scouting Bureau]] and International Scouting Services' respective rankings of prospects. He had also won the [[Mike Bossy Trophy]] as the QMJHL's best prospect. Sidney went on to be selected first overall in the draft by the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]] on July 30, 2005.

Due to the labour stoppage that suspended the entire 2004–05 NHL season, positioning for the 2005 draft was conducted via a weighted lottery based on each team's playoff appearances and draft lottery victories in the last four years. This lottery system led to the draft being popularly referred to as the Sidney Crosby Lottery or the Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes.

Sidney made his NHL debut on October 5, 2005 against the [[New Jersey Devils]], and registered an assist on the team's first goal of the season, scored by [[Mark Recchi]] in a 5–1 loss. He scored his first NHL goal in the Penguins' home opener on October 8 against goaltender [[Hannu Toivonen]] of the [[Boston Bruins]].

Despite also having registered two assists for a three-point night, the Penguins were defeated 7–6 in overtime. Sidney began his rookie season playing alongside [[Hockey Hall of Fame|Hall of Famer]] [[Mario Lemieux]]. Unfortunately, Lemieux was forced to retire due to an [[irregular heartbeat]] after having played just 26 games of the season.

Near the midway point of the season, Penguins head coach [[Ed Olczyk]] was fired and replaced by [[Michel Therrien]] on December 15, 2005. The following day, Therrien designated Sidney  as an alternate captain for the Penguins. The move drew criticism from some hockey pundits, including [[Don Cherry]], who claimed that Crosby did not have the experience for the position. He stated, "An 18-year-old kid says he's going to give us ideas. What, from the Quebec League, he's going to give them ideas? Come on. That's ridiculous."

Although hopes were high in Pittsburgh for the club to succeed, largely in part to the beginning of Sidney's NHL career and bolstered by the acquisitions of [[Sergei Gonchar]], [[Žigmund Pálffy|Zigmund Palffy]] and Mark Recchi, the Penguins still finished with the worst record in the [[Eastern Conference (NHL)|Eastern Conference]].

Nevertheless, Sidney's first NHL campaign was a personal success as he established franchise records in assists (63) and points (102) for a rookie, both of which had been previously held by Mario Lemieux. He additionally became the youngest player in NHL history to score 100 points in a single season, and only the seventh rookie ever to hit the benchmark.

Overall, Sidney finished sixth in the NHL scoring race and seventh in the NHL in assists. Among Canadian NHL players, he trailed only [[Joe Thornton]] and [[Dany Heatley]]. Throughout the season, Crosby had battled with [[Washington Capitals]] forward and [[2004 NHL Entry Draft|2004]] first-overall pick [[Alexander Ovechkin]] for the rookie scoring lead. He would finish second to Ovechkin's 106 points and also lose out to the Capitals forward for the [[Calder Memorial Trophy]] as NHL rookie of the year.

Throughout his first season, Crosby was accused by opposing players and coaches of taking dives and complaining to officials, which was typically attributed to his youth.
He became the first rookie to earn 100 penalty minutes and 100 points in the same season, which magnified his reputation for complaining to NHL officials. Hockey analyst [[Kelly Hrudey]] compared Sidney to [[Wayne Gretzky]], who had a similar reputation as a "whiner" in his youth and suggested that as Sidney matured, he would mellow out and his reputation would fade.


==== 2006–07 ====

In his second NHL season, Sidney built on his rookie success. On October 28, 2006, Crosby scored his first NHL hat trick in an 8–2 victory over the [[Philadelphia Flyers]]. His success against the Flyers continued as just over six weeks later, on December 13, he recorded the first six-point game of his career (one goal, five assists).

The multi-point effort vaulted Crosby into the NHL scoring lead, which he would retain for the remainder of the season. He finished the [[2006–07 NHL season]] with 36 goals and 84 assists in 79 games to become the first teenager to lead the NHL in scoring since Wayne Gretzky in [[1979–80 NHL season|1980]]. Being only nineteen years old at the time, he became the youngest player in NHL history to win the [[Art Ross Trophy]] and the youngest scoring champion in any major North American professional sport.

Sidney's second NHL season also saw significant improvements for the Penguins franchise as a whole, as the emergence of Calder Trophy-winner [[Evgeni Malkin]] and runner-up [[Jordan Staal]] complemented the club's offence. As a result, the Penguins jumped from last place in the Eastern Conference the previous season to fifth for the club's first playoff appearance since [[2001 Stanley Cup Playoffs|2001]]. Playing the [[Ottawa Senators]] in the opening round, Sidney scored a goal in his [[Stanley Cup Playoffs|Stanley Cup playoff]] debut in a 6–3 losing effort. He finished the series with 5 points in 5 games as the Penguins were ousted by the eventual [[Stanley Cup]] runner-up.

Following the Penguins defeat, Sidney was named Pittsburgh's [[Captain (ice hockey)|team captain]] on May 31, 2007, making him (at 19 years, 9 months, and 24 days) the youngest team captain in NHL history. During the season, the Penguins had offered him the captaincy, but he had turned it down. In the press conference naming him the team captain, he explained:

<blockquote>"''I just thought it wasn't right for me. As a team, we were playing great and you don't want to disrupt things like that. Individually, I was not ready to accept that responsibility quite yet. Going through the playoffs and having that experience has probably given me more confidence. I understand there is going to be a lot more responsibility on my shoulders with this, but it's something I'm ready for, I feel very comfortable with it and I'm just excited to get things going''."</blockquote>

At the NHL's annual awards show later in June 2007, Sidney completed a rare off-season hat trick, winning the [[Hart Memorial Trophy]] and the [[Ted Lindsay Award|Lester B. Pearson Award]] in addition to his previously clinched Art Ross Trophy. He became the youngest player in NHL history to win the Lester B. Pearson and only the second youngest player ever to win the Hart (after Gretzky). He also became the youngest player ever to be named to the [[NHL All-Star Team#2000s|NHL's First All-Star Team]].

==== 2007–08 ====

With Sidney's initial three-year, entry-level contract set to expire at the end of the following season, the Penguins signed him to a five-year, $43.5&nbsp;million contract extension on July 10, 2007, ensuring his stay with the Penguins through the 2012–13 season.

Midway through the [[2007–08 NHL season|subsequent season]], Sidney recorded a [[Gordie Howe hat trick]] on December 20, 2007, in a game against the [[Boston Bruins]]. His first assist came 55&nbsp;seconds into the first period. At 8:26 of the same period, Sidney  scored to give the Penguins a 2–0 lead. Then, five minutes and nine seconds into the second frame, Crosby fought defenceman [[Andrew Ference]] to complete the hat trick. This was Crosby's first NHL fight.

Nearly a month later, however, on January 18, 2008, Sidney suffered a high ankle sprain crashing leg-first into the boards in a game against the [[Tampa Bay Lightning]]. As a result, he missed the [[56th National Hockey League All-Star Game|2008 All-Star Game]], to which he was named a starter.  After missing 21 games, Sidney returned on March 4 against the Lightning and earned an assist.

Two games after his return, however, he felt his ankle was not up to shape and decided that he needed more time for it to heal. Sidney consequently sat out of the Penguins' next seven games and returned on March 27, 2008 to help the Penguins defeat the [[New York Islanders]] 3–1.  In spite of the injury-shortened campaign, Crosby still managed 72 points in just 53 games.

Sidney's absence from the Penguins' lineup served as a stepping stone for teammate [[Evgeni Malkin]], who, now in his second season, was developing into a superstar in his own right. Picking up the offensive slack, Malkin finished second in league scoring to Alexander Ovechkin and was also a Hart Trophy nominee as MVP honours also went to Ovechkin.

In addition to Sidney's return to the lineup late in the regular season, the Penguins acquired star winger [[Marián Hossa|Marian Hossa]] from the [[Atlanta Thrashers]] at the trade deadline, placing the club in a strong position to make a deep playoff run. Pittsburgh finished the regular season as [[Atlantic Division (NHL)|Atlantic Division]] champions and just two points shy of the first-seeded [[Montreal Canadiens]]. In a rematch of the previous year's opening round, the Penguins began the [[2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs|2008 playoffs]] facing the Ottawa Senators, whom they quickly swept in four games.

After then defeating the [[New York Rangers]] and [[Battle of Pennsylvania|hated]] Philadelphia Flyers, each in five games, the Penguins reached the [[2008 Stanley Cup Finals|final round]] for the first time since [[1991–92 NHL season|1992]], to face the [[Detroit Red Wings]]. After being shutout as a team for the first two games of the series, Sidney scored the first two goals of game three as the series shifted to [[Pittsburgh]] to fuel a 3–2 win.

The Penguins, however, lost the next game and despite staving off defeat in game five, they were overcome by the Red Wings in six games. Crosby finished the playoffs with 27 points (6g, 21a in 20 games), tying [[Conn Smythe Trophy|Conn Smythe]]-winner [[Henrik Zetterberg]] (13g, 14a in 22 games) for the playoff scoring lead.

==== 2008–09 ====

Early in the [[2008–09 NHL season|following season]], on October 18, 2008, Sidney scored one goal and three assists to surpass benchmarks of 100&nbsp;goals, 200&nbsp;assists, and 300&nbsp;points for his career. On the scoring play in which Crosby scored, teammate Malkin assisted to record his own 200th point.

As a result, Sidney had a team trainer cut the puck in half so both players could commemorate the achievement. Minor injury troubles kept him from five games early in the season as he was listed day-to-day but he was, for the most part, able to bounce back from the previous injury-riddled season and stay healthy. He recorded 33 goals and 70 assists to finish third in league scoring, as Evgeni Malkin captured his first career Art Ross Trophy.
Entering the [[2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs|2009 playoffs]] as the defending [[Prince of Wales Trophy]] winners, the Penguins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in the opening round before meeting the Washington Capitals for a highly publicized second-round matchup. The series was heavily followed as it pitted Ovechkin of the Capitals against both Crosby and Malkin, who together finished as the league's top three scorers that season.

In the second game, Sidney and Ovechkin recorded matching three-goal efforts for their first career playoff hat tricks in a 4–3 Capitals victory  Despite being down 2–0 in the series, Sidney and the Penguins won the next three games and eventually defeated the Capitals in a seventh and deciding game, in which Sidney added another two goals.

Following a sweep of the [[Carolina Hurricanes]] in the Eastern Conference Final, Sidney opted against recent NHL tradition and picked up the Prince of Wales Trophy, which he had left untouched the previous year. In explanation of the change of heart, Sidney said, "''We didn't touch the trophy last year, and obviously we didn't have the result we wanted ... Although we haven't accomplished exactly what we want ... we can still enjoy it''."

Meeting the Detroit Red Wings for the second straight year in the [[2009 Stanley Cup Final|Finals]], Sidney won his first [[Stanley Cup]] with the Penguins in seven games. At 21 years, 10 months, and 5 days. Sidney became the youngest NHL captain to win a Stanley Cup championship.  (The youngest captain to lead his team to the Stanley Cup in the history of the trophy is [[Mike Grant]] of the [[1895 AHAC Season|1895]] [[Montreal Victorias]], who was 21 years and 2 months at the time.) In the deciding game seven, he was forced to watch all but 32 seconds of the third period from the bench after suffering a knee injury less than halfway through the second period due to a hit from [[Johan Franzén|Johan Franzen]].

Following the game, Sidney was criticized by Detroit forward [[Kris Draper]] for neglecting to shake hands with some of Detroit's players, most notably captain [[Nicklas Lidström|Nicklas Lidstrom]]. An irate Draper was quoted as saying "''Nick was waiting and waiting, and Sidney didn't come over to shake his hand. That's ridiculous, especially as their captain''." Sidney replied afterward, saying, "''I just won the Stanley Cup. I think I have the right to celebrate with my teammates. I know it's not easy waiting around...I understand if they don't feel like waiting around. But you know what? It's the easiest thing to do in the world, to shake hands after you win. I had no intentions of trying to skip guys and not shake their hands. I think that was a pretty unreasonable comment''."

==== 2009–10 ====

In the [[2009–10 NHL season]], Sidney tied Tampa Bay Lightning centre [[Steven Stamkos]] for the lead in goals scored, with 51 goals, earning the [[Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy|Rocket Richard Trophy]]. He also garnered 58 assists for a total of 109 points, good enough to tie with [[Alexander Ovechkin|Alex Ovechkin]] for second in league points, trailing only the [[Vancouver Canucks]]' [[Henrik Sedin]]'s 112.

Additionally, Sidney won the [[Mark Messier Leadership Award]], getting recognized as a 'superior leader within the sport, setting a positive example through on-ice performance, motivation of team members and a dedication to the community'. This was the second time he had received this honor, the other being in January 2007, during the award's first year when it was presented monthly.

Sidney's Penguins were defeated in the second round of the [[2010 Stanley Cup playoffs]], losing to the [[Montreal Canadiens]] in seven games. Crosby had 19 points in 13 games in the playoffs, though through seven games against the Canadiens he had only 1 goal and 4 assists for a total of 5 points. This was due in part to the Canadiens putting focus on defending against Sidney during the series, and Canadiens' goaltender [[Jaroslav Halák|Jaroslav Halak]]'s solid play was also considered a factor.

==== 2010–11 ====
Sidney had a 25 game point streak, which began November 5, 2010, against the [[Anaheim Ducks]], and ended December 28, 2010 against the [[New York Islanders]]. During this streak he had 27 goals (including three [[hat-trick]]s), 24 assists, and 51 points. This streak is tied for 11th longest point streak in NHL history.

On January 3, 2011, Sidney was selected as a [[58th National Hockey League All-Star Game|2011 All-Star]], along with teammates [[Evgeni Malkin]], [[Marc-André Fleury|Marc-Andre Fleury]], and [[Kris Letang]], as well as the [[Chicago Blackhawks]]' [[Jonathan Toews]] and [[Duncan Keith]], in an online fan vote.  However, neither Sidney nor Malkin were available to play in the All-Star Game due to injuries and rookie [[Jeff Skinner]] along with [[Paul Stastny]] were named as replacements.

In consecutive games, the [[2011 NHL Winter Classic]] on January 1, 2011 against the [[Washington Capitals]] and January 5 against the [[Tampa Bay Lightning]], Sidney suffered hits to his head from [[Dave Steckel]] and [[Victor Hedman]], respectively.

After experiencing several concussion symptoms, Sidney did not return for the rest of the regular season, and he missed the 2010–11 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Penguins were further crippled when Evgeni Malkin suffered a torn ACL and MCL, taking him out for the rest of the season. This left the Penguins without the services of their two highest scoring players.

Despite Sidney's injury and subsequent absence for the final 41 games of the season, he finished as the Penguins' leading scorer. His 66 points in 41 games were 16 points ahead of the second highest team scorer, defenceman [[Kris Letang]]. In doing this, Sidney set an NHL record for fewest games played by an NHL team's points leader.

==== 2011–12 ====
Sidney missed the first 20 games of the [[2011–12 Pittsburgh Penguins season|2011–12 season]] due to the lingering effects of his concussion. He returned on November 21, 2011 against the [[New York Islanders]], scoring two goals and two assists in a 5–0 shutout win for the Penguins.

However, after playing another seven games, for a total of 12 points in 8 games, Sidney's concussion-like symptoms returned in December of 2011, possibly following an elbow hit by [[David Krejčí|David Krejci]] in his eighth game of the season.

Despite passing a successful ImPACT test, Sidney decided not to return on the ice until he felt perfectly fine, stating that he also needs to "''listen to [his] body''." He returned to action on March 15th, scoring an assist in a 5–2 win against the [[New York Rangers]]. Despite only playing 22 games, Sidney tallied 29 assists to go with 8 goals for 37 points, including his 600th career point.

On June 28, 2012, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that Sidney had agreed to a 12 year, $104.4M contract extension that will keep him in Pittsburgh through the 2024–25 NHL season, unless he is traded during this period.

== International play ==
{{MedalTableTop|SidneyCrosby2010WinterOlympicsgold - cropped.jpg|220px|Crosby after winning the gold medal at the [[Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics|2010 Winter Olympics]]|name=no}}
{{MedalCountry | {{ih|CAN}} }}
{{MedalSport | [[Ice hockey]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Ice hockey at the Winter Olympics|Winter Olympics]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics|2010 Vancouver]] | }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[IIHF World U20 Championship|World Junior Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships|2005 Grand Forks]] | }}
{{MedalSilver | [[2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships|2004 Helsinki]] | }}
{{MedalBottom
}}

==='''Junior'''===
Sidney debuted internationally for [[Hockey Canada|Team Canada]] at the [[2003 U-18 Junior World Cup]] in the [[Czech Republic]] and [[Slovakia]]. He was the youngest player on the under-18 team, having turned 16 shortly before the beginning of the tournament.

After seven consecutive gold medals at the tournament, Team Canada lost in the bronze medal game to the Czech Republic 8–2. He scored four goals and six points over five tournament games. Sidney went on to compete in two [[IIHF World U20 Championship|World Junior Championships]] with [[Canada national junior hockey team|Team Canada's under-20 team]]. When he was named to the team in December 2003, Sidney became the fifth sixteen-year-old to represent Canada at the tournament, following [[Jay Bouwmeester]], [[Jason Spezza]], [[Eric Lindros]] and Wayne Gretzky.

Competing in the [[2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships|2004 World Junior Championships]] in [[Helsinki]], Sidney then became the youngest player to score a goal in the history of the tournament at 16&nbsp;years, 4&nbsp;months, and 21&nbsp;days when he scored against Switzerland in a 7–2 win; This record would last until the [[2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships|2012 World Juniors]] when [[Aleksander Barkov Jr.|Aleksander Barkov]] of [[Finland men's national junior ice hockey team|Finland]] scored a goal aged 16&nbsp;years, 4&nbsp;months.

Sidney finished the tournament with 2 goals and 3 assists in 6 games, helping Canada to a silver medal finish. The following year, he returned for Team Canada at the [[2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships|2005 World Junior Championships]] in [[Grand Forks, North Dakota|Grand Forks]]. He improved to 6 goals and 3 assists as Canada earned gold. Sidney stated the following year that his most memorable hockey moment was winning his World Junior gold medal.

==='''Men's'''===
After completing his rookie season with the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]], Sidney competed in the [[2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships|2006 World Championships]] as an [[alternate captain (hockey)|alternate captain]] for [[Canada men's national ice hockey team|Team Canada]]. Tallying a tournament-best 8 goals and 8 assists in 9 games, he became the youngest player ever to win a [[Ice Hockey World Championships|World Championship]] scoring title.

Despite his performance, Canada failed to medal, being shutout by [[Finland national men's ice hockey team|Finland]] 5–0 in the bronze medal game. Sidney was named the tournament's top forward and to the competition's all-star team. After having been left off the Olympic team in [[Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics|2006]], Sidney was named to Team Canada on December 30, 2009, as an alternate captain for the [[Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics|2010 Winter Olympics]] in [[Vancouver]].

Sidney scored the game-winning shootout goal for Canada in the second game of the preliminary round against [[Switzerland national men's ice hockey team|Switzerland]]. After going pointless in the quarter- and semi-final against [[Russia national men's ice hockey team|Russia]] and [[Slovakia national men's ice hockey team|Slovakia]], respectively, he scored the winning goal seven minutes and forty seconds into overtime against the [[United States national men's ice hockey team|United States]] in the [[Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Men's tournament#Gold medal game|gold medal game]]. The goal has later become known as the "Golden Goal" due to it being scored in the gold medal game.

Following the Penguins' second-round elimination in the [[2010 Stanley Cup playoffs]], Sidney declined an invitation to join Team Canada midway through the [[2010 IIHF World Championship]] in Germany.

== Jerseys ==
Sidney's 87 Pittsburgh Penguins jersey was the top seller on the NHL's website from September 2005 to February 2008.

In January of 2005, an [[Air Canada]] baggage handler in Montreal stole his red Canada jersey from the World Junior Hockey Championship. It was recovered later in a mailbox. His white jersey from the tournament was temporarily delisted from an auction while the red one was missing. It eventually sold for $22,100, which went to youth hockey charities and [[2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake]] relief.

Less than a year later, one of Sidney'ss game-worn sweaters disappeared. The jersey he wore in his first NHL game, played against the [[New Jersey Devils]], disappeared from his father's luggage during a flight from [[Pittsburgh]] to [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]].

The jersey was later found at the [[Pittsburgh International Airport]] between a piece of equipment and a stairwell. His jersey from his third NHL game was the highest-selling NHL jersey in an auction for [[Hurricane Katrina]] relief;  it sold for $21,010.

During an online auction held by the NHL and the NHL Players Association to benefit [[Hockey Fights Cancer]], Crosby's game-worn jersey from the first period of the 2007 All-Star Game earned the most money. Crosby's sold for $47,520, more than eight times the next highest price; $5,681 for the jersey worn by [[Brendan Shanahan]] of the [[New York Rangers]].

Following Sidney's Olympic gold medal victory with Canada in 2010, it was announced that his stick and glove were missing. It was initially suspected that they might have been stolen. Reebok Canada offered a reward of [[Canadian dollar|CAD$]]10,000 for their return, no questions asked.

On March 10th, the items were found; Crosby's stick had been placed in a [[Shipping|shipment]] bound for the [[IIHF Hall of Fame|International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame]] in [[Saint Petersburg|St. Petersburg, Russia]] (the shipment was intercepted in [[Toronto]]) and his glove was found in a [[hockey bag]] belonging to [[Patrice Bergeron]] whose [[stall (enclosure)|stall]] was beside Sidney's in the [[Changing room|locker room]].

==Personal life==
Sidney was born in the Grace Maternity Hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia on August 7, 1987, to Troy and Trina Crosby. He grew up in nearby Cole Harbour, and has a younger sister named Taylor

His father Troy was a goaltender who played for the Verdun Junior Canadiens in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Troy played in the 1985 Memorial Cup and had been drafted 240th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 1984, but never played at the NHL level.

Growing up, Sidney admired Steve Yzerman and, like his father, was a Canadiens fan. Sidney began playing hockey by himself in his basement at two years old, shooting pucks against the family's clothes dryer. He learned to skate at three years old. From the ages of twelve to fifteen, Sidney attended Astral Drive Junior High School. He was a straight-A student and, according to the vice-principal, "''an amazing role model who was really kind to students in the learning centre and to special needs kids''."

When he was fifteen years old, Sidney transferred to Shattuck-Saint Mary's in Faribault, Minnesota to play with the school's hockey program. While playing for the Rimouski Océanic of the QMJHL, he attended and graduated in 2005 from Harrison Trimble High School in Moncton, New Brunswick.

Sidney lived with the Lemieux family in Sewickley, Pennsylvania from 2005 until 2010. In the spring of 2010, he purchased his own home in the same area. In June of 2006, he bought his first house on Grand Lake in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

In time for Sidney's first season, Gare Joyce issued a biography "''Sidney Crosby: Taking the Game by Storm''". The November 2005 edition of GQ Magazine featured him in a series of shirt-less photos.

In 2007, Sidney was nominated for Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People list. He holds an endorsement deal with Reebok and designed a fashion line in 2007.

On May 29, 2010, it was announced that Sidney will sign the richest endorsement deal in National Hockey League history with Reebok. The deal is expected to pay Crosby $1.4 million a year for five to seven years. He also has endorsement deals with Bell, Tim Hortons and Gatorade.

In 2008, Sidney appeared in the documentary film "''Pond Hockey''" where he discusses his experiences of playing pond hockey.

Sidney's jersey number (87) and 2007 contract signing ($8.7 million per year) reflect his birthdate (8/7/87).

== Career statistics ==
=== '''Regular season and playoffs''' ===
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:75%"
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3"  bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp;
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp;
! colspan="5"                    | Regular&nbsp;Season
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp;
! colspan="5"                    | Playoffs
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Season
! Team
! League
! GP
! G
! A
! Pts
! PIM
! GP
! G
! A
! Pts
! PIM
|-
| 1999–00
| Cole Harbour Red Wings
| Peewee AAA
| ~70 || — || — || '''~200''' || —
| —   || — || — || —    || —
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| 1999–00
| Cole Harbour Red Wings
| Bantam AAA
| 1 || 1 || 3 || 4 || —
| — || — || — || — || —
|-
| 2000–01
| Cole Harbour Red Wings
| Bantam AAA
| 63 || '''86''' || '''96''' || '''182''' || —
|  5 || 10 ||  6 ||  16 || —
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| 2001–02
| Dartmouth Subways
| Midget AAA
| 74 || '''95''' || '''98''' || '''193''' || 114
|  7 || 11 || 13 ||  24 || 0
|-
| 2002–03
| [[Shattuck St. Mary's]]
| Midget AAA
| 57 || '''72''' || '''90''' || '''162''' || 104
| — || — || — || — || —
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| [[2003–04 QMJHL season|2003–04]]
| [[Rimouski Océanic]]
| [[Quebec Major Junior Hockey League|QMJHL]]
| 59 || 54 || '''81''' || '''135''' || 74
|  9 ||  7 ||  9 ||  16 || 10
|-
| [[2004–05 QMJHL season|2004–05]]
| Rimouski Océanic
| QMJHL
| 62 || '''66''' || '''102''' || '''168''' || 84
| 13 || 14 ||  17 ||  31 || 16
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| [[2005–06 NHL season|2005–06]]
| [[Pittsburgh Penguins]]
| [[National Hockey League|NHL]]
| 81 || 39 || 63 || 102 || 110
| — || — || — || — || —
|-
| [[2006–07 NHL season|2006–07]]
| Pittsburgh Penguins
| NHL
| 79 || 36 || 84 || '''120''' || 60
|  5 ||  3 ||  2 ||   5 ||  4
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| [[2007–08 NHL season|2007–08]]
| Pittsburgh Penguins
| NHL
| 53 || 24 || 48 || 72 || 39
| 20 ||  6 ||'''21''' ||'''27*''' || 12
|-
| [[2008–09 NHL season|2008–09]]
| Pittsburgh Penguins
| NHL
| 77 || 33 || 70 || 103 || 76
| 24 ||'''15''' || 16 || 31  || 14
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| [[2009–10 NHL season|2009–10]]
| Pittsburgh Penguins
| NHL
| 81 || '''51*''' || 58 || 109 || 69
| 13 || 6 || 13 || 19 || 6
|-
| [[2010–11 NHL season|2010–11]]
| Pittsburgh Penguins
| NHL
| 41 || 32 || 34 || 66 || 31
| — || — || — || — || —
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| [[2011–12 NHL season|2011–12]]
| Pittsburgh Penguins
| NHL
| 22 || 8 || 29 || 37 || 14
| 6 || 3 || 5 || 8 || 9
|-
| [[2012–13 NHL season|2012-13]]
| Pittsburgh Penguins
| NHL
| 36 || 15 || 41 || 56 || 16
| 14 || 7 || 8 || 15 || 8
|- style="background:#e0e0e0;"
! colspan="3" | NHL totals
! 470 !! 238 !! 427 !! 665 !! 417
! 82 !! 40 !! 65 !! 105 !! 53
|}

=== '''International statistics''' ===
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:50em"
|-  style="text-align:center; background:#e0e0e0;"
! Year
! Team
! Comp
! rowspan="99" style="text-align:center; background:#fff;"| &nbsp;
! GP
! G
! A
! Pts
! PIM
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| 2003
| Canada
| [[Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament|JWC18]]
| 5
| 4
| 2
| 6
| 10
|-
| 2004
| Canada
| [[IIHF World U20 Championship|WJC]]
| 6
| 2
| 3
| 5
| 4
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| 2005
| Canada
| WJC
| 6
| 6
| 3
| 9
| 4
|-
| 2006
| Canada
| [[Ice Hockey World Championships|WC]]
| 9
| 8
| 8
| 16
| 10
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| 2010
| Canada
| [[2010 Winter Olympics|OLY]]
| 7
| 4
| 3
| 7
| 4
|- style="background:#e0e0e0;"
! colspan=3 | Junior int'l totals
! 17
! 12
! 8
! 20
! 18
|- style="background:#e0e0e0;"
! colspan=3 | Senior int'l totals
! 16
! 12
! 11
! 23
! 14
|}
[[Category:1987 births]]
[[Category:Art Ross Trophy winners]]
[[Category:Hart Memorial Trophy winners]]
[[Category:Rocket Richard Trophy winners]]
[[Category:Lester B. Pearson Award winners]]
[[Category:Lou Marsh Trophy winners]]
[[Category:Stanley Cup champions]]
[[Category:Canadian ice hockey centres]]
[[Category:Ice hockey personnel from Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:Ice hockey players at the 2010 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:National Hockey League All-Stars]]
[[Category:National Hockey League first overall draft picks]]
[[Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks]]
[[Category:National Hockey League players with 100 point seasons]]
[[Category:National Hockey League players with 50 goal seasons]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Canada]]
[[Category:Olympic ice hockey players of Canada]]
[[Category:People from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Penguins draft picks]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Penguins players]]
[[Category:Rimouski Océanic alumni]]
[[Category:People from Halifax, Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:NHL captains]]
[[Category:Conn Smythe Trophy winners]]