re: NHL 2023-2024 Thread

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Penguins' core still driven entering record-setting season together

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There have been just two trios of players in all of North American professional sports to play 17 seasons together.

The first trio to do it -- Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada -- played for the Yankees together from 1995 to 2011.

When the puck drops for the start of the Penguins' season against the Blackhawks at 8 p.m. on Tuesday night, it will mark the 18th season in which Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang have been on the Penguins' roster together. They will surpass Jeter, Rivera and Posada as the longest-tenured trio in the history of all North American professional sports.

Crosby, Malkin and Letang all independently chose the same word to describe what it has been like to spend (what will soon be) 18 seasons together.

"It's special," was how they each put it this week.

"We were just three young kids that wanted to get into the league," Letang recalled of their early days together. "There's a million memories."

Crosby, who is entering his 19th season, was already in his second NHL season by the time Malkin and Letang came along to join him. Malkin made his debut at the start of the 2006-07 season after leaving Russia. Letang had a seven-game stint in the NHL to open the 2006-07 season before being returned to his junior team, then established himself as a regular NHL defenseman the following season.

"Geno's English was a little bit spotty at the time," Crosby remembered of that time. "Tanger's English actually was too, now that I think about it (laughs). But all of us, we were all super young, trying to figure things out. But we really leaned on each other a lot then, and still to this day."

Crosby (1,190), Malkin (1,063) and Letang (1,005) have played more games than anyone else in Penguins history, and are the only three players to play 1,000 games with the team. It hasn't been an easy road for any of them.

Crosby lost over 100 games in his career -- more than a full season -- to concussions alone. Malkin has had his own history of injuries, including two knee surgeries a decade apart. Letang has had to come back from two strokes, the most recent one being just last season.

"I've been through a lot on and off the ice with these two guys," Letang said. "For myself, they've always been there for me. Geno had his fair share of injuries, Sid had his fair share of injuries and the fact that we were always there for each other and got back on our feet and kept going, I think it was pretty special. The fact that we were able to keep it all together is pretty impressive."

"Pretty impressive" is an understatement. Tuesday's game marks a record-setting level of "keeping it all together" for a set of three players. For just one player to play 18+ seasons -- let alone with only one team -- is impressive in today's game, and is a testament to their work ethic, drive, and willingness to adapt their games as they get older. To do it that long and maintain a high level of play into their mid-30s the way they have is a whole different level of feats. To do it together with two teammates is historic.

References in print to the Penguins' "core" in this age can be found dating back to the time of the 2009 Stanley Cup run. Then, the "core" was widely considered a group of five -- Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Jordan Staal and Marc-Andre Fleury. Despite the success they had together, the business side of the game got in the way of the latter two finding the same longevity in Pittsburgh, be it due to contract demands in the case of Staal, or an expansion draft, salary cap concerns and a younger replacement available in the case of Fleury. Those sorts of business decisions needing to be made by management are commonplace in the game now, and it's why it's so rare that Crosby, Malkin and Letang have found a way to stay together all of these years. It's the kind of run between three players that we might not see again ... especially because this trio still has some time left in them.

"It's just special," Crosby said of what they've been able to do. "I mean, there's no other way to put it. It's not easy. There's so many factors. So much turnover comes in, especially nowadays. You see that, it's so uncommon that players can stay with the same team. The fact that we've been able to do that, it's just really special. You appreciate that, you're grateful for that, and hopefully there will be a few more years left here."

Mike Sullivan is hoping so, too. He called Crosby, Malkin and Letang "the greatest core that I've certainly been around and witnessed."

All of the years that I've been associated with this league, their appetite to win, their willingness to train and practice and play so hard to set themselves up for success, I think is is admirable," Sullivan added. "I just think that these guys are great ambassadors of the game. They're terrific people, they're generational talents. I think that speaks for itself. But all the other intangibles that they bring to the table, I think they just represent everything that's great about hockey."

The 18th season for Crosby, Malkin and Letang is obviously special. But nobody is looking at it as just a fun, sentimental tour, keeping the band together for the sake of keeping the band together. The goal is to win a fourth Stanley Cup together, and that work starts today.

"It's special, for sure," Malkin said of the longevity he has had with Crosby and Letang. "But it's like, nothing changed. Same training camp, same Sid, same Tanger. We try to be the best every practice, every game. We're leaders for this group, everybody is looking for us. We try to support each other, be ready to play."

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