NHL Insider's Surprising Take on Sidney Crosby vs. Wayne Gretzky Is Turning Heads

Sidney Crosby doesn't pay attention to outside noise or speculation about his future. The 38-year-old captain remains focused on competing at an elite level and leading the Penguins back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but also has the Olympic stage in his sights with Team Canada at Milano-Cortina 2026.

Crosby has spent all 20 seasons of his NHL career with the Penguins, claiming three Stanley Cups back in 2009, 2016, and 2017.

Despite a couple of recent lean years, three straight playoff misses, and no series victories since 2018, he remains their leader in point production, having posted 91 points last season while heading into the first year of his two-year, $17.4 million contract extension.

Along with Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin, Crosby comprises the longest-tenured trio in North American professional sports. But with Letang 38 and Malkin turning 39, questions about how much longer this era can continue naturally linger.

To put Crosby's incredible consistency into perspective, NHL insider Josh Yohe recently made an astonishing, head-turning comparison between Crosby and Wayne Gretzky.

It took Gretzky until his 62nd game in his age-38 season to score his ninth goal of the year. Crosby reached that number in just 13 games this year, a testament to his continued production and conditioning two decades into his career.

Yohe added that it is not about taking anything away from Gretzky's greatness, but rather a fact-check on just how long Crosby has remained at the top of the league, still driven.

Whether chasing one more Stanley Cup with the Penguins or a third Olympic gold with Canada, Crosby has a motivation that hasn't faded.

His continued excellence is a reminder that some legends don't just age gracefully; they keep redefining what longevity in hockey looks like.