Crosby, Malkin Named To NHL Quarter-Century Team

The votes for the NHL Quarter-Century Team are finally in.

And, so far, two Pittsburgh Penguins’ all-time greats have made the cut.

With the NHL releasing the names in groups by decade of debut, and captain Sidney Crosby and fellow center Evgeni Malkin made the second cut out of players that debuted between 2000-10.

The other names from that cut included Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, Patrick Kane, Patrice Bergeron, and Pavel Datsyuk.

Still dominating the history books 👏

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have been named to the #NHLQCTeam, which recognizes the top 25 players of the last 25 years.

Details: https://t.co/RFkS49Cw53pic.twitter.com/ZoN9RI5bLT

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 9, 2025

Crosby, 37, debuted in the first post-lockout season in 2005-06 after being selected first overall in 2005, and he has been dominating the NHL ever since. He’s registered 602 goals and 1,637 points in 1,311 games, and he sits ninth all-time in points. He also recorded his 20th consecutive point-per-game season in 2024-25, officially breaking Wayne Gretzky’s previous record of 19. He is widely regarded as one of the five greatest NHL players of all time.

Malkin, 38, was drafted second overall behind Ovechkin in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Known as one of the greatest Russian-born players of all time, he has put together an impressive career with 506 goals and 1,327 points in 1,184 games. He became just the fourth active player to reach the 500-goal plateau during the 2024-25 season.

Both Crosby and Malkin are three-time Stanley Cup champions (2009, 2016, 2017), and each have won the Conn Smythe Trophy, the Ted Lindsay Award, the Art Ross Trophy, and the Hart Trophy.

The NHL Quarter-Century Team will be fully revealed over the next several days, and it will feature the 25 best NHL players since 2000 as voted on by fans. Each NHL franchise had its own Quarter-Century team – slow-rolled during the back half of the regular season – which was voted on by a panel of media, former players, and executives representing each team.

The 25 players for the NHL Quarter-Century team were made eligible by being voted to their respective team’s first-Quarter-Century team. There are no positional limits for the players selected.

You can track the Quarter-Century reveals on The Hockey News here.

Coaching Conclaves: Who Should Be Annointed Next Penguins’ Head Coach?The Vatican conclave to elect a new Pope has officially concluded, but there are other conclaves generating buzz around the National Hockey League.