Future first-ballot Hall of Famer Sidney Crosby is just one point away from tying fellow Pittsburgh Penguins legend Mario Lemieux for the eighth most points in NHL history.
The 38-year-old captain and the Penguins are in the nation’s capital Thursday night to take on Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators.
Crosby hasn’t appeared to lose a step in his 21st NHL season, recording 19 goals and 16 assists over 32 games to lead all Penguins’ scorers in 2025-26.
Crosby brings his career 1,722 career points (644 goals and 1,078 assists) into Ottawa looking to tie and surpass Super Mario on the all-time points list.
After finishing second-last in the Metropolitan Division last season, Crosby has the Penguins are just two points out of a wild-card spot with a 14-9-9 record.
All-Time Points Leaders
| Rank | Player | Years | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne Gretzky | 1979-99 | 2,857 |
| 2 | Jaromir Jagr | 1990-18 | 1,921 |
| 3 | Mark Messier | 1979-04 | 1,887 |
| 4 | Gordie Howe | 1946-80 | 1,850 |
| 5 | Ron Francis | 1981-04 | 1,798 |
| 6 | Marcel Dionne | 1971-89 | 1,771 |
| 7 | Steve Yzerman | 1983-06 | 1,755 |
| 8 | Mario Lemieux | 1984-06 | 1,723 |
| 9 | Sidney Crosby | 2005-26 | 1,722 |
| 10 | Alex Ovechkin | 2005-26 | 1,654 |
BOLD = ACTIVE PLAYER
Lemieux and Crosby are two of the greatest players in hockey history and legends in both Pittsburgh and Canada.
The question is, who has had the more impressive career overall?
Let’s take a closer look at the numbers.
Mario vs. Sidney: By The Numbers
| Mario Lemieux | Stat | Sidney Crosby |
|---|---|---|
| 915 | Games Played | 1,384 |
| 690 | Goals | 644 |
| 1,033 | Assists | 1,078 |
| 1,723 | Points | 1,722 |
| 114 | +/- | 191 |
| 236 | Power-Play Goals | 192 |
| 49 | Short-Handed Goals | 4 |
| 74 | Game-Winning Goals | 102 |
| 107 | Playoff Games | 180 |
| 76 | Playoff Goals | 71 |
| 96 | Playoff Assists | 130 |
| 172 | Playoff Points | 201 |
Maybe the most staggering statistical difference between the two elite centres is the point production over games played.
Lemieux missed significant time in his career, including the entire 1994-95 season during his prime, due to multiple back surgeries and cancer treatments, but still managed to record his 1,723 points in 469 fewer games than Crosby.
The Montreal native also retired following the 1996-97 season before returning for five more seasons in 2000-01.
Crosby has missed his fair share of time as well, playing in 41, 22 and 36 games over a three-year stretch from 2010 to 2013 due to concussions.
By the time his playing career is done, the native of Cole Harbour, N.S., might rank second on the NHL’s all-time point list, behind only Wayne Gretzky.
Crosby, who is averaging 1.24 points per game over his career, is 199 points behind Jaromir Jagr for second all-time. Even at a lower production rate going forward, Crosby has a real shot at surpassing Jagr, assuming he stays healthy and has interest in playing an additional two or three seasons following 2025-26.
As for the hardware, Lemieux and Crosby are very comparable – both domestically and internationally. Both have filled their trophy cases will individual and team honours.
Mario vs. Sidney: Awards and Accomplishments
| Mario Lemieux | Award | Sidney Crosby |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Stanley Cups | 3 |
| 3 | Hart Memorial Trophy | 2 |
| 2 | Conn Smythe Trophy | 2 |
| 6 | Art Ross Trophy | 2 |
| - | Maurice Richard Trophy | 2 |
| 4 | Ted Lindsay Award | 3 |
| 1 | Calder Trophy | - |
| 12 | All-Star Appearances | 10 |
| 1 (Gold in 2004) | Olympic Medals | 2 (Gold in 2010, 2014) |
| 3 | World Championships / World Cups / Canada Cups / Four Nations / World Juniors | 4 |
Lemieux and Crosby have always been connected with each other ever since Crosby was selected first overall by the Pens in the 2005 NHL Draft.
They even played together during Crosby’s rookie season in 2005-06 when Sid the Kid tallied an incredible 102 points in 81 games as an 18-year-old.
Lemieux put up 22 points in 26 games as Crosby’s mentor that year before retiring and moving into an ownership role where he was there for all three of Crosby’s championship titles in 2009, 2016 and 2017.
