On Oct. 5, 2006, a young, 19-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins‘ defenseman named Kris Letang suited up for his NHL debut against the Philadelphia Flyers.
By then, 19-year-old phenom teammate Sidney Crosby already had an entire NHL season under his belt, which was a marvelous 39-goal, 102-point rookie campaign. And, less than two weeks later – on Oct. 18 – a 20-year-old Evgeni Malkin suited up for an NHL game for the first time.
Little did those three players know that, 20 years later, they’d still be donning the same sweater and taking to the ice together.
The trio of Crosby, Malkin, and Letang is the longest-tenured trio in North American professional sports history, and, to some, it might stand to reason that they always knew there was something special between the three of them – a bond and a partnership that could stand the test of time.
But, in reality, it’s not something that was ever guaranteed – which makes it all the more unique and special.
“Honestly, I don’t know if I’ve ever felt that secure with it, to be honest,” Crosby said. “I mean, [in] hockey… there’s so much turnover. I think, just in general, like all sports, you see more and more turnover. It’s pretty rare that you see guys be with one team for long periods of time, and because of that, I probably didn’t allow my hopes to get up too much. But, I think that’s what makes it even more special.
“I think that, in the back of our mind – you’d have to ask [Malkin and Letang] – but there’s no guarantees, and that’s what makes it what it is. It’s super rare, and I think it makes us appreciate knowing that [change] could have happened so many different times.”
8 Bold Penguins’ Predictions For The 2025-26 Season
In case you haven’t heard, the Pittsburgh Penguins play hockey Tuesday night against the New York Rangers.
But, change never happened. And given the long run of success that the Crosby-era Penguins had, the thought of them spending two decades together – from an outside perspective, at least doesn’t feel unnatural in the slightest.
The trio’s run of success started almost immediately, as the Penguins made the playoffs in that first season. Letang was not part of the picture – as he was sent back to juniors after just six NHL games and remained there for the rest of the season – and they did get ousted by the Ottawa Senators in five games. But it built the foundation for what was to come next with a roster one year older and more experienced. Malkin and Crosby enjoyed successful seasons individually as well, as Malkin recorded 33 goals and 85 points in 78 games and Crosby registered 120 points – and won the Art Ross Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, and Hart Trophy.
But it all started to peak in 2007-08 with all three of them in Pittsburgh for almost the entire season. The young Penguins peaked early, going all the way to the Stanley Cup Final against the veteran powerhouse Detroit Red Wings but ultimately falling short.
It was almost deja vu in 2009, but this time, the Penguins came out on top, and the young core were already Stanley Cup champions at 22, 22, and 21 years old. Playoff success may have eluded them for a while after that, but after back-to-back championships in 2016-17, it seemed that – no matter what – the legacy of the “big three” was already pretty solid.
Fast forward to the dawn of the 2025-26 season, and the Penguins have missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons. The team finds itself in the midst of a rebuild with an unclear timeline, and even with youth beginning to populate the roster, the three Penguins’ legends still remain.
It’s hard to tell what’s next with these Penguins and their three longest-tenured players. Malkin is entering the final season of his current contract and – at 39 years old – is contemplating retirement at the end of it. Letang, 38, still has three years remaining on his deal, and he will likely continue to settle into a lighter workload as the season progresses. At 38 years old, Crosby is still going very strong, and he is entering the first year of a two-year contract.
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It’s a new NHL season, and that means it’s time for a new THN – Pittsburgh Penguins season prediction piece!
The 3,705 points between them is the most by a trio on a single team in NHL history. Even if the future is a bit uncertain, they’re still writing history, and they’re still writing their story.
It would be easy for each of them to sit back and soak in the moments. Take it all in and enjoy everything they’ve built together. But that’s just not how they’re wired.
They still want to win, and they want to win in Pittsburgh. As a new generation is ushered in, they’re still focused on the season in front of them – and they’re enjoying the ride.
And, even if his captain is pleasantly surprised that the three of them are still doing all of it together, Letang is not.
“We don’t really take time to think about,” Letang said. “From the beginning, we felt like we were pulling in the same direction, and we all wanted the same thing. For some reason, it doesn’t surprise me that we’re still here. It’s just been great. Three different personalities, and it’s just been fun.
“So, we’re excited for another one.”
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With final NHL rosters submitted and the pre-season officially coming to a close, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be an interesting team to watch for a plethora of reasons in 2025-26.
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