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At 35 years old, Sidney Crosby has accomplished nearly everything an NHL player can in their career.
The future Hall of Fame center from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia has been a force in the NHL since being selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2005 NHL Draft.
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"July 30, 2005: The @penguins select Sidney Crosby with the first pick of the NHL Draft." - This Day in Sports Clips
Entering the 2005 NHL Draft, Crosby was the unquestioned consensus number prospect of the class. The superstar center entered the draft after an absurd season with the Rimouski Oceanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), which saw him finish with 66 goals, 102 assists, and 168 points in 62 games.
On July 22, 2005, the Draft Lottery for the selection order of the "Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes." Four teams entered the lottery with the highest odds of landing the number one pick: the Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers, and Pittsburgh Penguins.
"This day in #PGHistory: The Pittsburgh Penguins win the draft lottery, which was also referred to as the "Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes." (2005) One week later the Pens would make their historical pick." - Pittsburgh Clothing Company
The moment the Pittsburgh Penguins ball was selected during the lottery process, the franchise would never be the same. Crosby has more than lived up to the enormous hype placed upon the Canadian superstar.
In 18 seasons with the Penguins, "Sid the Kid" has won three Stanley Cup Championships, three Maurice "Rocket" Richard Awards as the league's top scorers, as well as eight All-Star selections.
He has also won two Hart Trophies as the NHL MVP, as well as winning two Art Ross Trophies for leading the league in total points.
The NHL icon has spent his entire career with the Penguins, scoring 540 goals and 926 assists for a total of 1,466 points. While his career is far from over, Crosby currently ranks 16th all-time in career points scored in NHL history.
As of the writing of this article, Sid sits three points ahead of his long-time rival Alexander Ovechkin on the all-time list.
"It’s remarkable how good Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin still are despite age." - @Eric18utah
In 47 games this season, Crosby currently has 23 goals and 34 assists, so he should find himself near the top of the all-time points list by the end of his career.
There were several notable NHL stars selected in the 2005 Draft aside from Sidney Crosby
While Sidney Crosby remains the top player to come out of the 2005 NHL Draft, there were several other superstars selected from that class.
Stars such as Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles Kings), Carey Price (Montreal Canadiens), Bobby Ryan (Anaheim Ducks), Jack Johnson (Carolina Hurricanes), Kris Letang (Pittsburgh Penguins), and Paul Stastny (Colorado Avalanche) were all drafted in 2005.
"The TOP 10 in career points from the 2005 NHL Draft class. Any surprises?!" - NBC Sports Hockey
