2027 4-Star QB Wonderful âChampâ Monds makes college commitment: Live update
4-Star QB Wonderful 'Champ' Monds announces college commitment live!
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang have played 1,000 games together for the Pittsburgh Penguins, a record in North American sports. They have won three Stanley Cups and hold significant career stats in the NHL.
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin And Kris Letang By The Numbers: The Stats Behind Penguinsâ Legendary Big Three originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
For two decades, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang have anchored the Pittsburgh Penguins, outlasting nearly every other constant Big Three in professional sports.
This past January, the trio became the first in the history of the four major North American sports leagues to skate (or play) in 1,000 regular-season games together. This milestone dwarfs the durability of the NBAâs Spurs (Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan) and outpaces the overlap of the MLBâs "Core Four" Yankees. Most impressively, they secured three Stanley Cups while navigating twenty years of a salary cap system specifically designed to dismantle veteran cores.
Beyond the trophies, the trio maintains a statistical monopoly. Crosby is the NHLâs active leader in career points, Malkin is in the top four in active goals, and Letang holds the record for most postseason goals by an active defenseman. Season 20 has officially come to a close with the Penguins' first-round loss to the Flyers, and though there is uncertainty for the future, fans should appreciate the greatness the trio has produced in Pittsburgh.
They became the first trio in the history of the four major North American sports leagues to play in 1,000 regular-season games together.
The trio has won three Stanley Cups during their time with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Sidney Crosby is the NHL's active leader in career points.
Kris Letang holds the record for the most postseason goals by an active defenseman.
4-Star QB Wonderful 'Champ' Monds announces college commitment live!
Three Barcelona stars could miss El Clasico against Real Madrid due to suspension.
Despite a rough start, the Mets keep Carlos Mendoza as manager.
76ers defeat Celtics 106-93, setting up a crucial Game 7!
The Atlanta Braves are urged to extend Ozzie Albies after his strong start to the season. Braves president Alex Anthopoulos confirmed the team will exercise Albies' club option for 2026.
Celtics and 76ers face off in Game 7 this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET!
See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.
Here is a look at the Big Three of Crosby, Malkin, and Letang, by the numbers.
To visualize the magnitude of their 20-year run, here is a breakdown of the statistics that define the Crosby, Malkin, and Letang era.
| Metric | Total |
| Seasons Together | 20 (2006â2026) |
| Games Played | 3,924 |
| Playoff Appearances | 17 |
| Stanley Cups | 3 (2009, 2016, 2017) |
| Combined Points | 3,974 |
| Combined Goals | 1,365 |
| Coaching Changes (League-wide) | 115+ |
| Hart Trophies (MVP) | 3 |
H/T -Â Andrew Fillipponi
The 1,000-game milestone, reached in January 2026, serves as the definitive benchmark for the trioâs durability. This level of stability is nearly double that of most iconic sports dynasties, making their shared career a statistical outlier that will likely never be replicated in the modern era.
| Trio | League | Seasons | Games Together | Championships |
| Crosby, Malkin, Letang | NHL | 20 | 1,000 | 3 |
| Duncan, Parker, Ginobili | NBA | 14 | 718 | 4 |
| Jeter, Posada, Rivera | MLB | 17 | N/A | 5 |
| Bird, McHale, Parish | NBA | 12 | 635 | 3 |
| Aikman, Smith, Irvin | NFL | 10 | ~130 | 3 |
The Penguinsâ Big Three are the only trio in the history of the four major North American sports to play 20 seasons together on a single team. While the Yankeesâ "Core Four" of Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte is often the benchmark for longevity, they only spent 14 seasons together as a unit of four, and Jeter, Posada, and Rivera peaked at 17 seasons as a trio.
Even when compared to the NBAâs gold standard â the San Antonio Spursâ trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili â the Penguinsâ group stands alone. The Spursâ legendary trio retired with 718 regular-season games together; Crosby, Malkin, and Letang eclipsed that mark years ago, reaching the 1,000-game milestone in January 2026.
Comparing championships, and the Penguins still stand out. Unlike the 1990s Yankees or the 1980s Celtics, the Penguins won all three titles in a hard cap system designed to dismantle dynasties. Pittsburgh's titles in 2009 and 2016-17 represent a decade-long bridge between two different generations of teammates.
Despite being the oldest core in the league, these numbers confirm they remained high-level contributors. Crosby and Malkin both maintained a scoring pace of over 1.00 points per game, a rarity for players in their 20th professional season.
| Player | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | +/- |
| Sidney Crosby | 68 | 29 | 45 | 74 | 0 |
| Evgeni Malkin | 56 | 19 | 42 | 61 | +13 |
| Kris Letang | 74 | 3 | 31 | 34 | -4 |