Is Sidney Crosby on hockey's Mount Rushmore?

Credit: Apr 6, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) prepares to take a face-off against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Entering his 20th NHL season, Pittsburgh Penguins‘ captain Sidney Crosby has shown no signs of slowing down. His decorated career compares to all of the NHL’s best players, but it begs the question – is Crosby worthy to stand on hockey’s Mount Rushmore, as one of the four all-time greats?

The Cole Harbour, NS native is just four points away from 1600, which would propel him into the top-10 all-time list. To date, he’s recorded 592 goals, and 1596 points in 1273 regular season games. Add another 201 points in 180 Stanley Cup Playoff games, along with a trio of Stanley Cup rings, and there’s no question Crosby should be in the conversation for the greatest to ever lace up the skates.

On Thursday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and Frank Seravalli navigate Crosby’s excellence and bring up several players, who they feel should be included in the conversation:

Yaremchuk: Sidney Crosby needs just four points to sneak into the top-10. He’d be the 10th player with 1600 in his career. There’s a lot of talk about Alex Ovechkin and the goal chase, but I feel that Sid, who again has remained uber-productive into his now 20th season in the league, moving into the top-10 isn’t getting talked about a lot.

Seravalli: I mean, of all the list of achievements in Sidney Crosby’s career, you’re like – ‘wait, he’s not in the top-10?’. It’s one of those things that he’s just been so successful. His trophy case is so full that it’s like – ya that’s a given. But, here’s the thing, the more interesting conversation as he continues to climb this, is has he done enough for you already to be on the NHL’s Mount Rushmore? Top-four all-time, is he one of the four best players ever?

Yaremchuk: I’m gonna throw a weird little thing in there – hockey’s Mount Rushmore, because I think what he’s accomplished international is what maybe pushes him perfectly into that mix. He is for me, because I think also again, people will say ‘he’s only 10th all-time in scoring’, but you have to think about the era he’s doing it in…When you look at the era and the way Crosby has dominated for so many years now, yeah he’s in there.

Seravalli: I agree, for me he’s easily top-four. So, what does it look like? For me, it’s probably something like (Wayne) Gretzky, (Bobby) Orr, Crosby and (Mario) Lemieux.

Yaremchuk: Yeah, I think so. I think again, if you wanted to build one that kind of crossed a whole bunch of different generations, maybe you have a Gordie Howe in there? From Gordie, Wayne, Mario, Sid, and that’s your four?

Seravalli: You got to have a defenseman. There’s got to be someone else that you work in there.

For more on the debate, milestone watch, and previewing a big night ahead in the NHL, watch the full episode here: