Time Flies: Four NHL Players Entering Their 20th Seasons in 2024-25

The NHL has four big-name players who will play their 20th season during the 2024-25 campaign.

It is rare for players to last in the NHL for at least 20 seasons. 

Only 69 players have hit the 20-year milestone in NHL history, with Brent Burns and Marc-Andre Fleury being the latest this past season.

Four players are set to play their 20th NHL campaigns in the 2024-25 season. Here they are.

It may be shocking to believe, but Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby is entering the 20th season of his NHL career. It feels like yesterday that 'Sid the Kid' was the NHL's most prominent and brightest young star.

While a lot of time has passed since Crosby's likely Hall of Fame career started, he has not shown any signs of slowing down. The 2005 first-overall pick is still the Penguins' best player by far and remains offensively dominant. He led Pittsburgh with 42 goals and 94 points in 82 games last season. 

Although Crosby is in his late 30s, he is easily among hockey's best forwards. The possibility of him producing at more than a point-per-game pace for the 20th season in a row is not just possible but expected. 

Crosby's longtime rival and fellow superstar, Alex Ovechkin, is also entering the 20th year of his NHL career. The 2004-05 NHL lockout meant Ovechkin started his career at the same time as Crosby, despite being drafted first overall by the Washington Capitals the year before.

Similar to Crosby, Ovechkin is still a star at this juncture of his career. The 38-year-old's numbers last season were a bit down compared to years prior but were still good, as he posted 31 goals and 65 points in 79 games. Considering 22 of his goals came after the all-star break, and he had 50 and 42 goals in the seasons prior, his totals could jump back up in 2024-25. 

Ovechkin can also make hockey history in his 20th season, as he needs just 42 goals to pass Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL's all-time leader in that category. And he reportedly has his sights set on the 2026 Winter Olympics as well.

Instead of hanging up the skates, Corey Perry signed a one-year, $1.15-million contract to stay with the Edmonton Oilers this July. 

The days of the 2003 first-round pick being a star top-six forward are gone, but he is still an effective bottom-six player at this juncture of his career. His gritty play and experience have made him a nice part of the Oilers' roster, and he will look to contribute timely depth production next season.

Perry is also entering 2024-25 with extra motivation, as he suffered his fourth Stanley Cup final defeat in five years this past spring. Winning his first Stanley Cup since 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks would be a great way to finish off his 20th year – and possibly his NHL career.

Ryan Suter is the final player gearing up for his 20th NHL season in 2024-25. The Madison, Wis., native was bought out by the Dallas Stars earlier this summer but found a new home in mid-July with the St. Louis Blues.

At this juncture of his career, Suter is no longer a top-pairing defenseman but still is serviceable in a bottom-pairing role. He will provide the Blues with more experience and reliable defensive play. The 39-year-old is also very durable, not missing a single game in each of the last four seasons. 

Overall, Suter has had a strong career, posting 105 goals, 681 points and a plus-120 rating in 1,444 NHL games thus far. From here, seeing how he adds to his career stats during his 20th year will be interesting.