The Pittsburgh Penguins assist record has belonged to Mario Lemieux for 20 years, but Sidney Crosby is just one helper away from claiming it for himself. How do their numbers compare?
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been blessed to have two of the NHL's greatest players of all time: Sidney Crosby and Mario Lemieux.
Together, the pair are responsible for the franchise's five Stanley Cup championships and have 3,358 points and counting.
On Dec. 23, 2024, Crosby scored three assists in a win over the Philadelphia Flyers to tie Lemieux's record of 1,033 assists.
Although it only took Lemieux 915 games to set the record, which he has held since his retirement in 2005, Crosby took the longer route, tying the mark in game 1,308.
However, Lemieux played in the league from 1984 to 1997 and again from 2000 to 2005. Even at the tail end of his Hall of Fame career, he never skated against the Seattle Kraken, Vegas Golden Knights, or Utah Hockey Club.
Meanwhile, Crosby has played against 32 teams, including the Atlanta Thrashers (now the Winnipeg Jets) and the Arizona Coyotes, who used to be the Winnipeg Jets, during Lemieux's era.
Here's a breakdown of each player's assist totals against NHL opponents:
Considering the difference of almost 400 games between the two captains, one of the most prominent statistics that stands out between the two lists is Crosby has at least an assist-per-game average against only two teams, the Minnesota Wild and the New York Islanders.
Conversely, Lemieux achieved the feat against 19 teams, with a 2.29 assist-per-game average against the San Jose Sharks.
Moreover, Crosby's highest total against a single club is 93 (Islanders), a few assists better than Lemieux's best total, 88 against the New Jersey Devils.
After 20 seasons in a Penguins sweater, Crosby has set up 113 players for a goal and needs to connect with two more players to reach 115; the total Lemieux retired with.
Out of the current Pittsburgh players, the candidates waiting for their first helper from Crosby are Blake Lizotte, Kevin Hayes, Noel Acciari, Cody Glass, Matt Nieto, Owen Pickering, Ryan Shea, and Jack St. Ivany.
Who's next?
