On July 22, 2005, a singular lottery ball changed the course of the Pittsburgh Penguins' franchise - and the course of hockey - forever.
There was no mystery at all about what - more accurately, who - that lottery ball represented. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that then-17-year-old Sidney Patrick Crosby from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia - deemed "The Next One" by "The Great One" himself - was going to be the first name called to the stage at the NHL Entry Draft on Jul. 30.
And, as expected, on Jul. 30, the Penguins - winners of the draft lottery - got their guy.
Fast forward 20 years later, and it's incredible to think about all that has happened over the course of two decades time in the Sidney Crosby era. The smartphone was invented. Twitter was created. Another all-time great - drafted 10 years after Crosby - is already midway through his own career and tearing up the league.
For Crosby and the Penguins, there have been three Stanley Cup championships. 16 consecutive postseason appearances before that streak was ultimately broken in 2023. Multiple franchise records shattered. There has been insurmountable international success for Crosby, too.
There has also been heartbreak. A near-career-ending injury. Setbacks and some organizational turmoil in the prime years of Crosby's career. An ownership change that has involved Crosby's franchise predecessor in Mario Lemieux largely stepping away.
Fans have witnessed the highs, the lows, and everything in between during Crosby's tenure. And most fans don't have the pleasure of seeing a franchise icon play out his or her entire career in one city, in their city.
Like Ovechkin's Capitals, Penguins Owe It To Crosby To Right The Ship
On Sunday, the hockey world got to witness Alexander Ovechkin - The Great “8” - <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/latest-news/alex-ovechkin-reflects-on-crazy-48-hours-after-breaking-all-time-goals-record-still-cant-believe-it">surpass The Great “One” for the most goals in NHL history</a>.
Pittsburgh is synonymous with Crosby as much as Crosby is synonymous with Pittsburgh. Even though Crosby already has two decades of Penguins' hockey in the books, it still feels like there is a lot left in the tank. It feels like Crosby is far from done, and it feels like he has so much more to give to both the sport of hockey and to the city he's called home for 20 years.
Business still feels unfinished. The pen still has a lot of ink. The ending still feels unwritten.
It may be an unfair expectation for a top-five all-time talent, who has already won everything there is to win in the sport and who has already given pretty much everything he has to give. In all seriousness, Crosby owes the Penguins - and Pittsburgh - absolutely nothing at this point.
But the reality is that Pittsburgh wants more. As "unfair" as that might be, holding Crosby to that standard is part of what drives him to greatness because he holds that same standard for himself.
Like Pittsburgh, Crosby is continuously aspiring to greater heights. He is continuously challenging himself to remain a top player in the sport despite being a week shy of 38 years old. And he is continuously driven by the desire to win hockey games and contend for more team hardware.
So, is it really unreasonable for Pittsburgh to continuously ask Crosby to carry the torch? Is it too much to ask of him to keep reiterating his desire to remain with the organization that he has given everything to? Is it too much to ask him to stick around to see this transitional period through to the other side, where another shot at Stanley Cup glory may be waiting for him?
Realistically, it's hard to say at this point how long that may take. If the lottery ball happens to find the Penguins again next season for the league's next generational talent, it probably happens much sooner than expected. If everything goes as planned and Kyle Dubas is serious about wanting to contend again as "urgently as possible," perhaps the Penguins do pull off something resembling what the Washington Capitals accomplished to minimize the transition.
But there's a scenario where the Penguins aren't back in serious contention for more than a handful of years. Rebuilds are tricky. A lot has to go right. Even if Dubas has put the Penguins in a pretty good spot approximately a year and a half into the transition, it's still up to the players and the organization to execute an "as urgently as possible" vision.
Can The Penguins Still Rebuild With One Of Rakell Or Rust Around?
It seems like <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' forwards Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust are the subject of Pittsburgh hockey news just about every other day at this point.
And where does this leave an aging but still undeniably elite Crosby?
The reality is, there's no telling when a player's time will come. For all we know, Crosby's play could hit a wall. Perhaps there will come a day sooner than later where Crosby decides to call it a career on his own terms. Maybe he does reach a point where - depending on how things unfold for the Penguins over the next and only two years of his extension - he realizes that a championship won't happen again in Pittsburgh and decides to take on a mentorship role until his career fades out.
But, if two decades of Sidney Crosby hockey has taught us anything, it's that betting against him is unwise. Crosby isn't ready to be done with the Penguins yet, and Pittsburgh certainly isn't ready for life without Crosby in it.
If Sidney Crosby wants to win again with the Penguins, he will win again with the Penguins.
Even if that takes another 20 years.
With Kyle Dubas, Don't Mistake Silence For Stagnation
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> have been busy this offseason as they continue their rebuild. They haven’t officially come out and used the word “rebuild” to describe where they are as an organization, but you don’t have to squint too hard to see it.
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Feature image credit: Credit: Lou Capozzola-USA TODAY NETWORK