Every year, the NHL Players' Association releases a league-wide poll [https://www.nhlpa.com/player-poll/player-poll-2025-26/] that asks players around the league various questions that they are prompted to answer with their peers in mind. And this time around, several Pittsburgh Penguins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins]' players came up in the results. Captain Sidney Crosby was the players' No. 1 selection for "Which player would make a great coach once they retire?", while he slotted in at No. 3 for an NHL forward who would also excel as a defenseman. Blueliner Erik Karlsson was voted opposite Crosby, getting picked at No. 3 as far as defensemen who would excel as a forward. And, finally, Kris Letang was voted as having the third-most intense training regimen of all NHL players, behind only Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid. In addition to the individual player voting, the rivalry between the Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers] - which will come to a head in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/pittsburgh-penguins-philadelphia-flyers-series-preview-series-history-x-factors-series-prediction] this season - was voted as the NHL's third-best behind only the rivalries between the Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] and Toronto Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/] and between the Canadiens and Boston Bruins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins]. Other questions included which goaltender had the best puckhandling skills, which player was the best-dressed, and which player was the NHL's best golfer. It was a bit of a diversion from the traditional player poll, which usually included items such as who the NHL's best forward, best defenseman, and best all-around player is - the third of which Crosby was voted six years in a row prior to this season. The full results of this year's NHLPA Player Poll can be found here [https://www.nhlpa.com/player-poll/player-poll-2025-26/]. 'I Think It's Going To Be Something Special': Penguins' Playoff 'First-Timers' Look Forward To Game 1 [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/8fbe550f-8c05-4652-9a9a-836c347a97d5.jpeg] 'I Think It's Going To Be Something Special': Penguins' Playoff 'First-Timers' Look Forward To Game 1 The Pittsburgh Penguins have a ton of Stanley Cup Playoff experience spread across their roster - but six players will get their first taste of NHL playoff hockey starting Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/i-think-its-going-to-be-something-special-penguins-playoff-first-timers-look-forward-to-game-one] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwquDfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
