Pittsburgh Penguins mainstays Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kristopher Letang will set a North American professional sports record on Tuesday night.
When the Chicago Blackhawks visit PPG Paints Arena, they will become the first trio of teammates to begin their 18th consecutive season together. This game will also be broadcast on TVA Sports.
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Crosby, Malkin and Letang shared the record of 17 consecutive seasons with former New York Yankees Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada. The three baseball players worked together in the Bronx Bombers uniform from 1995 to 2011.
“To be honest, it means a lot. We were fortunate to win three championships together. “We’ve been through a lot together,” said Letang, whose remarks were reported by NHL.com. Those two guys were always there for me.”
Crosby recalled the trio’s first moments together.
“The English of “Geno” [Evgeni Malkin] was a bit uneven back then, said the famous number 87. The English for “Tanger” [Kristopher Letang] It was, now that I think about it. We were very young and trying to figure things out.
“We leaned heavily on each other back then and we still do today. Not much has changed at this level.”
For Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, the three hockey players are “generational talents.”
“I have always said and believed that these guys are the best core I have ever experienced and seen,” he said.
“They’re generational talents, I think that goes without saying. They bring so many intangibles, they represent everything that’s great about hockey.”
“It’s just special,” Crosby added. It can not be said otherwise. It is not easy. There are so many factors. There are so many changes in teams, especially these days when we see that it is so rare for players to stay on the same team. The fact that we managed to do this is really something special.
“We appreciate that. We are grateful and hope that we have a few more years together.”