Crosby, Ovechkin headline second batch named to NHL Quarter-Century Team
The second batch of players from the NHL’s Quarter-Century Team has been revealed and it features some massive names.
The second batch of players from the NHL’s Quarter-Century Team has been revealed and it features some massive names.
Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Patrice Bergeron, Evgeni Malkin, Pavel Datsyuk, Patrick Kane and Steven Stamkos — all of whom made their debuts between 2000 and 2010 — are the latest entrants into the historic team.
Crosby is perhaps the player who best defined the last 25 years of hockey. The 37-year-old’s trophy case is filled to the brim with three Stanley Cups, two Hart Trophies, two Art Ross Trophies, three Ted Lindsay Awards, two “Rocket” Richard Trophies and two Conn Smythe Trophies.
The Cole Harbour, N.S., native also has the most points in the NHL in last 25 years, with 1,687 (625 goals, 1,062 assists) in 1,352 games over his prestigious 20-year career.
No conversation of the 2000s is complete without Ovechkin, who snatched the all-time scoring record away from Wayne Gretzky on April 9 by sniping his 895th career goal. Since being selected first overall in 2004, ‘The Great 8’ has tallied 897 goals and 726 assists for 1,623 points — second-most behind Crosby since 2000.
Beyond just his accolades on the boxscore, Ovechkin won a Stanley Cup in 2018 and owns three Hart Trophies, three Ted Lindsay Awards, a Calder Memorial Trophy, a Conn Smythe Trophy and the most “Rocket” Richard wins with nine.
Joining Crosby from the Penguins is Malkin, who played a massive part in helping Pittsburgh celebrate three Stanley Cups over the last 25 years. The hulking Russian centre has tallied 1,346 points (514 goals and 832 assists) over his 19-year career, and along with his Cup wins, he’s won a Calder Trophy, two Art Ross Trophies, a Conn Smythe Trophy, a Hart Trophy and a Ted Lindsay Award.
The only current Hall of Famer of this batch, Datsyuk was the magical force behind the Red Wings’ runs of the 2000s and is well-known as one of the most highly skilled players in league history. The “Magic Man” picked up 918 points (314 goals, 604 assists) over 953 games in Detroit and is a two-time Cup winner, four-time Lady Byng winner and three-time Selke winner. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2024.
Bergeron established himself as the best two-way forward of the quarter-century, winning six Selke Trophies — the most all-time. He helped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup in 2011, ending the team’s 39-year drought, and picked up 1,040 points over his 19-year career in Boston.
Kane has a claim as the best American player of the 2000s and is near the top of the list for best U.S.-born players of all time. The Buffalo, N.Y., native guided the Chicago Blackhawks to a dynastic run in the 2010s, winning three Cups and picking up a Hart Trophy along the way. His 1,343 career points (492 goals and 851 assists) are the third-most among American players and only 48 behind Brett Hull for the top spot.
Stamkos, the youngest player of this batch, made his debut in the 2008-09 season as the first-overall pick for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He captained the Florida franchise to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 and won two “Rocket” Richard Trophies in 2010 and 2012.
The Quarter-Century Team honours the top 25 players of the last 25 years (2000-2025), voted on by hockey fans. The team reveal continues Saturday.
