Penguins Captain History: Sidney Crosby Reaches Two Decades With ‘C’
Penguins Captain History: Sidney Crosby Reaches Two Decades With ‘C’ originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh.
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Sidney Crosby has worn the “C” on his chest for two decades.
The Pittsburgh Penguins captain reached the milestone as he enters his 20th year wearing the captain’s letter, extending his run as the longest-tenured captain in NHL history. The Penguins highlighted the achievement ahead of Crosby’s 22nd NHL season.
Two decades with the ‘C’ on his chest.
Sidney Crosby is the longest-tenured captain in NHL history 🫡 pic.twitter.com/gcZXzic33N
— Penguins PR (@PenguinsPR) September 30, 2026
Crosby has been Pittsburgh’s captain since May 31, 2007. He was just 19 years old when the Penguins handed him the captaincy, making him the youngest captain in NHL history at the time.
But Crosby is far from the only legendary player to wear the “C” for the Penguins.
From Ab McDonald and Mario Lemieux to Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh has had 13 captains throughout its history.
Here’s a look at every Penguins captain in franchise history.
Penguins captain history: Full list of Pittsburgh leaders
YearsCaptain1967-68Ab McDonald1968-69*Earl Ingarfield Sr. & No Captain1969-73No Captain1973-77Ron Schock1977-78Jean Pronovost1978-81Orest Kindrachuk1981-84Randy Carlyle1984-86Mike Bullard1986-87Mike Bullard & Terry Rushowski1987-88Dan Frawley & Mario Lemieux1988-94Mario Lemieux1994-95Ron Francis1995-97Mario Lemieux1997-98Ron Francis1998-2001Jaromir Jagr2001-05Mario Lemieux2005-06**Mario Lemieux & No Captain2006-07No Captain2007-Present Sidney Crosby
*Earl Ingarfield Sr. began the season as the captain was traded to the Oakland Seals late in the season. No captain was named as his replacement.
** Mario Lemieux began the season as the captain and retired mid-season due to health issues. No captain was named as his replacement.
Penguins captains who left a mark
Ab McDonald
The Penguins’ first captain already knew what it took to win a Stanley Cup before he ever wore the “C” in Pittsburgh.
McDonald arrived in Pittsburgh after winning four consecutive Stanley Cups, three with the Montreal Canadiens and another with the Chicago Black Hawks. He was selected by the Penguins in the 1967 Expansion Draft and immediately became the first captain in franchise history.
He also helped create one of the first entries in Penguins history. In Pittsburgh’s inaugural game on Oct. 11, 1967, McDonald assisted Andy Bathgate on the franchise’s first goal in a 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
McDonald finished that inaugural season with 22 goals and 43 points in 74 games, second on the team in scoring. He was traded to the St. Louis Blues after just one season, but his name remained attached to two of the most important firsts in franchise history: the first captain and an assist on the first goal.
Jean Pronovost
Pronovost’s captaincy came after nearly a decade of establishing himself as one of Pittsburgh’s most productive players.
He spent 10 seasons with the Penguins and finished his Pittsburgh career with 316 goals, 287 assists and 603 points in 753 games. He became captain in 1977 after ranking among the franchise’s top offensive players for years.
Pronovost’s lone season as captain was also his final season in Pittsburgh. In 1977-78, he led the Penguins in both goals and points, recording 40 goals and 65 points in 79 games.
The Penguins went 25-37-18 that season and missed the playoffs, making Pronovost’s individual production one of the few bright spots on a team that finished fourth in the Norris Division.
Mario Lemieux
Lemieux’s captaincy is where the Penguins’ history begins to look a lot more familiar.
After becoming Pittsburgh’s captain during the 1987-88 season, Lemieux helped transform the Penguins from a struggling franchise into a Stanley Cup contender. He led Pittsburgh to its first Stanley Cup in 1991, then captained the team to a second championship the following season.
The 1991 championship run was particularly memorable. Lemieux returned from back surgery to play just 26 regular-season games, scoring 45 points, then exploded for 44 points in 23 playoff games as Pittsburgh defeated the Minnesota North Stars in the Stanley Cup Final.
A year later, Lemieux put together another historic postseason. He scored 34 points in 15 games during the 1992 playoffs and won the Conn Smythe Trophy for the second straight year as playoff MVP. In the Stanley Cup Final, Pittsburgh swept Chicago, with the Penguins winning the series-clinching Game 4, 6-5.
Lemieux finished his Penguins career with 690 goals, 1,033 assists and 1,723 points in 915 games. Pittsburgh retired his No. 66 in 1997.
Ron Francis
Francis didn’t just become a Penguins captain. He helped change the franchise before ever putting on the “C.”
Pittsburgh acquired Francis from the Hartford Whalers in the blockbuster March 1991 trade that also brought defenseman Ulf Samuelsson and forward Grant Jennings to Pittsburgh. The move helped complete the Penguins’ transformation into Stanley Cup contenders.
Just months later, Francis was celebrating the first Stanley Cup of his Penguins career. He scored a goal in Pittsburgh’s 8-0 win over Minnesota in Game 6 of the 1991 Stanley Cup Final, finishing the postseason with 17 points in 24 games.
Francis eventually took over the captaincy from Lemieux during the 1994-95 season and served in the role during two separate stretches.
His offensive production in Pittsburgh was remarkable. From 1992-98, Francis led the NHL with 407 assists and ranked third with 548 points. He also recorded two 100-point seasons and four seasons with at least 90 points during that span.
Jaromir Jagr
Jagr was barely old enough to order a drink when he became a Stanley Cup champion with the Penguins.
Selected fifth overall by Pittsburgh in the 1990 NHL Draft, Jagr won the Stanley Cup in each of his first two NHL seasons, helping the Penguins beat Minnesota in 1991 and Chicago in 1992.
By the time he became Pittsburgh’s captain in 1998, Jagr had already established himself as one of the NHL’s most dominant scorers.
His first season wearing the “C” was also one of his best. Jagr recorded 127 points in 81 games during the 1998-99 season, including 44 goals and 83 assists, and won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP.
He followed that with another 96-point season in 1999-00 and a 121-point campaign in 2000-01, his final season as Penguins captain.
Jagr finished his Pittsburgh career with 439 goals, 640 assists and 1,079 points in 806 games, ranking among the top five in franchise history in games, goals, assists and points.
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