Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin have been linked since the No. 1 overall picks entered the league together in 2005-06.
That happened because a season-long lockout delayed Ovechkin’s arrival. And the generational players’ achievements and rivalry was just what the NHL needed after canceling a season during a protracted labor dispute.
So naturally, Crosby and Ovechkin are in the front as USA TODAY chooses its NHL All Quarter-Century team from the first 25 years of the 21st century. Even though some players on this list started their careers in the 20th century, only their accomplishments since 2000-01 are taken into account.
We’ll be like the NHL with its annual All-Star teams and do a first team and a second team. Here’s a look at our quarter century team:
First Team
C Sidney Crosby (2005 to present)
The Penguins’ 2005 No. 1 overall pick won three Stanley Cup titles and just passed Mario Lemieux to become the franchise’s leading scorer. He’s eighth overall with 1,727 points and been named MVP twice in the regular season and twice in the playoffs. He also won two Olympic gold medals, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and last season’s 4 Nations Face-Off.
LW Alex Ovechkin (2005 to present)
The Washington Capitals’ 2004 No. 1 overall pick became the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer last season. He edged Crosby for 2005-06 rookie of the year, won three MVP awards, one Stanley Cup (he was playoff MVP in 2018) and nine goal titles. Teams knew his one-timer from the left faceoff circle was coming, but still had troubles stopping it.
RW Nikita Kucherov (2013 to present)
He’s won three scoring titles, including the last two. He was MVP in 2018-19 as the Tampa Bay Lightning put together one of the best seasons in league history. Kucherov won two championships and led the league in playoff scoring both times. He led in 2021 despite missing the entire regular season after hip surgery.
D Nicklas Lidstrom (1991 to 2012)
The Red Wings star won seven Norris trophies from 2001 to 2011. He also won his third and fourth Stanley Cup titles after the turn of the century and was the first European captain to win a championship. Lidstrom was the model of consistency and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.
D Zdeno Chara (1997 to 2022)
Another Hall of Famer. The Islanders traded Chara to the Senators in 2001 in one of the league’s worst trades and his career took off. He won a Norris Trophy and played more games than any other defenseman. His size, wingspan and physicality forced teams to adjust how they entered the zone. Chara made the Hall of Fame in 2025.
G Marc-Andre Fleury (2003 to 2025)
The 2003 No. 1 overall pick finished second in the league with 575 victories. He won three Stanley Cup titles with the Penguins. Fleury went to the Golden Knights in 2017 and took the expansion team to the Stanley Cup Final in Vegas’ first season. He also won a Vezina Trophy there. The goalie was a popular teammate, even with his persistent pranks.
Second Team
C Connor McDavid (2015 to present)
He’s averaging 1.53 points per game and could end up with more points than anyone on the first team. He has won the Hart Trophy three times with some spectacular seasons. He was the fourth fastest to 1,000 points. The one thing that’s missing is a championship, though he has made the Final the past two seasons and was playoff MVP in 2024. He scored the winning goal in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
LW Brad Marchand (2009 to present)
He’s a 1,000-point scorer but is also effective as a pest who tries to get opponents off their games. He won a Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011 and his trade to Florida last season helped the Panthers win a second consecutive title.
RW Patrick Kane (2007 to present)
The 2007 No. 1 pick has won three championships and was playoff MVP in 2013. He won a scoring title and Hart Trophy in 2015-16. Kane is getting close to passing Mike Modano to become the top U.S.-born scorer.
D Cale Makar (2019 to present)
Among his accomplishments in his relatively young career: two Norris trophies, a Calder Trophy, a Stanley Cup and playoff MVP. His skating allows him to make special plays.
D Victor Hedman (2009 to present)
Two Stanley Cup titles, a playoff MVP and a Norris Trophy for the 2009 No. 2 overall pick.
G Sergei Bobrovsky (2010 to present)
He won the Vezina Trophy twice with the Blue Jackets and two Stanley Cups and another trip to the Final with the Panthers.