For the first time in National Hockey League history, a trio of players began their 20th season together on the same team.

In Tuesday’s season opener against the New York Rangers, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins became the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/penguins-crosby-malkin-letang-first-teammates-trio-to-play-20-nhl-seasons-together">first three players to play 20 seasons together on the same team</a>.
Malkin was drafted second overall in 2004, Crosby was selected first overall in 2005, and Letang was drafted in the third round of the 2005 draft, all by the Penguins. Over the course of their career, they’ve won three Stanley Cups together, one in 2009, one in 2016, and one the following season to become the first team in the 21st century to win back-to-back Cups.
From 2006-07 until 2021-22, the Penguins, at the very worst, made the playoffs. However, they’ve gotten worse in the last three seasons as the three players head toward the end of their careers.
<h2>Stars sign Adam Erne</h2>
A former Edmonton Oiler has found a new home, as <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/dallas-stars-sign-adam-erne-one-year-two-way-contract-nhl-ahl">Adam Erne earned a one-year deal</a> with the Dallas Stars after joining them in pre-season on a professional tryout.
Erne was selected 33rd overall in the 2013 draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, making his debut in the 2016-17 season. By 2018-19, he became a regular before playing the next four seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. In 2020-21, he scored a career-high 11 goals and 20 points in 45 games.
After his Red Wings tenure concluded, he joined the Oilers on a PTO In 24 games, Erne scored a goal and two points while splitting his time between the Oilers and the Bakersfield Condors. Erne only played 10 games in 2024-25, all with the American Hockey League’s Hartford Wolf Pack.
<h2>Golden Knights sign Alexander Holtz</h2>
Also in the Western Conference, the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/vegas-golden-knights-sign-alexander-holtz-to-two-year-contract">Vegas Golden Knights re-signed Alexander Holtz</a> to a two-year deal worth $837,500 annually.
Drafted seventh overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2020, the winger’s career hasn’t quite panned out, playing just 28 NHL games over his first three seasons. It looked as if the Stockholm product found out the NHL level in 2023-24, scoring 16 goals and 28 points in 82 games, but he was promptly traded to the Golden Knights at the 2024 draft.
Last season, Holtz scored four goals and 12 points in 53 games with the Golden Knights. The 23-year-old also played 16 games in the AHL, scoring seven goals and 13 points.
<h2>Ville Husso and Alexandar Georgiev on waivers</h2>
<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/five-players-placed-on-nhl-waivers-anaheim-ducks-ville-husson-buffalo-sabres-alexandar-georgiev-rooney-jaaska">Some notable players went on waivers on Tuesday</a>, including two netminders: Ville Husso and Alexandar Georgiev. Moreover, Kevin Rooney, Juha Jääskä, and Jeremy Davies hit the waiver wire.
Georgiev is the most interesting of the bunch. In 2022-23, Georgiev posted a .919 save percentage and 2.51 goals against average in 62 games with the Colorado Avalanche, finishing seventh in Vezina Trophy voting. He had a subpar 2023-24 season before struggling mightily in 2024-25. This past off-season, he signed a one-year deal worth $825,000 with the Buffalo Sabres.
Husso also found success earlier in his NHL career, posting a .919 save percentage and 2.56 goals against average in 40 games with the St. Louis Blues in 2021-22. The Finnish netminder started his Red Wings account off well, but tailed off in the second half of the season and hasn’t been able to regain his form.
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Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

For the first time in National Hockey League history, a trio of players began their 20th season together on the same team.



In Tuesday’s season opener against the New York Rangers, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins became the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/penguins-crosby-malkin-letang-first-teammates-trio-to-play-20-nhl-seasons-together">first three players to play 20 seasons together on the same team</a>.

Malkin was drafted second overall in 2004, Crosby was selected first overall in 2005, and Letang was drafted in the third round of the 2005 draft, all by the Penguins. Over the course of their career, they’ve won three Stanley Cups together, one in 2009, one in 2016, and one the following season to become the first team in the 21st century to win back-to-back Cups.

From 2006-07 until 2021-22, the Penguins, at the very worst, made the playoffs. However, they’ve gotten worse in the last three seasons as the three players head toward the end of their careers.
<h2>Stars sign Adam Erne</h2>
A former Edmonton Oiler has found a new home, as <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/dallas-stars-sign-adam-erne-one-year-two-way-contract-nhl-ahl">Adam Erne earned a one-year deal</a> with the Dallas Stars after joining them in pre-season on a professional tryout.

Erne was selected 33rd overall in the 2013 draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, making his debut in the 2016-17 season. By 2018-19, he became a regular before playing the next four seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. In 2020-21, he scored a career-high 11 goals and 20 points in 45 games.

After his Red Wings tenure concluded, he joined the Oilers on a PTO In 24 games, Erne scored a goal and two points while splitting his time between the Oilers and the Bakersfield Condors. Erne only played 10 games in 2024-25, all with the American Hockey League’s Hartford Wolf Pack.
<h2>Golden Knights sign Alexander Holtz</h2>
Also in the Western Conference, the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/vegas-golden-knights-sign-alexander-holtz-to-two-year-contract">Vegas Golden Knights re-signed Alexander Holtz</a> to a two-year deal worth $837,500 annually.

Drafted seventh overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2020, the winger’s career hasn’t quite panned out, playing just 28 NHL games over his first three seasons. It looked as if the Stockholm product found out the NHL level in 2023-24, scoring 16 goals and 28 points in 82 games, but he was promptly traded to the Golden Knights at the 2024 draft.

Last season, Holtz scored four goals and 12 points in 53 games with the Golden Knights. The 23-year-old also played 16 games in the AHL, scoring seven goals and 13 points.
<h2>Ville Husso and Alexandar Georgiev on waivers</h2>
<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/five-players-placed-on-nhl-waivers-anaheim-ducks-ville-husson-buffalo-sabres-alexandar-georgiev-rooney-jaaska">Some notable players went on waivers on Tuesday</a>, including two netminders: Ville Husso and Alexandar Georgiev. Moreover, Kevin Rooney, Juha Jääskä, and Jeremy Davies hit the waiver wire.

Georgiev is the most interesting of the bunch. In 2022-23, Georgiev posted a .919 save percentage and 2.51 goals against average in 62 games with the Colorado Avalanche, finishing seventh in Vezina Trophy voting. He had a subpar 2023-24 season before struggling mightily in 2024-25. This past off-season, he signed a one-year deal worth $825,000 with the Buffalo Sabres.

Husso also found success earlier in his NHL career, posting a .919 save percentage and 2.56 goals against average in 40 games with the St. Louis Blues in 2021-22. The Finnish netminder started his Red Wings account off well, but tailed off in the second half of the season and hasn’t been able to regain his form.

<hr />

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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