Sidney Crosby is tied for seventh place on the NHL’s all-time career assists list with 1,109 regular-season assists.
The Pittsburgh Penguins captain reached the mark on October 3, 2026, when he recorded an assist during Pittsburgh’s 6-5 overtime victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Crosby’s 1,109th assist moved him into a tie with Hall of Famer Joe Thornton. [Reuters]
Crosby’s next target is former Penguins defenseman Paul Coffey, who ranks sixth with 1,135 career assists. Crosby needs 26 more assists to tie Coffey and 27 to pass him. [NHL Records]
Where Does Sidney Crosby Rank In NHL Career Assists?
As of October 4, 2026, the NHL’s all-time regular-season assist leaders are:
- Wayne Gretzky — 1,963
- Ron Francis — 1,249
- Mark Messier — 1,193
- Ray Bourque — 1,169
- Jaromir Jagr — 1,155
- Paul Coffey — 1,135
- Sidney Crosby — 1,109
- Joe Thornton — 1,109
- Adam Oates — 1,079
- Steve Yzerman — 1,063
Crosby and Thornton are officially tied for seventh because both have 1,109 assists. Crosby is the only active player currently inside the NHL’s top 10. [NHL Records]
How Did Sidney Crosby Tie Joe Thornton?
Crosby entered Pittsburgh’s October 3 game against Montreal needing one assist to catch Thornton.
He got it during the second period.
Crosby set up defenseman Samuel Girard for a goal as Pittsburgh built a 5-1 lead. The assist was the 1,109th of Crosby’s NHL regular-season career, matching Thornton for seventh place in league history. [Reuters]
Montreal eventually erased Pittsburgh’s four-goal advantage and forced overtime, but Tommy Novak scored 1:33 into the extra period to give the Penguins a 6-5 victory. [Reuters]
Who Is Sidney Crosby Likely To Pass Next?
Paul Coffey is next.
The Hall of Fame defenseman finished his career with 1,135 assists, putting him 26 ahead of Crosby.
Crosby therefore needs:
- 26 assists to tie Coffey at 1,135.
- 27 assists to move into sole possession of sixth place.
Coffey played for nine NHL teams during his career, including Pittsburgh, and remains the second-highest-scoring defenseman in NHL history behind Ray Bourque. [NHL Records]
Could Sidney Crosby Reach The Top Five In Career Assists?
Yes.
After Coffey, the next player on the list is another Penguins legend: Jaromir Jagr.
Jagr accumulated 1,155 assists during his NHL career. Crosby is 46 assists behind him and would need 47 more to move past Jagr into fifth place. [NHL Records]
The next several targets are close enough that Crosby could continue moving rapidly up the list:
- Paul Coffey — 1,135: Crosby is 26 behind.
- Jaromir Jagr — 1,155: Crosby is 46 behind.
- Ray Bourque — 1,169: Crosby is 60 behind.
- Mark Messier — 1,193: Crosby is 84 behind.
- Ron Francis — 1,249: Crosby is 140 behind.
How far Crosby climbs will depend largely on how long he continues playing and how productive he remains late in his career.
Could Sidney Crosby Reach Second Place?
It is mathematically possible, although significantly more difficult than reaching the top five.
Ron Francis is second all time with 1,249 assists. Crosby would need 140 assists to tie Francis and 141 to pass him.
Francis also has strong Pittsburgh connections. He played eight seasons for the Penguins and helped Pittsburgh win consecutive Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992. [NHL]
Crosby would likely need multiple additional productive seasons to threaten Francis’ total.
Can Sidney Crosby Catch Wayne Gretzky’s Assist Record?
Realistically, Gretzky’s record is in a completely different category.
Gretzky recorded an extraordinary 1,963 assists during his NHL career.
That is 714 more assists than Francis, the player in second place, and 854 more than Crosby’s current total.
Gretzky’s assist record is one of the most extreme statistical records in professional sports. In fact, Gretzky had so many assists that his 1,963 assists alone exceed the total career points of every NHL player except Gretzky himself. [NHL Records]
When Did Crosby Reach 1,100 Career Assists?
Crosby reached 1,100 career assists during the 2025-26 season.
Entering that season, the NHL noted that Crosby needed 38 assists to reach 1,100 and would become one of the fastest players in league history to reach the milestone. [NHL]
He finished the 2025-26 season with 1,107 career assists before adding two more early in the 2026-27 season to catch Thornton.
Who Did Crosby Pass Before Joe Thornton?
Crosby had already moved past several of the greatest playmakers in NHL history.
Among the players now behind him are:
- Adam Oates — 1,079 assists
- Steve Yzerman — 1,063
- Gordie Howe — 1,049
- Marcel Dionne — 1,040
- Mario Lemieux — 1,033
- Joe Sakic — 1,016
Passing Lemieux was particularly significant because Crosby has spent his entire NHL career with the Penguins and has spent much of his career chasing franchise records established by the Pittsburgh legend. [NHL Records]
Where Does Crosby Rank In Penguins Assists?
Crosby ranks first in Pittsburgh Penguins history.
He passed Lemieux’s franchise assist record years before moving past him in total points.
Lemieux finished his Pittsburgh career with 1,033 regular-season assists. Crosby has now increased the franchise record to 1,109 and counting. [NHL]
Crosby also passed Lemieux in total Penguins points in December 2025. At the time, Crosby recorded his 1,724th regular-season point to become the highest-scoring player in franchise history. [NHL]
How Many Career Points Does Sidney Crosby Have?
Crosby’s assist total is only part of his climb through the NHL’s overall scoring records.
He finished the 2025-26 season with 1,761 career points, consisting of 654 goals and 1,107 assists. Earlier in the season, he passed Steve Yzerman for seventh place on the NHL’s all-time points list. [NHL]
His totals continue to grow during the 2026-27 season.
Crosby’s combination of goals and assists has made him one of the most productive players in NHL history despite playing most of his career in a significantly lower-scoring era than Gretzky, Messier and many of the other names near the top of the record book.
Are Playoff Assists Included In The Ranking?
No.
The NHL’s standard career assist leaderboard counts regular-season assists only.
Stanley Cup Playoff statistics are tracked separately.
Crosby also has more than 130 postseason assists from his long playoff career, which includes three Stanley Cup championships with Pittsburgh. When regular-season and playoff production are combined, Crosby ranks even higher among the NHL’s historic playmakers. [NHL Records]
How Significant Is Crosby Reaching Seventh Place?
The names surrounding Crosby show the historical significance of the achievement.
The top of the assists leaderboard is populated almost entirely by Hall of Famers, including Gretzky, Francis, Messier, Bourque, Coffey and Thornton.
Crosby’s 1,109 assists also put him ahead of legendary centers such as Oates, Yzerman, Howe, Dionne, Lemieux and Sakic. [NHL Records]
And unlike the players immediately surrounding him, Crosby is still active.
Every assist he records from this point forward gives him an opportunity to move further up one of the NHL’s most prestigious career leaderboards.
The Bottom Line
Sidney Crosby is tied with Joe Thornton for seventh place in NHL history with 1,109 regular-season assists. Crosby reached Thornton during Pittsburgh’s October 3, 2026 overtime victory over Montreal. [Reuters]
Paul Coffey is next at 1,135, meaning Crosby needs 26 assists to tie him and 27 to take sole possession of sixth place. After Coffey come Jaromir Jagr at 1,155, Ray Bourque at 1,169, Mark Messier at 1,193 and Ron Francis at 1,249. [NHL Records]
Wayne Gretzky remains far beyond everyone else with an NHL-record 1,963 assists, but Crosby’s continuing climb has already placed him among the most prolific playmakers the league has ever seen.
