Pittsburgh Review

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) has announced that the Rookie of the Year award will now be named the Sidney Crosby Trophy. This change will take effect starting this season.

Sidney Crosby, who was the first overall pick in the 2003 QMJHL Entry Draft, played two seasons with the Rimouski Océanic before being drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2005. During his time with the Océanic, Crosby made a significant impact, scoring 135 points in 59 games during his rookie season and earning the Rookie of the Year title for 2003-04.

Crosby continued to excel in his second season with 168 points, including 66 goals over 62 games. He was named MVP of both the QMJHL and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) for two consecutive years and represented Canada at the World Junior Championship as a teenager. In 2005, he led his team to win the President Cup but fell short in the Memorial Cup final against the London Knights.

Reflecting on this honor, Crosby stated, “Some of my fondest memories of hockey come from my time in the QMJHL playing for the Océanic. It is an absolute honour to have the League’s Rookie of the Year Trophy named after me."

QMJHL Commissioner Mario Cecchini commented on this decision: “The Rookie of the Year trophy did not have an official name. When the trophy committee met, Sidney Crosby’s name quickly became the unanimous choice." He further noted Crosby's significant contribution to both his former team and league history and mentioned that "the timing is perfect with the presentation of the 2025 Memorial Cup in Rimouski.”

Crosby's NHL career has been marked by numerous achievements, including winning three Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh and receiving several individual awards such as twice being named regular season MVP (Hart Trophy) and Playoffs MVP (Conn-Smythe Trophy).