Which NHL team drafted Sidney Crosby in 2005?

Sidney Crosby was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

The Penguins won the first overall selection through a special weighted lottery held after the 2004–05 NHL season was cancelled by a lockout. Crosby was the draft’s consensus top prospect, making the event widely known as the “Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes.”

Pittsburgh selected him first overall on July 30, 2005, at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa. He had starred for the Rimouski Océanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and was already regarded as one of hockey’s most gifted young players.

A common mix-up is confusing Crosby’s draft team with the team he faced in his NHL debut: he first played for Pittsburgh against the New Jersey Devils on October 5, 2005. Crosby has remained a Penguin throughout his NHL career, becoming the franchise captain and leading the team to Stanley Cup championships in 2009, 2016, and 2017.