5 greatest NHL players who never played college hockey ft. Sidney Crosby

By Ryan Gagne

Modified May 29, 2024 18:21 GMT

Some of today's best NHL players, like Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Nikita Kucerhov, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, and Auston Matthews, never played college hockey.

Matthews is the only American-born player on the list. Even though he didn't attend an NCAA school, he opted to play with the U.S. National Development Team.

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

For any NHL draft-eligible prospect hoping to make it professionally someday, some also value education, it is important to pursue contracts in college. However, superstars outside the United States, like Crosby and McDavid, play junior hockey in Canada to boost their profiles.

It is interesting to see that some of the greatest players in the game's history never considered playing college hockey, finding alternate routes into the NHL.

Five greatest NHL players who never played college hockey ft. Sidney Crosby

#1. Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky scored 2,857 points and collected 1,963 assists. If The Great One never scored a single goal, he'd still be the all-time point leader since Jaromir Jagr finished his career with 1,921 points.

After dominating minor hockey in Ontario, Gretzky joined the Indianapolis Racers in the World Hockey Association (WHA) in 1978-79 before joining the Edmonton Oilers later in the same season.

Once the Oilers merged into the NHL, Gretzky followed the club and went on to have the most remarkable statistical season of any professional hockey player.

#2. Gordie Howe

Gordie Howe is from Saskatchewan, where the legend of Mr. Hockey began. In the 1940s, he played junior hockey before relocating to the United States to play in the USHL senior level for 51 games before joining the Detroit Red Wings in 1946.

He went on to play 26 seasons in the NHL and six more in the WHA; Howe played 32 years of professional hockey and was the game's highest scorer until Gretzky broke most of his records. His games played record lasted 41 years until it was broken in 2021.

#3. Jaromir Jagr

Jagr is 52 this year and is still playing professional hockey in his native Czechia, suiting up for the team he owns, Rytiri Klando. He debuted in 1991 at age 18 and won the Stanley Cup in his first two seasons.

After 24 NHL seasons, he compiled the second-most points (1,921) in league history without ever skating in college. The Pittsburgh Penguins drafted him fifth overall in 1990, and he came straight from the Czechoslovakia senior league after playing through the junior ranks.

#4. Bobby Orr

Bobby Orr changed the game forever as the only defenseman to win the league's regular-season scoring title. Additionally, he won the Norris Trophy as the best defense a record eight times, reigning from 1967 to 1975.

As a junior player in Ontario, Orr was signed by the Boston Bruins at a young age and jumped from the OHA-Jr. to the NHL in 1966 at 18. As they say, the rest is history. Despite only playing 12 seasons in the NHL, Orr's style, with end-to-end rushes and 100-point campaigns, improved the defensemen's position.

#5. Sidney Crosby

Crosby, a former first-overall pick, was selected by the Penguins at the 2005 Entry Draft. After dominating at various lower minor hockey levels, he played one season in the USHS-Prep league before returning to Canada to skate with Rimouski Oceanic in the QMJHL.

Once the Penguins called his name at the draft, he moved into Mario Lemieux's house and had one of the best statistical careers of all time, including three Stanley Cup titles and two Olympic Gold Medals.