Penguins honor Sidney Crosby before his 1000th NHL game tonight.

On Saturday night the Pittsburgh Penguins paid a very classy tribute to their captain, Penguins star forward Sidney Crosby. The Penguins recognized Crosby ahead of his 1000th game in the National Hockey League, all of which have come with the Penguins, making him the first player in franchise history to hit that milestone.

I must admit, a big part of me hates the fact that this moment took place in an empty arena and I do wish that the fans who have supported Crosby throughout his entire career could have been a part of this moment. I'm certain it would have been all that much more special in front of a roaring crowd.

In spite of that the Penguins did an excellent job of putting together a great tribute under the circumstances, one that began with every single one of Crosby's teammates skating out wearing a #87 jersey. As if that wasn't cool enough, the Penguins then all participated in the pre-game ritual that we have all seen Crosby perform so many times over his career, the re-tying of his skates once he steps out onto the ice. Having the entire Penguins teams participating in this made for quite the picturesque scene on the ice. 

Once that was over with Crosby was handed a bouquet of flowers and was joined by his girlfriend Kathy out on the ice, and once the two were side by side the Penguins began playing their video tribute. The tribute included exactly what you would expect, beautiful and loving tributes from Crosby's family, highlights from his career in the National Hockey League, but there was one thing that stood out to me in particular about this tribute. 

Although one can often expect to hear kind words from former teammates during these type of tributes, a veritable who's who of the National Hockey League was on display during this tribute. Several of Crosby's rivals on the ice including Steven Stamkos and John Tavares and even opposing executives like Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman made an appearance in this one, making it a truly special and spectacular tribute to what is unquestionably one of the most special and spectacular players this sport has ever seen.

Last but not least, Crosby also walked away with some extremely cool swag after it was all said and done, and if you're interested in checking out the tribute you can see the full thing right below.