PITTSBURGH — Sidney Crosby broke Mario Lemieux‘s franchise scoring record with a goal and an assist in the first period of the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ game against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night.

Crosby, who began the night one point behind Lemieux, now has 645 goals and 1,079 assists for 1,724 points in 1,387 games. It also moved him past Lemieux for the eighth-most points in NHL history.

Crosby tipped Erik Karlsson‘s point shot at 7:58 of the first period for a goal to tie the record. He then broke the mark with 7:20 left in the period when his shot on a power play hit Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell tapped the rebound behind Jakub Dobes.

Crosby, Rust and Rakell embraced behind the net after the goal and the Penguins spilled over the bench to congratulate their captain. Later in the period, a video message recorded by Lemieux congratulating Crosby on the accomplishment was played.

“I knew when we played together in 2005, that you were going to be a very special player, and accomplish a lot of great things in your career,” Lemieux said in a message posted on the club’s social media accounts. “Here we are, 20 years later, you are now one of the best to ever play the game.”

From one 🐐 to another. pic.twitter.com/M3drq86PqV

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 22, 2025

Lemieux, a Hall of Famer who also owned the franchise following his second retirement, became the Penguins’ all-time points leader, surpassing then-assistant coach Rick Kehoe on January 20, 1989, when Crosby was 17 months old. Lemieux, who was in the lineup when Crosby recorded his first NHL point, finished his career with 1,723 points in 915 games.

Crosby, the No. 1 pick in 2005, is the seventh outright all-time points leader in 58 years of the franchise’s history and the ninth active player to lead a franchise in points. Crosby previously broke Lemieux’s record for most assists in franchise history this past Dec. 29 against the New York Islanders. Crosby is 45 goals behind Lemieux’s franchise record of 690.

Crosby is now third on the NHL’s all-time points list with a single franchise, behind only Steve Yzerman (1,755) and Gordie Howe (1,809), both with Detroit.

Crosby also passed Phil Esposito (449) for sole possession of the ninth-most even-strength goals in NHL history. He also tied Adam Oates for the eighth-most assists in NHL history in the first period. Crosby, who has 20 goals this season, achieved his 18th 20-goal season. Only six players in NHL history have more.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes, out since Nov. 12 with a “freak” hand injury, will return to the lineup against the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday.

Hughes, 24, injured his hand at a team dinner in Chicago on Nov. 13, underwent surgery on his finger and was given a recovery window of eight weeks. He has been skating throughout his rehab and was recently spotting using a stick again on the ice.

He returned to Devils practice Sunday at an optional skate.

“Yeah, I’m going to play tonight. Might as well ease my way in,” Hughes joked after practice.

Both Hughes and the Devils were off to flying starts before his injury. New Jersey was 12-4-1, with the second-best points percentage (.735) in the NHL behind the Colorado Avalanche (.794) and first place in the Metropolitan Division. Hughes had 20 points in his first 17 games, including 10 goals.

The Devils struggled without their top-line center, going 8-10-0 (.444) and scoring 3.35 goals per game with Hughes to 2.28 goals per game without him. But they have remained in the playoff race in a competitive Eastern Conference, holding the final wild-card spot entering Sunday.

Hughes is one of three key players returning to the Devils’ lineup Sunday against surging Buffalo, which has won five straight games. Forward Timo Meier last played Dec. 9, having taken leave from the team for a family matter. He has 11 goals and 12 assists in 30 games. Forward Arseny Gritsyuk has missed the past four games due to injury. The rookie has 16 points in 31 games.

“To come back from the road trip and to have those guys in the building and then on the ice, it gives the [team] a boost,” coach Sheldon Keefe said Sunday. “There’s an emotional impact.”

Keefe said the challenge for his team is not to become suddenly passive because help has arrived.

“We’ve got to keep playing the way we’ve been playing and have those players enhance that,” he said. “Sometimes when you bring important people back to your group, there can be a tendency for the rest of the group to take a back seat. And that cannot happen.”

Sunday was Hughes’ first appearance since the injury and the first time he has faced questions about his brother, star defenseman Quinn Hughes, being traded to the Minnesota Wild last week.

Sources told ESPN that the Vancouver Canucks went to the Devils first in discussing trade destinations for Quinn Hughes, as his brothers Jack and Luke both play in New Jersey. Ultimately, the Canucks opted to trade Hughes to the Wild for center Marco Rossi, forward Liam Ohgren, defenseman Zeev Buium and a 2026 first-round pick.

“It happened fast,” Jack Hughes said, adding that there was a “little bit” of disappointment that the three brothers weren’t united together. “I think he’s happy in Minnesota now. They have a great team there, and they’re playing well. … We’re happy for him.”

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Newly hired Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has wasted little time reshaping the team’s front office by hiring former Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin and Josh Flynn to his staff.

The hirings, announced Sunday, come in Kekalainen’s first week on the job and a day after he fired assistant general manager Jason Karmanos. Kekalainen took over on Monday to replace Kevyn Adams, who was fired with the Sabres already in jeopardy of extending their NHL-record playoff drought to a 15th consecutive season.

“[They] bring a wealth of unique experience and perspective,” said Kekalainen, the former Columbus Blue Jackets general manager who spent the previous six-plus months as a senior adviser in Buffalo. “Adding both to an already strong group adds versatility and helps us continue to build a well-rounded hockey operations staff.”

Bergevin fills the associate general manager position and will serve as Kekalainen’s top adviser. He joins the Sabres after spending parts of the past five seasons as a senior adviser with the Los Angeles Kings.

The 60-year-old Bergevin most notably oversaw the Canadiens from 2012 to 2021, over which Montreal made six playoff appearances, including a five-game series loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. He previously worked in player personnel and scouting roles with the Chicago Blackhawks.

“Marc has firsthand experience as an NHL general manager and a track record as a strong talent evaluator,” Kekalainen said. “His insight will be invaluable as we continue to identify and develop talent throughout the organization.”

Flynn was named assistant general manager. He previously worked under Kekalainen with the Blue Jackets specializing in salary cap management, statistical research and strategic planning. Flynn’s role will be similar in Buffalo.

“I know that his attention to detail and nuanced understanding of league processes will help to enhance how we support our broader organization,” Kekalainen said.

Flynn’s responsibilities are similar to that of Buffalo’s current assistant GM Mark Jakubowski. With Karmanos’ departure, Jakubowski’s duties will likely shift more to overseeing the Sabres’ American Hockey League affiliate in Rochester, New York.

Kekalainen has also retained Sabres assistant general manager Jerry Forton, who serves as the team’s chief amateur scout.