On May 1, 2005, 17-year-old Sidney Crosby and 20-year-old Jeff Carter faced off against 18-year-old Evgeni Malkin during the gold medal game of the World Junior Championships in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
They’re not the only current Penguins to have preceded their NHL careers with a World Juniors medal; other WJC medalists on the roster in 2021-22 include Brian Dumoulin (USA bronze, 2011); Kasperi Kapanen (Finland gold, 2016); Kris Letang (Canada gold, 2006, 2007); and Jason Zucker (USA gold, 2010 and bronze, 2011).
This year, three Penguins prospects will be making their debut in the tournament. Let’s take a look at who is getting the biggest chance of their career so far to shine on an international stage.