Pittsburgh Penguins captain and star centreman Sidney Crosby has been named one of 99 new recipients to be inducted into Order of Canada.

The three-time Stanley Cup Champion (all with Pittsburgh), Crosby, 35, will now have his name alongside some of the greatest Canadians to ever set foot within the country, as he receives one of top honours handed out in Canada.

Recognized as an ‘officer’, Crosby is viewed as someone with “achievement and merit of a high degree, especially service to Canada or to humanity at large.” According to Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon, Crosby was selected “for being one of the greatest hockey players of all time and for supporting community service initiatives for youth.”

Crosby’s stats speak for themselves: 536 goals and 916 assists for 1,452 points in 1,143 career games with the Penguins. He has three Stanley Cups, three Ted Lindsay Awards, and two Rocket Richard Trophies, Art Ross Trophies, Hart Trophies, Conn Smythe Trophies and Leadership Awards.

The former first overall pick (2005) owns a World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal, a World Championship gold, as well as Olympic gold.

Crosby may be an even better person than he is a hockey player.

Never, has Crosby been involved in any sort of scandal, his love life remains far out of the picture, while his riches have been nicely tucked out the spotlight. He is the gold standard for youth to model their game and careers after.

He has recently donated 87 sets of hockey gear to his community in Nova Scotia, while also previously having made separate $50K donations to Hockey Nova Scotia, KidSport Nova Scotia and Special Olympics Canada. He also donated 100K meals to families across Pennsylvania. Crosby donated his gold medal earnings from the 2010 Winter Olympic Games to the Sidney Crosby Foundation, which proudly supports charities that improve the lives of disadvantaged children.

Crosby will receive his Order of Canada insignia at an investiture ceremony in the near future. More information will be provided as it becomes available.

All new appointments to the Order of Canada:

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon has appointed the following people, who were recommended for appointment by the Advisory Council of the Order of Canada:

Companions

— John Louis Bragg (This is a promotion within the order)

— Eugene Levy (This is a promotion within the order)

Officers

— Gordon John Glenn Asmundson

— Lise Francoise Aubut

— James Ashley Corcoran

— Michel Cote

— Sidney Patrick Crosby

— Eleanor Joanne Daley

— Ronald James Deibert

— Allen Charles Edward Eaves

— Robert Alan Ezrin

— Victor Jay Garber

— Andre Gaudreault

— Paula Beth Gordon

— Laurence A. Gray

— Eva Grunfeld

— Budd Lionel Hall

— Michael Douglas Hill

— Walter William Jule Jr.

— The Honourable Harry S. LaForme

— Bernard Joseph Lapointe

— Pierre Lassonde

— Andreas Laupacis

— Yves Lenoir

— David Frederick Ley

— Richard Caruthers Little

— Gerald James Lozinski and Joan Mary Lozinski

— Ivar Mendez

— The Honourable Gerald M. Morin

— Eli Rubenstein

— David Saint-Jacques

— Brian Edward Stewart

— Barbara Lewis Zimmerman

Members

— Jean Aitcheson

— Shelley Diane Ambrose

— Ted Barris

— Marie-Dominique Beaulieu

— Stephen Alfred Bell

— John J. M. Bergeron

— Kevin Luke Blackmore

— Sheila Ruth Black

— Bernard Joseph Bocquel

— Louis Andre Borfiga

— Yvonne Bonnie Bressette

— Andre H. Caron

— Timothy Allen Caulfield

— The Honourable Maria Emma Chaput

— Wayne Chaulk

— Angela Ella Cooper Brathwaite

— Alan Cote

— Armand Calixte Doucet

— Douglas Allen Dunsmore

— Konrad Eisenbichler

— Carolyn R. Freeman

— Patricia Garel

— Felix Gauthier

— Samuel Gewurz

— Hamlin Washington Grange

— Allan Edward Gross

— Feridun Hamdullahpur

— Lori Haskell

— Raymond John Johnson

— Colleen Patricia Jones

— Martin F. Katz

— Simon Sean Keith

— Warren Charles Seymour Kimel

— Donald Arnold Kossick

— Stephane Laporte

— Karina Chenelle LeBlanc

— Philippe Lette

— Frederick John Longstaffe

— John Robert Lounds

— Brian Gerald MacKay-Lyons

— Conor Gerard Maguire

— Michael Massey

— Jacqueline Mary Elizabeth Maxwell

— Marc Daniel Mayer

— Heather Mary McGregor

— Roderick McKendrick

— Bill Howard Namagoose

— Patricia Margaret Ningewance

— Michele Ouimet

— Pitman Benjamin Potter

— Benoit Robert

— Frantz Saintellemy

— Raymond Saint-Pierre

— Victor Sarin

— Michael Schmidt

— Gary S. Segal

— Lorraine P. Segato

— William George Sembo

— Mark Geoffrey Sirett

— Donat Taddeo

— Laurier Thibault

— Mac Van Wielingen

— Stanley Vollant

— The Honourable Konrad Winrich Graf Finck von Finckenstein

— Richard Weisel

Carter Brooks

Carter Brooks - Associate Editor of Game On Magazine - is a news writer and sports columnist situated in Winnipeg, MB. On top of reading and writing, his favourite pastimes include camping, car-modification projects and coaching hockey. Carter can be reached at carterbrooks1994@gmail.com or on Twitter at @GameOnHockey.