For the first time in their illustrious careers, Sidney Crosby and <a href='https://www.markerzone.com/hockey/stats/nhl/player/Alexander-Ovechkin-1516' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Alex Ovechkin</a> have been named part of the NHL's three Stars of the Week at the same time. Since they first skated onto NHL ice in October of 2005, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby have been the league's most iconic and most heated rivals. Often talked about in the same breath as basketball's magical tandem of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/pittsburgh-penguins/sidney-crosby-on-pace-to-pass-wayne-gretzky-all-time-record-before-alex-ovechkin-does' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Ovechkin, and Crosby, have defined an era with a rivalry that only continues to push the other to higher achievements</a>, bringing out the best in each other both on and off the ice. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/AdleyLamarKing/status/1852835271705759804'> </a></blockquote></div> Both players have great resumes, including a handful of Stanley Cups, Hart Trophies, and Conn Smythe awards between them, and they even combined for a memorable win in the NHL's Breakaway Challenge. But despite those many accolades, there's been one achievement they hadn't shared since joining the league: <a href='https://www.monumentalsportsnetwork.com/article/capitals-alex-ovechkin-named-nhl-first-star-of-the-week' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>being named NHL Stars of the Week together</a>. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/PR_NHL/status/1853497946358038623'> </a></blockquote></div> That changed this week, as Ovechkin earned the First Star and Crosby claimed the Third Star. Over the week, Ovechkin contributed an impressive nine points, of five goals, and four assists, in four games, while Crosby had seven points, with four goals and three assists, in three games. Their performances underscored why they remain two of the league's most potent forces. Ovechkin has taken 32 selections in the NHL Star of the Week race, of which he was selected First Star 21 times, while Crosby was selected First Star 12 times out of 33 selections. This just adds to the competitive history between them, and this week is another chapter in their enduring skill and influence in the league. <div align='center'><blockquote class=instagram-media data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=https://www.instagram.com/p/DB-D-JMR__O/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=8f769aba-d6f3-411d-a5a6-b4c6501a9052 data-instgrm-version=12 style= background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);><div style=padding:16px;> <a href=https://www.instagram.com/p/DB-D-JMR__O/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=8f769aba-d6f3-411d-a5a6-b4c6501a9052 style= background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%; target=_blank> <div style= display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;> <div style=background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;></div> <div style=display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;> <div style= background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;></div> <div style= background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;></div></div></div><div style=padding: 19% 0;></div><div style=display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;><svg width=50px height=50px viewBox=0 0 60 60 version=1.1 xmlns=https://www.w3.org/2000/svg xmlns:xlink=https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink><g stroke=none stroke-width=1 fill=none fill-rule=evenodd><g transform=translate(-511.000000, -20.000000) fill=#000000><g><path d=M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631></path></g></g></g></svg></div></a></div></blockquote></div> The NHL didn't begin tracking Star of the Week awards until the 2006-07 season, so neither player's rookie year is on the books. Still, the rare feat adds another layer to their Hall of Fame rivalry and speaks to how both superstars have consistently imposed their will on the league across almost two decades.