Check this out. These statistics are amazing. More than 9,000 players have tried to win the Stanley Cup since 1893. More than 15,000 players have tried to win World Championship gold since 1930. More than 4,000 players have tried to win Olympic gold since 1920.
Only 26 players have won all three in their careers. This unique group is known as the Triple Gold Club. Four nations are represented: Sweden (9), Canada (9), Russia (6) and the Czech Republic (2).
Sidney Crosby is the newest member, leading Canada to a dominating and perfect 10-0 record in winning his first World Championship in 2015. Of course he previously won the Olympic gold medal in both 2010 and 2014, and the Stanley Cup in 2009.
Let's take a look at all of the members of the truly exclusive Triple Gold Club.
Legend: OG=Olympic Games; SC=Stanley Cup; WM=World Men’s Championship
SC 1982, 1983 (New York Islanders)
WM 1991 (Sweden)
OG 1994 (Sweden)
2. Mats Naslund
SC 1986 (Montreal Canadiens)
WM 1991 (Sweden)
OG 1994 (Sweden)
3. Hakan Loob
WM 1987, 1991 (Sweden)
SC 1989 (Calgary Flames)
OG 1994 (Sweden)
4. Valeri Kamensky
WM 1986, 1989, 1990 (Soviet Union)
OG 1988 (Soviet Union)
SC 1996 (Colorado Avalanche)
5. Alexei Gusarov
WM 1986, 1989, 1990 (Soviet Union)
OG 1988 (Soviet Union)
SC 1996 (Colorado Avalanche)
6. Peter Forsberg
WM 1992, 1998 (Sweden)
OG 1994, 2006 (Sweden)
SC 1996, 2001 (Colorado Avalanche)
WM 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1990 (Soviet Union)
OG 1984, 1988 (Soviet Union)
SC 1997, 1998 (Detroit Red Wings)
8. Igor Larionov
WM 1982, 1983, 1986, 1989 (Soviet Union)
OG 1984, 1988 (Soviet Union)
SC 1997, 1998, 2002 (Detroit Red Wings)
9. Alexander Mogilny
OG 1988 (Soviet Union)
WM 1989 (Soviet Union)
SC 2000 (New Jersey Devils)
10. Vladimir Malakhov
WM 1990 (Soviet Union)
OG 1992 (Russia)
SC 2000 (New Jersey Devils)
11. Rob Blake
WM 1994, 1997 (Canada)
SC 2001 (Colorado Avalanche)
OG 2002 (Canada)
12. Joe Sakic
WM 1994 (Canada)
SC 1996, 2001 (Colorado Avalanche)
OG 2002 (Canada)
13. Brendan Shanahan
WM 1994 (Canada)
SC 1997, 1998, 2002 (Detroit Red Wings)
OG 2002 (Canada)
14. Scott Niedermayer
SC 1995, 2000, 2003 (New Jersey Devils), 2007 (Anaheim Ducks)
OG 2002, 2010 (Canada)
WM 2004 (Canada)
SC 1991, 1992 (Pittsburgh Penguins)
OG 1998 (Czech Republic)
WM 2005, 2010 (Czech Republic)
16. Jiri Slegr
OG 1998 (Czech Republic)
SC 2002 (Detroit Red Wings)
WM 2005 (Czech Republic)
17. Nicklas Lidstrom
WM 1991 (Sweden)
SC 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008 (Detroit Red Wings)
OG 2006 (Sweden)
18. Fredrik Modin
WM 1998 (Sweden)
SC 2004 (Tampa Bay Lightning)
OG 2006 (Sweden)
19. Chris Pronger
WM 1997 (Canada)
OG 2002, 2010 (Canada)
SC 2007 (Anaheim Ducks)
20. Niklas Kronwall
OG 2006 (Sweden)
WM 2006 (Sweden)
SC 2008 (Detroit Red Wings)
OG 2006 (Sweden)
WM 2006 (Sweden)
SC 2008 (Detroit Red Wings)
22. Mikael Samuelsson
OG 2006 (Sweden)
WM 2006 (Sweden)
SC 2008 (Detroit Red Wings)
23. Eric Staal
SC 2006 (Carolina Hurricanes)
WM 2007 (Canada)
OG 2010 (Canada)
24. Jonathan Toews
WM 2007 (Canada)
OG 2010 and 2014 (Canada)
SC 2010 (Chicago Blackhawks)
25. Patrice Bergeron
WM 2004 (Canada)
OG 2010 and 2014 (Canada)
SC 2011 (Boston Bruins)
26. Sidney Crosby
WM 2015 (Canada)
OG 2010 and 2014 (Canada)
SC 2009 (Pittsburgh Penguins)
There is also one Triple Gold Club coach:
1. Mike Babcock
WM 2004 (Canada)
SC 2008 (Detroit Red Wings)
OG 2010 (Canada)
Just for fun let's break down the champions list a bit.
Vyacheslav Fetisov, Igor Larionov, and Brendan Shanahan are the only three players in the Triple Gold Club who have also won the Canada Cup (Fetisov and Larionov in 1981; Shanahan in 1991).
Joe Sakic, Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer are the only players in the Triple Gold Club who have also won the World Cup of Hockey (2004).
Fetisov (1976, 1977 and 1978), Larionov (1979 and 1980), Sakic (1988), and Niedermayer (1991) have also won a World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal.
