Sidney Crosby, athlete of the year.

The Canadian press awarded the Lionel Conacher trophy given to the canadian athlete of the year yesterday to Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The last canadian hockey player to receive the Conacher trophy was Mario Lemieux back in 1993. As for Wayne Gretzky, he was awarded the award a total of six times during his career. Crosby succeeds to a basketball player, Steve Nash, who won the award in 2006 and 2005.

Here is a quick look back at past canadian athletes of the year:

2007 -- Sidney Crosby, Hockey
2006 -- Steve Nash, Basketball
2005 -- Steve Nash, Basketball
2004 -- Kyle Shewfelt, Gymnastics
2003 -- Mike Weir, Golf
2002 -- Steve Nash, Basketball
2002 -- Steve Nash, Basketball
2001 -- Mike Weir, Golf
2000 -- Mike Weir, Golf
1999 -- Wayne Gretzky (named athlete of the century)
1998 -- Larry Walker, Baseball
1997 -- Jacques Villeneuve, Racing
1996 -- Donovan Bailey, Track and field
1995 -- Jacques Villeneuve, Racing
1994 -- Elvis Stojko, Figure skating
1993 -- Mario Lemieux, Hockey

(Picture: Sidney Crosby, Getty images.)