Sidney Crosby reiterates desire to play entire career for Penguins
With a new management team and an accompanying possible change in the franchise’s big-picture direction, for the first time during his 16 years with the Pittsburgh Penguins there have been whispers about Sidney Crosby’s future with the organization.
But if the longtime team captain has his way, he’ll retire as a Penguin.
Crosby has repeatedly said this was his hope, most recently when asked about it during a video conference call with media Friday.
“Nothing’s changed,” Crosby said after practice. “That’s definitely kinda of a new subject that I have had to deal with and hear about a little bit, but I love playing here and this is where I would love to play for the rest of my career. I can’t really control what’s said or rumors or things like that, but that’s how I approach it.”
With milestone looming, an appreciation for Sidney Crosby’s accomplishments
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Crosby is scheduled to play his 1,000th NHL game Saturday against the New York Islanders at PPG Paints Arena. He has 468 career goals and 808 career assists, including six goals and seven assists in 15 games this season.
The Penguins hired Ron Hextall as general manager and Brian Burke as president of hockey operations last week, and the new brain trust has indicated an openness to overhauling a core that is aging in an effort to build for the future.
That has led to multiple national outlets and media members — mostly from Crosby’s native Canada — speculating on Crosby’s future with other teams. There has never been any indication that the Penguins have an interest in trading the 33-year-old, though, and Burke has even been on record referring to Crosby as an “untouchable.”
Crosby has four more seasons remaining on a 12-year contract signed almost a decade ago. Though his salary-cap charge for each season through 2024-25 is $8.7 million, the terms of the contract pay Crosby $9.6 million this season, $9 million next season and then $3 million for each of the final three years of the deal.
Crosby will be about to turn 38 when it expires. He said Friday he doesn’t know how long he intends to play.
“I think as long as I feel good, I think I’d love to play as long as I can,” Crosby said. “I don’t really have an idea of what that age is or number is. But I think I’m just focus on playing out my contract and seeing where I am at then, but I feel really good.
“I want to play as long as I can, so I guess we will have to see.”
Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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