The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that they have re-signed captain Sidney Crosby to a two-year contract extension. The announcement was made by President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas.
The agreement extends Sidney Crosby’s contract until the 2026-27 season, with an average annual value of $8.7 million. Crosby has only counted $8.7 million against the salary cap over his last two contracts, providing the Penguins with his talents at what many consider a below-market rate for the past several seasons. There is no definitive word on how much longer he wishes to continue playing but has often said publicly that he doesn’t want to put the Penguins in a difficult position down the road. Undoubtedly, Crosby remains an outstanding playmaker for the Penguins. He leverages his remarkable speed to outrun opponents or challenges them with his exceptional stickhandling abilities. His game is characterized by relentless tenacity, and he excels in faceoffs.
The agreement, however, does ensure that the trio of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang remains intact for another opportunity to compete for the Stanley Cup. Crosby, an eight-time All-Star, participated in 82 games for the Penguins last season, achieving 42 goals and 52 assists, totaling 94 points. Nonetheless, despite their collective efforts, the Penguins have failed to secure a playoff spot in the past two seasons, even after making significant moves, such as the trade for defenseman Erik Karlsson.
Recognized as one of the ‘100 Greatest NHL Players’, the 37-year-old forward stands 10th in NHL history with 1,596 points (592 goals and 1,004 assists) over 1,272 games played. On April 8, 2023, Crosby achieved his 1500th career point during a 5–1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, becoming the fifteenth player in NHL history to reach this milestone, a rare achievement shared only with Wayne Gretzky.
Crosby wrapped up his 19th season (2023-24) with an impressive average of one point per game, equaling Gretzky’s record. With 1,000 assists, he became the seventh player to reach this milestone while playing for a single team. Only Wayne Gretzky (645), Mario Lemieux (856), Paul Coffey (1,105), Adam Oates (1,174), Ron Francis (1,235), and Marcel Dionne (1,259) accomplished this in fewer games.
He ranks among the top 25 players in league history for goals (592, 21st), assists (1,004, 14th), points (1,596, 10th), and game-winning goals (90, 23rd). As a 50-goal scorer in the 2009-10 season, he has exceeded the 30-goal milestone a franchise-record 12 times and reached the 100-point mark six times, ranking seventh for the most occurrences in NHL history.
Sidney Crosby has received numerous accolades throughout his hockey career, showcasing his exceptional talent and contributions to the sport. His honors include multiple selections to the QMJHL All-Rookie and First All-Star Teams, Player of the Year awards in both the QMJHL and Canadian Major Junior leagues, and recognition as the NHL’s top player with several First and Second All-Star Team selections. He has also participated in multiple NHL All-Star Games, earning MVP honors in 2019. In addition to individual accolades, he has celebrated three Stanley Cup championships all with the Pittsburgh Penguins and has won prestigious awards including the Art Ross Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy, and Hart Memorial Trophy on multiple occasions. His leadership and scoring prowess are further highlighted by the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award and the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy. This past June it was announced that he was selected to represent Team Canada in the 4 Nations Faceoff set to take place from February 12th to 20th at TD Garden in Boston and Bell Centre in Montreal.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will kick off the 2024-25 regular season on Wednesday, October 9th at PPG Paints Arena against Metro Division rival the New York Rangers. The 2024-25 season will mark Sidney Crosby’s 20th season in the league.
