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When the Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs this season after a Game 6 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, there was much speculation that it could be the last game for the team’s longtime core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.
Well, while it remains to be seen how the summer plays out, Crosby has made it clear that he has no plans to retire from the NHL.
Crosby is currently over in Switzerland playing for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship and was asked by The Athletic about the prospect of playing another five years.
Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby waits for a faceoff in the third period of Game Five of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs first round against the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa., April 27, 2026. (Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)
“Ha,” he said. “That would be nice.”
SIDNEY CROSBY REACTS TO FIRST EQUIPMENT PENALTY OF HIS 21-YEAR CAREER
While making it five more years at the NHL level — even for one of the best to ever do it — when he turns 39 in August is a stretch, the Penguins captain pretty firmly shut down speculation that the upcoming season will be his last.
“Not at all,” Crosby said. “I said year to year because of where the team is at, it just makes sense, whether it’s our cap, who we have coming in and out, just to have that flexibility. It’s important.”
Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby celebrates a goal by teammate Connor Dewar during the second period of Game Five of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs first round against the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa., on April 27, 2026. (Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)
The Penguins had a surprisingly strong season, finishing second in the Metropolitan Division. They also fought hard after taking a 3-0 lead against the Flyers and nearly forcing a Game 7.
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And it wasn’t like Crosby was just along for the ride, either. He had 74 points (29G, 25A) in the regular season and did so in just 68 games played, good enough to become Crosby’s 21st season at a point-per-game pace.
Of course, next season Crosby will enter the final year of his current deal, and he reiterated that he will assess where the team is before entering into a new deal with GM Kyle Dubas.
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Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby collides with Philadelphia Flyers’ Travis Konecny during the first period of Game 2 of the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs in Pittsburgh on April 20, 2026. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)
“Yeah, I’m saying year-to-year based on contracts,” he explained. “It just seems to make sense. I mean, it could change. We’ll see. Kyle (Dubas) and I haven’t even talked about it. But I’ll talk to Pat (Brisson, his agent) and Kyle later this summer. We’ll talk about it and do what makes sense. If it makes sense to sign for a couple of years, we’ll do it.”
So especially considering where the team was this year, it looks like Flyers fans like myself will have to suffer through Crosby making our lives hell for at least a few more years.
