Sidney Crosby Won’t Be Retiring from the NHL Anytime Soon

For more than two decades now, Sidney Crosby has been one of the faces of the NHL, producing over a point per game in every season for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

His longevity and consistency have been unlike almost anything we’ve seen in professional sports, but now nearing his 40s, it’s fair to wonder just how much more a player who has achieved nearly everything can still have left to give.

Well, according to Crosby himself, a lot—because when speaking to Penguins reporter Josh Yohe on Wednesday, he shut down the idea that retirement is anywhere on the horizon.

Yohe wrote:

“It would appear that he’s enjoying the game as much as ever and that he’ll play another five years, even if he’s about to turn 39.

‘Ha,’ Crosby told The Athletic on Wednesday, his face pondering the idea. ‘That would be nice.’

Does that mean there’s a possibility that next season could be his last? Crosby, after all, is only under contract for one more season.

‘Not at all,’ Crosby said.

The captain explained. ‘I said year to year because of where the team is at,’ he said. ‘It just makes sense, whether it’s our cap, who we have coming in and out, just to have that flexibility. It’s important.’

‘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 with Pat (Brisson) and Kyle later this summer. We’ll talk about it and do what makes sense. If it does make sense to sign for a couple of years, then we’ll do that.’

‘I definitely want to keep playing for as many years as possible.’”

The 38-year-old Crosby will be entering the final year of the two-year, $17.4 million extension he signed with the Penguins in 2024, making him eligible to sign another extension beginning July 1, 2026. He had yet another productive season in 2025-26, tallying 74 points (29 goals, 45 assists) in just 68 games.