The Pittsburgh Penguins locked up their long-time franchise player for what would seemingly be his final two years in the NHL.
The team announced Monday that forward Sidney Crosby signed a two-year extension carrying an average annual value of $8.7M, tying him to the club through the 2026-27 season.
If NHL fans are also doing the math, that would see Crosby potentially retire from hockey one year after his main league rival Alexander Ovechkin.
The long-time Washington Capital, who is on a quest to break Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky's regular season all-time goals record, has said he would retire when his contract is up in 2026.
What better storybook sendoff for the league's two best players for the better part of two decades, than to dedicate two consecutive years to their respective farewell tours?
Ovechkin and Crosby were both selected first overall at the 2004 and 2005 NHL Drafts, respectively. Since then, the two have constantly dueled on the ice and in their career stats categories.
Crosby has won three Stanley Cup championships to Ovechkin's one but the Russian is galaxies ahead in career goals (853-592). The Canadian, known affectionately as "The Kid," is 96 points ahead of Ovechkin — due in part to his wicked ability to assist teammates' goal scoring.
The two recently formed a friendship after the early years of fierce enmity on the ice. Ovechkin told reporters at the 2023 All-Star Game that he's looking forward to celebrating both of their careers together upon their respective exits from hockey.
"I’m pretty sure when me and him is going to be retired, we’re going to have a couple of beers together and talk about the whole thing that happened in the past 15, 16 years," he said.
Both players are automatic first-ballot Hall of Famers and deserve lengthy goodbyes to the league they so beautifully lifted up with their magnificent playing abilities.
Like Ovechkin so rightly told The Athletic in 2023, "we saved the NHL."
