For Sidney Crosbythe uncertainty was the hardest part.
Not knowing if Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang would test unrestricted free agency for the first time in their careers was difficult for the captain, who obviously wanted them to re-sign with Pittsburgh, but wasn’t sure if that would ultimately work out.
“It was kind of a weird time with the end of the season, not knowing what was going to happen, how things were going to play out,” Crosby said. “Then throughout the summer, there were some question marks. That’s part of hockey, you deal with that. But this was a unique circumstance with how long we’ve played together, what we’ve been through. It’s just not common, and there’s no real blueprint for how to deal with that.”
Fortunately, after two long months, Malkin and Letang agreed to long-term extensions within days of each other to remain with Crosby – brothers and Penguins forever.
“Obviously Geno and Tanger have been part of the team for so long. Not knowing how that was going to play out, it’s great to know that they’re going to be part of the team for a long time,” Crosby said. “I think we’re happy with the way that it’s worked out, and it’s up to us to go out there and continue to play at a high level.”
They are now set to enter their 17th season together, the most among a trio in NHL history, and the amount of both individual and team success Crosby, Malkin and Letang have had up to this point is staggering. They’re grateful for the opportunity to continue crafting their intertwined legacies for a franchise that has felt so strongly about keeping the core leadership trio intact to compete for championships… for a city that has become a second home to all three of them.
“I think as players, we appreciate the commitment that the team’s had all these years to winning and wanting to have success, and the support that we’ve gotten from the organization and from the fans,” Crosby said. “I think that means so much as players, and then hopefully the fans and the organization have felt how much it’s meant to us as players to be part of the team for as long as we have, and to have that commitment.”
After signing his own contract extension, Mike Sullivan said that there’s still elite play in these guys, who are three of the most driven athletes he’s ever been around. The head coach used the phrase, “We’re getting a bit older, but we’re not old,” and that there’s a big difference.
Crosby also acknowledged their age, but said regardless of that, it’s a motivated group who wants to build off of last year. The Penguins extended the longest-active playoff streak in all of the major North American professional sports leagues to 16 seasons before getting eliminated in the First Round by the New York Rangers following some key injuries.
“We’re all really proud and excited for the opportunity to compete again this year and hopefully, go further than we did the last little while, for sure,” he said.
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