Crosby: I'd love to play the rest of my career with Penguins

Pittsburgh Penguins icon Sidney Crosby affirmed his commitment to the franchise Friday, quelling outside speculation that he'll suit up elsewhere one day.

"No, nothing's changed. ... I love playing here. This is where I'd love to play for the rest of my career," the Penguins captain said, per NHL.com's Wes Crosby.

Crosby's future with the Penguins has been a small-scale talking point through the early stages of the 2021 season due to the club's underwhelming 8-6-1 start and recent front-office restructuring.

Jim Rutherford unexpectedly stepped down as general manager in January. Pittsburgh hired Ron Hextall to fill the role while also bringing in Brian Burke as president of hockey operations.

Crosby, 33, is under contract through the 2024-25 season and has a full no-movement clause. He's unsure what's in store after his current deal expires.

"I think as long as I feel good, I'd love to play as long as I can," Crosby said, according to Will Graves of The Associated Press. "I don't have an idea. ... I focus on playing out my contract and seeing where I'm at then."

Crosby will play his 1,000th career game Saturday, and few players in hockey history are as synonymous with their team's image. Since being drafted first overall by Pittsburgh in 2005, Crosby's racked up 1,276 points, three Stanley Cups, two Conn Smythe Trophies, two MVPs, two scoring titles, and two Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophies.

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