Crosby Cashes In: Penguins Star Agrees To $104.4 Million Contract

Sidney Crosby Contract Worth $104.4 Million Over 12 Years

Sidney Crosby has been seeking a long-term deal worth in the neighborhood of nine-figures, and he has received just that. The Pittsburgh Penguins announced his contract extension on Thursday, and it's worth $104.4 million over 12 years. The deal will keep the 24-year-old Crosby locked up through the 2024-25 season, ensuring that he won't be leaving the team at any point during his prime. Under CBA rules, the deal can't be signed until July 1.

Team co-owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle issued a joint statement on Crosby's extension.

"We are grateful for all that Sidney Crosby has done for our franchise since coming to Pittsburgh in 2005, both on and off the ice, and we look forward to having him in a Penguins uniform for the rest of his career. He is an excellent player and an even better person, and he is a great ambassador for the Penguins and for Pittsburgh."

Crosby's previous contract was set to expire at the end of the 2012-13 season. The deal doesn't carry a significant increase in cap hit for the Penguins, allowing them to move on to other business without serious financial constraints.

For more on Crosby and the Penguins, check out PensBurgh and SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more around the league, stay tuned to SB Nation's NHL hub.

Does Sidney Crosby Want A 7-Year Contract Extension From Penguins?

On Monday, we relayed a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review report which claimed Sidney Crosby was looking for a seven-year deal -- perhaps even 10 years or longer -- in his next contract. His current contract expires in July 2013 and the Penguins are expected to begin negotiations with their franchise player sooner than later. The Tribune-Review report stated:

Crosby's camp is seeking a lengthy deal, one the Penguins anticipate being at least seven years in term - possibly 10 or more. Crosby has said he does not expect any problems working out a new contract to remain with the Penguins.

That statement was picked up by several sources beyond SBNation.com, including Yahoo!'s Puck Daddy blog and NBC Sports' ProHockeyTalk.

But since the story was originally published Monday, the Tribune-Review has removed the portion of the story quoted above. Here's the story on the Trib website versus a cached version via Google for comparison. The only mention of Crosby in the altered story reads:

Shero confirmed to Trib Total Media in December that signing Sidney Crosby to a new contract is the team's top priority this summer.

So what's the real story? Did Crosby ask for a seven-year deal in his next contract? Was it fabricated by the Tribune-Review? We've reached out to both the sports editor at the paper and Crosby's agent Pat Brisson for comment and will report back when we hear more.

Sidney Crosby Wants At Least 7-Year Contract From Penguins, Report Says

Sidney Crosby is looking for a new contract lasting at least seven years with the Pittsburgh Penguins, according to reports. Crosby's current contract expires after the 2012-13 season.