How loyal has Sidney Crosby been to the Pittsburgh Penguins? Come October, the Penguins’ captain will have completed a full 20 years since Pittsburgh picked him in the NHL draft in 2005. And if that’s not convincing enough, then consider this. This March, Crosby tied Wayne Gretzky “for the 4th-most points with one franchise…” as per Sportsnet. So, the two-time Stanley Cup winner switching teams this late in his career seems absurd, right?

Well, with the Bruins trading Brad Marchand after 16 seasons, it seems anything is possible when your team is down for the count. And that’s exactly what former Canadian hockey player, Georges Laraque, hinted at through his June 27 post on X. “I’m hearing there’s a very good chance that Crosby will play somewhere else…” Laraque posted immediately, sending the NHL world into a frenzy. Thankfully, Crosby’s Canada teammate Nathan MacKinnon stepped in.

Just as the rumor picked up pace, with outlets like the Spittin’ Chiclets reposting Laraque’s claim, the Colorado Avalanche star refuted the claim. “Fake news,” Nathan MacKinnon commented on the Spittin’ Chiclets post on Instagram. The NHL star who won the 4 Nations Face-Off alongside Sidney Crosby in February wasn’t having any of it. And he wasn’t the only one.

The Athletic’s senior NHL writer, Rob Rossi, got hold of Crosby’s agent, who immediately dismissed the rumors. “Pat Brisson, agent for Sidney Crosby, told me just now in text message that speculation about Crosby leaving Penguins are ‘baseless rumors’. So, there’s a name for you, too,” Rossi wrote on social media. What’s more? This is far from the only rumor the 2x NHL MVP has addressed.

Sidney Crosby renewed his commitment to the Penguins last year

The 37-year-old often demonstrated he would rather retire a Penguin than move teams. Sports Illustrated mentioned how the NHL veteran has made it clear several times that he had no desire to transfer to another team. So when it came to putting the money where his mouth is, the Penguins captain once chose the team he has been with for two decades in September 2024.

As Sidney Crosby entered the final year of his 12-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, he signed a two-year contract extension. The move ensured that the Conn Smythe Trophy winner will stay with the team until the 2026–27 season. Although not record-breaking, the contract extension earned him a base salary of $780,000 with a $9 million signing bonus in 2025-26.

That salary will increase to $1.09 million, with a $6,530,000 signing bonus in 2026-27. And just to drive the point home, the two-year extension carried an NMC, aka No Movement Clause. Now, you may be thinking: Why just two years? Well, Crosby’s answer only solidified the notion that he would rather retire as a Penguin when the time comes.

“You don’t really know the trajectory of everything and how you’re going to feel mentally, physically. I think that when you get to this point, you understand that’s more of a reality with every year you play. But I think you just kind of check in with that through the year, every year, and evaluate it,” Crosby said after singing the extension as per ESPN. So it may be safe to assume, this is one rumor no one should be worried about.