Sidney Crosby signs 2-year extension with Penguins for his usual $8.7M US per

Sidney Crosby plans to remain a Pittsburgh Penguin for at least three more years.

The Penguins announced Monday they re-signed the 37-year-old from Cole Harbour, N.S., to a two-year contract extension that has an average annual value of $8.7 million US.

The deal, significantly below the market value for an NHL superstar, extends through the 2026-27 season.

Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas commended Crosby for signing a team-friendly deal in an effort to help the Penguins win "both now and in the future."

Crosby was eligible to sign an extension on July 1 with him entering the final season of a 12-year, $104.4-million deal that carries an $8.7-million salary cap hit.

"There are no words to properly describe what Sidney Crosby means to the game of hockey, the city of Pittsburgh and the Penguins organization," said Dubas. "Sidney is the greatest player of his generation and one of the greatest players in the history of the game. His actions today show why he is one of hockey's greatest winners and leaders."

"Sid is making a tremendous personal sacrifice in an effort to help the Penguins win, both now and in the future, as he has done for his entire career."

Incredibly, Sidney Crosby will end up playing 19 (!) of his NHL seasons with a cap hit of $8.7M. That has given the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pens</a> tremendous flexibility to build out other areas of their roster at the expense of much greater career earnings for him personally.

According to Spotrac, a sports salary tracking website, the Penguins superstar is tied for the 42nd highest salary in the NHL with Detroit's Dylan Larkin and Montreal's Patrik Laine.

The 37-year-old Crosby has three Stanley Cups with the