Why Crosby plays unselfish game

Leafs unfamiliar with stars taking less in pursuit of greater goal

- BRUCE ARTHUR

Sidney Crosby is a Pittsburgh Penguin. That simple statement will be true forever because he's a core part of the franchise's canon, in statue territory, and he won't play pro hockey anywhere else. In broader terms you could also say Crosby is a Canadian, since after hockey's unconscionable eightyear gap in best-on-best international play he will likely play in one more Olympics in 2026, at age 38. He's still good enough right now as it stands.

But of all the ways Crosby has been exceptional, his contractual decision-making is high on the list. On Monday, Crosby extended his time in Pittsburgh: two more years at $8.7 million (U.S.) per season. Rarely has an obsession with numerology been more beneficial to a sports franchise. Crosby was born Aug. 7, 1987, wears No. 87, and his cap hit will now be exactly $8.7 million in 19 of his 22 NHL seasons, following his entry-level contract. He has been the best player in the NHL's salary-cap era; he has never been the highest-paid player in the league.