Sidney Crosby Compared to Tom Brady, LeBron James by Wayne Gretzky in Video, Talks Star's NHL Future

NHL legend Wayne Gretzky says Sidney Crosby, who is heading into the final season of his current Pittsburgh Penguins contract, should keep playing for as many more years as he wants.

Gretzky talked about the longevity of Crosby, who passed Gretzky last season for the most consecutive point-per-game campaigns in NHL history, in a Thursday appearance on ESPN's Pat McAfee Show.

"He's our Tom Brady, he's our LeBron James. A guy that can still bring it at an older age," Gretzky said. "Let's face facts: He's not 18 anymore. He's getting older."

Gretzky continued: "Sid's remarkable. He's going to play— I say the same thing. You play as long as you want to play. Make them tear that jersey off of you. Because once you quit, it's all done."

Crosby is turning 39 in August, which will make him older than Gretzky was when he announced his retirement from the NHL in 1999.

Gretzky, now 65, said Thursday he would be back in the league today if he could.

"People say to me all the time, 'Do you miss the game?' I'm like, 'Of course I miss the game,'" Gretzky told McAfee. "Problem is I can't play the game anymore. If I could play, I'd be out there. Trust me."

Gretzky's comments come after Crosby was recently asked by The Athletic's Josh Yohe if next season might be his last in the NHL.

"Not at all," Crosby answered, per Yohe.

Crosby told Yohe he planned to decide annually on his contracts going forward, not to plan out the end of his career but to give the Penguins flexibility to build their roster around him.

"It's pretty obvious why I would just go year to year with the contracts," Crosby told Yohe. "At the end of the day, I'm just going to do what's best for the team. It's got nothing to do with how long I want to play. It's not like that at all."

Crosby, who is heading into his 22nd NHL season, is no longer a contender for the Art Ross or Rocket Richard trophies but still remains one of the league's top centers.

He extended his record point-per-game streak to 21 seasons after recording 74 points (29 goals, 45 assists) in 68 games to help the Penguins clinch a playoff berth this spring.

The Penguins were ultimately eliminated in the first round by the Philadelphia Flyers, but Crosby is likely hoping his contract flexibility will help general manager Kyle Dubas build another playoff contender around him next season.

Crosby is currently competing for Team Canada at the 2026 IIHF Men's World Championships, ahead of which he passed his longtime captaincy of the Canadian national's team over to San Jose Sharks star Macklin Celebrini.

He will hope to help the Canadians bounce back from a disappointing quarterfinal loss at the 2025 tournament as the preliminary round continues this week in Switzerland.