Some quick hits and audio from GM Ray Shero and agent Pat Brisson in a conference call the two held in the 5:00 p.m. hour about Sidney Crosby’s 12 year – $104.4 million deal:
Brisson on Crosby wanting to retire a Penguin: “Sidney wanted to be a Penguin forever”
Shero on 12 year – $104.4 million deal: “This was a deal we talked about and longer term was better for player and team.”
Shero on magnitude of deal: “I have to thank ownership for stepping up and securing Sidney for basically rest of his career here.”
Shero on $8.7 AAV: “Balancing act here was try to find a contract to pay Sid accordingly, but as Sid always says to me, that’s fine, but how do I help the team. From manager standpoint AAV always important and he came back to Pat and said this AAV {$8.7 million} is what he wanted. Very beneficial and says a lot about Sidney.”
Brisson on $8.7 AAV: “Once the landscape was in place, it was important to Sidney to have friendly AAV and to be in that ballpark was very important to him.”
Shero on insuring Crosby’s contract: “The insuring of the contract is something I never talked about in the past, won’t talk about this contract or any contracts moving forward.”

Brisson on Crosby’s attachment to the city: “He went to this franchise when the franchise was really at the bottom and he was part of the buildup for franchise. “He’s extremely emotionally attached to the fans, city.
Brisson on Crosby’s health: “Sidney has been training in Los Angeles, he’s feeling great….training hard”.
Shero on important summer for Crosby: “We feel his best days are going to be ahead with a full summer of training.”
Shero on Malkin’s next deal: “Will be on terms of new CBA, not sure what that will be. The thing with Geno, when the time comes we’ll try to make Malkin a Penguin for a long time and that will be our mindset when we have a new CBA in place”