Kris Letang is a Penguin for Life

Back in 2005, the Penguins took a chance on a young defenseman named Kris Letang in the third round of the NHL Draft, and the rest was history - literally.
He has since become the most accomplished blueliner ever to don the black and gold, building a legacy here in Pittsburgh that speaks for itself. Now, Letang is cementing that incredible legacy with a
six-year contract extension
that will make him a Penguin for life.

He will be just the 26th player in NHL history to play their entire career with one team spanning at least 17 seasons when the 2022-23 season starts.
"I think it's a big day for our organization moving forward," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "I think for a lot of reasons, it's a terrific signing for us and for Tanger. I know his teammates are thrilled; his coaching staff certainly is; and the management group as well. We feel a lot better right now that we've got him under contract, and he's going to be a Pittsburgh Penguin for a long time."
The two sides were able to come together before free agency is set to open on July 13, with the dialogue remaining constant and cordial - albeit slow at times - throughout the long process of negotiation. "There was never a stoppage," Letang said. "The two parties kept talking."
Penguins general manager Ron Hextall said he told Letang about a week ago that if they got something done before the NHL Draft, he could announce their first-round pick at the event held in his hometown of Montreal - which is exactly what transpired.
The deal was announced on Thursday afternoon, and later that night, Letang made his way to the Bell Centre with his 9-year-old son Alex, who accompanied him to the stage wearing his dad's No. 58 jersey.

"To announce our first-round pick, three-time Stanley Cup champion and Montreal native, Kris Letang," Hextall said of the newly-extended defenseman.
The deal they agreed upon, which runs through the 2027-28 campaign, was ultimately constructed to be beneficial for everyone involved. Although Letang is playing arguably the best hockey of his career at age 35, he was willing to take a sizeable discount with an average annual value of $6.1 million, down from the $7.25 million he was making on his previous contract.
It felt like a number that reflected his play, while also giving the team more room under the salary cap to sign other players who need contracts as well, like Evgeni Malkin.

"There was not like a set number or set of years. It was just to fit all parties and make sure that we can still compete and win," Letang said.
And locking up Letang will help them do that, as players of his caliber are both very difficult to replace and very difficult to find. Sullivan said Letang's game has never been better, as he does a tremendous job of taking care of himself and making sure that he can handle the duties of being an elite No. 1 defenseman that logs 25-plus minutes a night.
His fitness level is
the stuff of legend
, and it's the reason why no one has really even blinked an eye or balked at Letang signing a deal of such length at his age, which will be 41 when it comes to an end.
"I always saw my career going that far," Letang said. "For the time I put in my training, the way I do my stuff off the ice, it was in my mind that I was going to play at that level until I was 41-42, and maybe even more so. The passion is there. So it's not only about security, it's more about the fact that I invested in that, and that's what I want."
He's invested so much into his training because he's so invested in the Penguins. As Letang has said, there's nothing he wants more than winning for the city, for the organization and for his teammates, and that's what continues to drive him.
"The thing is, for me, the Penguins gave me my chance," Letang said.
He's always been grateful to the organization for that, saying that the previous Penguins ownership, Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle, took care of him like a son. That has continued on with the Fenway Sports Group, who acquired controlling interest of the team last season.
"They've always treated me like one of their own. And when you have that feeling, sometimes it's just natural. You want to finish there," Letang said. "The memories that we've built as a team, it's just incredible that I have the chance to stay with that team."