Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will miss at least four weeks after he was moved to injured reserve, the team announced Wednesday.
Crosby’s playing status had been in question since he sustained a lower-body injury while playing for the Canadian men’s national team at the Olympics. He was injured Feb. 18 in Canada’s quarterfinal win against Czechia.
The 38-year-old was trying to brace for a hit from Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas only for the play to end with Crosby’s right leg awkwardly bending with Gudas falling on him. Crosby left the game and did not return.
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Crosby would ultimately miss Canada’s semifinal win against Finland with the belief he could have potentially been available for the gold medal game against the United States. Crosby told reporters after the game that he made the decision not to play. The U.S. beat Canada with a 2-1 overtime victory for the nation’s first Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey since 1980.
“It’s pretty clear given the situation whether you can either play or not play,” Crosby told reporters. “And just didn’t feel like I was able to. Even to get to the point where I had to make the decision, I didn’t think I’d be in that position after the Czech game. I think the medical staff, everybody was incredible.”
Moving Crosby, who leads the team in multiple offensive categories, to IR comes on the same day that the NHL returns from Olympic break. The Penguins will resume play Thursday when they face the New Jersey Devils.
Crosby entered the Olympic break with 27 goals and 59 points. He was projected to finish with 86 points over what was initially slated to be an 82-game schedule. The next closest player to him on the Penguins’ roster in points is center Evgeni Malkin. Crosby has tallied 14 more points than Malkin with Malkin missing 15 games this season through injury.
Losing their top-line center for at least four weeks is expected to play a role in the Penguins’ pursuit for a playoff spot. The Penguins (29-15-12), who have not made the playoffs since the 2021-22 season, entered Wednesday with the second-best record in the Metropolitan Division in an Eastern Conference landscape that has made it difficult for teams to find separation.
