Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby will return to the lineup against the Carolina Hurricanes after sitting out since his Olympics-ending lower-body injury.
Penguins coach Dan Muse told reporters Wednesday morning that Crosby was ready to play, with the Pittsburgh captain addressing his return as well.
“Just happy to finally be back in there,” Crosby told reporters.
Crosby had missed 11 games for the Penguins since the NHL’s return from the Olympic break. He was injured during Canada’s quarterfinal win over Czechia on a hit from Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas.
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He was placed on injured reserve, with the Penguins initially saying Crosby would be out at least four weeks; Wednesday is the four-week mark since his injury at the Milan Games.
Pittsburgh, one of the NHL’s biggest surprises this season, went 5-3-3 during Crosby’s 11-game absence and is in second place in the Metropolitan Division with less than a month to go. The Penguins are eyeing a return to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
“It’s never easy watching, but I think you gain even more appreciation when you’re up top and you just see on a nightly basis, the way we compete, the way we work,” Crosby said.
Crosby has 27 goals and 32 assists in 56 games this season, putting him on pace to extend his NHL record for most consecutive years averaging at least a point per game.
He had been skating with the team recently, and his comeback comes during a busy stretch in which Pittsburgh faces a series of quality opponents, including the division-leading Hurricanes.
Penguins coach Dan Muse credited Crosby’s leadership even when he was out of the lineup as one of the reasons Pittsburgh has been able to hang in there.
Crosby’s return comes a game after teammate Evgeni Malkin scored two goals in a romp over the Colorado Avalanche following a five-game suspension for slashing the Buffalo Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin.
“To see him come in like that after missing five games was huge,” Crosby said of Malkin. “He set the bar high.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
