Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby faces at least a month on the sidelines after sustaining a lower-body injury while representing Canada at the Winter Olympics, the team announced Wednesday.
The injury occurred during last Wednesday’s quarter-final match in Milan when the 38-year-old captain collided with Czech defender Radko Gudas. Crosby was forced to leave the game during the second period and did not return to action.
The veteran forward, who delivered Canada’s overtime victory in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and later led his nation to back-to-back gold medals in Sochi, was unable to participate in Canada’s semi-final victory against Finland. He also sat out the championship game, which Canada lost in overtime to the United States, though he appeared on ice in uniform for the medal ceremony.
This marked the first Winter Olympics to include NHL talent since 2014. Various obstacles had previously prevented league participation, including financial concerns over insurance and travel expenses, worries about schedule conflicts, injury risks to star players, and pandemic-related complications.
Selected first overall by Pittsburgh in the 2005 NHL Draft, Crosby has captured three Stanley Cup titles with the Penguins. His individual honors include two Conn Smythe Trophies for playoff excellence and two Hart Memorial Trophies as the league’s most valuable player.
