When speaking to the media on Wednesday, Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan announced that center Sidney Crosby is being evaluated for an upper-body injury. The longtime bench boss didn’t go into specifics about what is ailing the Penguins captain.
Questions arose about Crosby’s health after he was noticeably absent from practice earlier in the day. Some suspect it is an after-effect from what happened to the Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia native the night before.
Early in the third period against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night, Crosby was sandwiched between opposing players Luke Hughes and Erik Haula. The 37-year-old was laboring as he skated off the ice, favoring his left side.
Mike Sullivan has announced that Sidney Crosby is being evaluated for an upper-body injury following a collision with Luke Hughes and Erik Haula in the Penguins loss to the Devils. pic.twitter.com/v8rAYhhBpK
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 5, 2025
Crosby left the game for a few minutes but would return to the action later. Pittsburgh ended up losing the game 3-2 in a shootout, marking the team’s fourth defeat in the past six games.
It is unknown if Crosby will be available this weekend for the Penguins’ final two games before the league breaks for the 4 Nations Face-Off, which will see them face the New York Rangers on Friday night before visiting the rival Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
The severity of a possible injury could jeopardize his status for the upcoming in-season tournament, as Crosby is slated to captain Canada when things get underway in Montreal next week.
On top of being one of the most skilled athletes to ever play the game, what has made Crosby one of the greatest is his durability. In seven of his 19 years in the NHL, the former Rimouski Oceanic star has played at least 80 games (with three seasons being shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a lockout). He’s played the full 82-game scheduled in each of the past two years, having not missed a game since a concussion forced him to miss time during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
So far this season, Crosby leads the Penguins with 41 assists and 58 points through 55 games. He is currently on a five-game point streak, which has seen the veteran posted four goals and seven points over that span.
The Penguins (22-24-9) are seventh in the Metropolitan Division, seven points back of the last Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.