Sidney Crosby injury: Penguins star out at least four weeks after awkward hit in 2026 Winter Olympics
The Penguins placed Crosby on injured reserve after the Olympic break
The lower-body injury that Canadian hockey star Sidney Crosby sustained in the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics will have a significant impact on the NHL season. The Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday placed Crosby on injured reserve and announced that the center will miss a minimum of four weeks as a result.
Crosby sustained the injury in the semifinals of the Olympic tournament. An awkward sequence along the boards in Canada's win over Czechia led to his departure from the contest, and he was unavailable for the gold medal game against the United States.
Crosby took a hit from Radko Gudas and Martin Necas in the semifinal round that appeared to hurt him and required assistance from the Team Canada medical staff. After examination on the bench, Crosby departed for the locker room and carried a noticeable limp as he walked into the tunnel.
A prolonged absence upon the resumption of the NHL season will force Crosby to watch the Penguins' playoff push from the bench. Pittsburgh will return to action Thursday against the New Jersey Devils at 29-15-12 on the year and in second place in the Metro Division. With the Penguins set to spend at least the next month without their leading scorer, they could fall out of the Stanley Cup picture entirely.
Year 21 in the NHL has been yet another outstanding one for the future first-ballot Hall of Famer. He netted 27 goals and racked up 32 assists before the Olympic break, putting him on pace to potentially score at least 90 points for the fourth consecutive season. He has been far and away the most productive player on the ice for the Penguins at age 38.
Not only could Crosby's absence have devastating ramifications for the Penguins over the final weeks of the season, but it also did nothing to help Canada in the final stage of Olympic competition. While his injury may have been a rallying moment for the Canadians in their comeback win over Czechia in the semifinals, they could have used his presence in the loss to Team USA.
Crosby, a three-time Stanley Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist in 2014, said that Canada "deserved better" than its 2-1 overtime loss to the Americans. He also said it was his decision alone to sit out of the gold medal game.
"I was pretty close," Crosby said. "I mean, ultimately I wasn't able to go out there and do what I needed to do in order to help the team, so at that point, you've got to make a decision that's best for the group. Not an easy one. But, you know, that's hockey."
