Sidney Crosby was not be available for Canada’s Olympic semifinal victory over Finland on Friday after suffering a lower-body injury during their quarterfinal win over Czechia.
Connor McDavid served as Canada’s captain as international rules require teams to feature a playing captain. Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon acted as alternates.
Advertisement
Hockey Canada did not reveal specifics of what Crosby is dealing with or whether he’d be available for the rest of the tournament.
Crosby did not take part in an optional practice on Thursday, but skated during a session closed to the media on Friday morning.
“He’s got a lot better chance of playing in the gold medal game than he did today,” said Canada head coach Jon Cooper on Friday.
The 38-year-old, two-time Olympic gold medalist left in the second period after being hit along the boards by Czechia’s Martin Nečas and Radko Gudas. It was the third big hit Crosby took in the period after Gudas and Ondřej Palát connected on checks with the Team Canada captain.
Advertisement
Crosby recovered and took a stride following the Gudas and Nečas hit and was seen shaking his right leg before exiting the ice. After being attended to on Canada’s bench, Crosby limped down the tunnel to the locker room. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game early in the third period.
The game would need overtime and Mitch Marner’s goal after 82 seconds of 3-on-3 play booked Canada a spot in Friday’s semifinals with a 4-3 victory.
Cooper said afterward that it was important to his players that Crosby had not played the final game of his Olympic career.
This is Crosby’s third Olympics. He won gold the last two times NHL players participated — Sochi 2014 and Vancouver 2010, where he scored the golden goal in overtime that led Canada past the U.S.
Advertisement
Crosby, who underwent an MRI after the game, was not ruled out for the rest of the tournament by Cooper after the test.
“He’s Sidney Crosby,” said McDavid. “He’s going to have a big influence no matter what. In the lineup, not in the lineup, he’s going to have a big influence. That’s what he does.”
Crosby has two goals and six points in four games with Canada during the Milan Cortina Olympics.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins are holding their breath that their captain will be fine as they have 19 games in 34 days when the NHL resumes play next week. Crosby has a team-leading 27 goals and 59 points through 56 games this season.
Advertisement
Despite the injury risk posed, Penguins head coach Dan Muse understands the opportunity for NHL players to be involved.
“It’s the Olympics,” Muse said, via the Tribune Review. “Anytime these guys get an opportunity to represent their countries, I’m just happy for them. To play in a tournament like that, to be playing in that setting, that is something I think everybody dreams of. The only thing for me is that I’m excited for those guys getting that opportunity that they’ve earned.
“Excited for them being over there. There’s no other thoughts in my mind other than that.”
Leave a Reply