Bad news incoming. Pittsburgh Penguins captain and concurrently Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby left Canada’s 2026 Winter Olympics quarter-final game against Czechia in the second period on Wednesday.
Crosby slowed to avoid an open ice hit by Czechia defenseman Radko Gudas, but the pair tangled. Crosby went slowly to the bench, favoring his right leg. After speaking with trainers on the bench, Crosby hobbled to the dressing room at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.
The hit happened around the 15-minute mark of the second period near the red line with Czechia leading 2-1.
Sidney Crosby has went to the locker room after two HEAVY hits from Czechia pic.twitter.com/qUv9soYk64
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 18, 2026
Earlier in the Olympic Games, Crosby set a record with his 16th career Olympic point, the most ever by a Men’s Olympic hockey player, breaking the previous mark held by Jarome Iginla (14).
This season with the Penguins, Crosby has maintained his 20-season (and going) record streak of averaging at least one point per game. He has 59 points, including 27 goals and 32 assists, in 56 NHL games.
UPDATE: Team Canada announced Crosby would not return to the game, which eventually went to overtime.
Update 2: As the Penguins players filed off the ice following their more than one-hour practice, each learned of the news as chatter spread quickly.
“He’s the heart and soul of the team and of hockey in this city,” said winger Bryan Rust.
Without much information, players expressed hope that the injury would be short-term. Penguins coach Dan Muse was one of the last off the ice and just learned of the injury as he walked the hallway to the locker room to speak with reporters.
Tags: Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby
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