Feb. 20: Crosby will not play in today’s semifinal matchup against Finland, Hockey Canada announced. As IIHF rules stipulate a captain must be named for each game, Connor McDavid will wear the ‘C’ in his absence. Crosby, who by all accounts avoided a worst-case injury, is still questionable for either the bronze or gold medal game pending today’s result.
Feb. 18: During Canada’s dramatic overtime victory over Czechia in the quarterfinals of the ongoing Winter Olympics men’s hockey tournament, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby was forced out of the game with an injury.
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan relayed word from Canadian head coach Jon Cooper post-game, who said that he didn’t know the extent of Crosby’s injury. According to Kaplan, Crosby will undergo medical imaging to determine the extent of the lower-body injury he suffered. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported that Hockey Canada is expected to issue an update on Crosby’s status on Thursday.
As one of the most iconic players in the history of Canadian international hockey competition, Crosby’s status is one of the key storylines to watch as the tournament progresses into the semifinal stage. At this point in time, one can only speculate on whether Crosby will be available for the rest of the tournament.
If Crosby is unavailable, it goes without saying that would be a massive loss for Canada. Crosby has six points in the tournament and his line with Mitch Marner and Mark Stone has been one of Canada’s best.
Any extended absence would also impact the Penguins. Pittsburgh is in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, in large part powered by Crosby’s 59 points in 56 games. Losing Crosby, even for a brief period of time, would make winning on a nightly basis far more challenging for the Penguins.
As of right now, all Canada and Penguins fans can do is wait for Hockey Canada to issue an update regarding Crosby and hope it’s positive.
“Not his last Olympic game” Johnny Boy Cooper.
He’ll be back in 2030.
Cool.
Love losing our best player for this global money laundering scheme.
How much money do you think Olympic hockey is generating? This just in: despite your lack of knowledge on the topic, NHL players asked to participate in this tournament. Go ahead and give be your best rant.
What does NHL players asking to participate have to do with the IOC being one of the most corrupt organization, Pedant?
Uh, because you tossed a tantrum over a player getting injured and this is the chance that players take every time they step on the ice. They asked to play and took the risk. Simple concept. Again, how much money is Olympic hockey generating to this money laundering scheme that you uncovered? Oh, and of course the IOC is corrupt. Has been for decades.
I genuinely can’t tell if you are just the most painfully autistic person ever or just the most boring pud ever.
I’m pretty sure it’s the latter.
Most people who have thoughts and opinions of their own understand that most people have thoughts and opinions.
You are constantly confused by this.
“OMG, they observed reality and stated an opinion…look at this tantrum, they think the run the league. eNdLeSsLy AmUsInG!!!!”
But since you don’t actually want hockey and, thus, have no opinions on actual hockey, it’s your only desperate way to get attention. It’s sad and boring no matter the reason.
Don’t bother. Worst case of cranial-rectal inversion on these boards.
He could’ve been injured today playing for Pittsburgh. Whether it was for Canada or the Pens, he would’ve been susceptible to injury.
To clarify, my comment above referenced the OP. Damn these threaded replies with no breadcrumbs. 🥴
This is the reason why I hate having NHL players play in the Olympics. Luckily, my hurricanes didn’t lose anyone. Leave the Olympics for the amateurs. Don’t risk the health of NHL players.
It is collectively bargained. The players really wanted it, and the NHL relented. I appreciate your take as a fan, but they don’t take your opinion into account
And yet, if this is a long term injury it likely killed the Pens’ season. I get your valid point but maybe the powers that be should take such an occurrence into account. If this is as bad as it appears, what a ridiculous situation to be in
If this was 4 Nations tournament I might agree. Olympics are different. He wanted to be there. He knew the risks. They should be allowed to play for their country on the biggest international stage. Winning an Olympic gold for your country is up their with hoisting a cup for your team.
still games remaining… dont jinx it lol
Ohhh, management should consider the possibility of major injuries! 🙄
The players care more about playing in the Olympics than playing for your preferred NHL team. They collectively bargained for the right. Grow up.
Not to be overlooked but we had 3 OT games in the quarter finals… The product is good. Injuries are always part of the game. Fans, it is not your money or your body.
Don’t attempt to talk reality with the ranting blowhard crowd that infests this site. They believe that they run the NHL because they periodically purchase a ticket to a game.
Actually, for those of us who buy season tickets to see our favorite NHL team compete for the Stanley Cup, it is our money. And if we’re going to spend thousands of dollars on our team, we deserve to see their best efforts on the ice. These players are paid to play in the NHL, not some meaningless tournament that the Olympics is. The Olympics are outdated and should be only for amateur athletes. Professional athletes should put all their energy towards their real jobs.
Found the dude who thinks he owns NHL players because he buys tickets!
They are human beings who can put their energy towards whatever the hell they want, within the bounds of their contracts. Just like any other professional. You don’t have a right to tell your plumber not to do woodworking on his day off.
He wasn’t getting 3 weeks off if there weren’t the Olympics, he would’ve been playing in Calgary and would’ve had the same chance of getting injured.
Important to remember the players are human beings, not our slaves. They love playing for their country. Every Canadian in the league wants to play for Team Canada at the Olympics. Please respect the players’ dreams.
“spend thousands of dollars on OUR team”? What? You can spend your tens of dollars how ever you choose, but the team is not yours, nor are the players. Players get to negotiate their union contract, their team contract, and to live their lives however they choose, not have them based on your feelings.
And that ticket allows for viewership, participation but not ownership, or ownership decisions. If he got injured during a regular NHL game are you going to cry foul about your season tickets? Smashing two arguments into one isn’t helping your case. Are you suggesting that these players should have zero choice? Or that nobody in the NHL should participate in the Olympics? You should poll season ticket holders to see their opinion before making blanket statements.
No but my union did tell me not to work elsewhere on my day off, or when times were lean and there was no “plumbing” jobs around to be sent to.
And thus the downside of belonging to a crappy union. Letting someone else tell you how you can earn? Wow.
STFU. I found the dude who’s the big douche.
Exactly. Finally someone who gets it.
Just seems to be a conflict of interest. These guys are paid to try to win the Cup. Not to compete in a meaningless tournament.
Dball could you please define meaningless tournament. How did you get that conclusion? I’ve seen kids care about meaningless stuff all the time. Doesn’t make it less important to them. Are you unhappy with International rules? The politics behind the Olympics? You’ve done nothing to explain yourself or your stance; and just seem content to tell people to “STFU” when they have differing opinions.
Explain to me how something that was collectively bargained by the players is somehow a sleight to all hockey fans? They’re putting their bodies on the line and all you care about is yourself and your season tickets
They’re not paid to win the Cup. They’re paid to play the game. Some people never get the chance to play in the Cup finals let alone a gold medal game. Playing in the Olympics, having the Four team tourney… this is how you grow the sport, while simultaneously showcasing the world talent. None of this is bad for hockey.
It became meaningless for me when I heard about the 3 on 3 OT. How something like a Gold Medal can be awarded under those circumstances proves it is an exhibition. Perhaps if they are tied after 10 rounds of Shootout they can move on to Hardest Shot to determine the “Gold Medal”. I don’t doubt the players feel a ton of pride but hard for me to.
The STFU wasn’t about his different opinion, it was about his smart assed reply. I just responded in kind. It’s perfectly fine if someone disagrees with me.
Meaningless in the sense that it has nothing to do with reaching the Stanley Cup goal that all NHL teams are striving for and the whole reason why NHL players are being paid for. Those Olympic games do nothing to help their teams win a Cup, but if they get hurt playing in the Olympics it sure can hurt their teams chances to win a Stanley Cup. It seems these players are more devoted to achieving a personal goal than they are to the teams that pay their salaries or the fans that pay to see their team win it all. Seems very selfish.
You’ve made the assumption that they wouldn’t get hurt if they don’t attend the Olympics which is a bit of a stretch. People have accidents and injuries at home all the time. Ditto NHL.
With that mentality you may as well live in a bubble.
3 on 3 OT IS an abomination but the Olympics is a scheduled event so there’s no way they’d allow continuous OT. Closing ceremonies are important.
Again we’re being given “playoff” style hockey at the midpoint of the season. No admission required. I don’t see how this is selfish. If you’re a fan of hockey, you’re a fan of hockey. Being a fan of your home team doesn’t necessitate being a fan of hockey I guess…
I’d love to pick your brain on other sports like Soccer… Thoughts on UEFA Championship League?
What if someone got hurt during the NBA All Stars?
Of course they could get hurt in an NHL game. But at least that would be while pursuing the team goal of winning the Stanley Cup. The Olympics being totally unrelated to winning the Stanley Cup would be an unnecessary risk of injury. You don’t have to agree with my logic and it’s fine. It’s just my opinion. But the Olympics used to be a showcase for amateur athletes. So whether it’s NBA stars competing or soccer stars competing, I think the same logic applies.
Sorry I’m not trying to be pedantic I’m just trying to understand your opinion.
Would participating in the all stars (let’s say there’s a fluke injury) be considered selfish? I only mentioned the NBA because they clearly ramped up the intensity of the product.
Soccer is a bit different because league trophy and champions league trophy are both highly coveted.
Side note I have a few wagers on Arsenal to win Champions League lol. Funny you bring up football. Argentina winning the World Cup on penalty kicks was terrible imho. I watched 120 mins & then turned it off. That’s just me.
Yeah that is 10x worse then 3 on 3 OT. At least the Gold Medal game is continuous 3 on 3 OT periods as opposed to going to shootout after 5-10 mins.
Eh, I know NHL Playoffs are still 5 on 5 OT, but dragging the games out more only increases risk of injury and wear and tear on the boys before they come back for the home stretch of the season and Playoffs.
I do wish the Semis were at least 5 mins of 5 on 5 before switching to 3 on 3 though. And the finals at least a full 20 min period. Then go to 3 on 3.
Thanks for the info. I didn’t know that about the Gold Medal game.
Still would suck to lose a Gold Medal in 3 on 3 after a hard fought stalemate in 5 on 5, but I can’t fathom how the CAN Women team felt losing one in a friggin shootout in 2018…
The only difference in the All Star game would be that although it doesn’t directly contribute to the Stanley Cup, the players are participating in an event that all the NHL teams have to send players to. It’s a NHL event. It’s like if my employer sends me to an event that my company wants a representative at, I’m obligated to go. I hope that makes sense.
Yes that clears things up, thank you. I’m looking at growing the sector not the company. When you look at just the big picture you can lose sight of the details. Based on what you said about company, employer, it is completely fair to say that’s a selfish move by the players. We forget it is a business after all.
As much as you dislike the event I really hope you’re watching this amazing gold medal game (reffing is another thing)
No tears here. One of the biggest cry babies in the league. He never shuts up on the ice and is a total jerk the two times I met him. OVERRATED. Not even in the top 10 players of all time
He probably is a top 10 player… doesn’t really matter if you like him or not.
This is a shockingly bad take.
Solid tantrum, but all that to tell us that your hockey knowledge is lacking?
Was mean to me!
So
Not a good player
Did he take your dog too? Feels personal.
I am an off ice official working the officials locker room. I know the game.
Players I would start a franchise over Crosby the cry baby
Gretzky
Mario
Jagr
Ovi
Stevie Y
Mess
Orr
Howe
McDavid
Sakic
Makar
Roy
Brodure
McKinnen
Modano
lol im no crosby fanboy but not top 10?
you, sir, are on drugs. he is at worst 5th on your list and could be as high as 3.
You could have typed “I eat crayons” and saved time.
Next time you’re in the “officials” locker room check the scoresheet for the correct spelling of the players names.
You are not helping yourself.
Sakic is my favourite player of all time and I even know Crosby is better. Gretzky, Mario and a tie for 3rd with Ovi/Howe/Crosby feels like the right choice. For an off ice official, I amsurprised by your misspelling of MacKinnon.
Orr is better than those you have in a tie for third.
Wow soccer_ref, that is a super old team
I have met Sid over a dozen times working in hotels. He and his family are class acts. Perhaps he matched YOUR energy in the interaction.
Tough to compare ultimate talent to ultimate career… To play as long as he did. I have to give it to Howe. I have Orr in 6th. Although he did revolutionize the position, I feel like that kind of longevity is a rare feat in any sport.
There are no wrong answers…
Outside of Crosby not being top 10.
The only people who still like Crosby are Pittsburgh fans and those brainwashed by his constant face on every NHL commercial. Way overrated. BTW the draft that year was rigged so that Pittsburgh would get him and their franchise saved from bankruptcy. The NHL is corrupt.
This is so dead on. What cracks me up to. In the Crosby draft the lottery was different due to the lock out. The most
Disrespected franchise in the league finished second. The Ducks. The team that has never hosted the all star game or draft.
I have spoken to many nhl referees working their locker room at crypto. They all think Crosby is a whiner and wants everything called if he is touched. I know one thing. Malkin i have always felt was better. Malkin would have won a cup without Crosby. Crosby would have NEVER won one without Malkin
NBCSN when they had the contract and now ESPN/TNT and the league schedule. You get Crosby the Rangers Flyers Bruins Caps Panthers and Leafs pretty much on every national broadcast. Then the late game almost always involves Vegas and Edmonton LA Colorado. Look at the schedule. 74% of national TV games involve one of those teams.
You could have typed “I would eat crayons if I could figure out where my mouth is” and saved time.
Penguins fan. Shocking. Like my friend above said brainwashed and pens fans are the only ones who think Crosby is a top 10 player of all time. He is only third or fourth greatest Penguin of all time.
Alex, I will take “Things That Never Happened” for $1,000,000,000.
Okay I will admit that the draft smelled of collusion that year. But so did the Bedard draft. I mean look at the NBA w Flagg. It’s an entertainment business. You want large markets to succeed to help the brand. How you lump this in with a character attack on Crosby is absolute insanity. Toews isn’t a nice guy either. You think he’s trash? I’ll do you one better. Tom Brady was a lot like what you describe Sid as being. Is he overrated? First two years of Sid adjusting was hard to watch, but he’s aged like a fine wine, while side stepping career ending injuries. I don’t get the angst towards him.
Congratulations on finally figuring out how television ratings work.
Every draft can smell like collusion if you want it to. There’s always a reason. But is Pittsburgh a good enough market to warrant collusion?
You could literally tell every hockey player “hey this pick is for Super Mario” and I doubt any player would have a problem 😂
Texas Sharpshooter Falacy gets everyone but it’s hard to ignore pending bankruptcy and getting the next big generational talent.
I do feel for the Ducks though… And to some extent the Flames but look for the NHL to correct that soon ;)
Came here to say this. I don’t think the league cared nearly enough about a relatively small market team with terrible attendance and performance at the time moving to a more attractive market. Yes, Mario and the recent dynasty, but aside from the 90s, this was not an Original 6 or Storied Franchise or big market team. Regionally you have 3 other teams within 4 hours (COL, BUF, PHI) and a bunch within 6.
Not even a deep pocketed owner to grease the wheels of collusion.
People act like they didn’t have the highest statistical odds of winning the lottery.
Oh and there were independent auditors involved, but hey they must have been in on it too!
The Ducks were fortunate, statistically, to even get the 2nd pick.
3 on 3 OT in an elimination game is a terrible idea. That is not hockey!
Exactly
This is the middle ground. Longer games means more potential injuries. International rules are in play. I would love if they would do 4-4 for ten then 3-3 for five, then shootout. And maybe no shootout in medal games. Continuous 4-4 OT.
Shootout is even less hockey than 3-on-3. That’s the only 2 options we have to avoid endless 5-on-5 OT’s.
It needs to be said, f*ck 66Beast for using autistic as an insult.
So, for the record, I was not using autism as an insult. It was offered as an olive branch to avoid insult.
The possibility that he might be autistic and genuinely not understand is the only thing that keeps me from explaining in ever more painstaking detail what a pud he is.
If he’s autistic, I don’t want to insult him. If he’s just the weakest troll pud ever, I do.
But all he ever says “You have opinions!!! LOL” so, it’s hard to tell.
100m Backpedal Champion
If I was insulting him for being autistic, it would read “autistic pud” but because I was not it read “autistic OR pud.”
This is fairly basic reading comprehension.
I think even you could manage it if you tried a bit harder.
200m Backpedal Champion
“Or” is a pretty basic word.
You are so desperate to try to insult me (meekly) that you are willing to either feign or reveal to the world that don’t know or understand a kindergarten word…that’s the choice you made?
My son has autism. Never use a condition to make fun of a person
I was highly insulted as a parent
For clarity we don’t call people autistic because it’s grammatically incorrect. We don’t call people w Cancer, cancerous.
But we also shouldn’t knee cap and overly scrutinize people’s words because of our differences. So there’s that.
Were you? Or did you see a chance to play “Buzzword? Pitchfork!” with a Pens fan?
My goal was specifically to avoid insulting autistic people so I’m willing to listen if you can explain, how was what I said insulting to your son?
Troll feels insulted. Take the W and move on Beast. You don’t owe him anything lol.
Well, I’m open to the idea that what I said could be taken as insulting even if that wasn’t my intent if someone could explain why.
Melynk’s Liver went from favoriting a few of my posts here to blasting me and then blocking me in one thread, so his upset seems genuine but I can’t ask him.
FWIW, I was talking about a very specific sliver of the spectrum where they take everything literally and it results in what can misread as pedantry.
Pedantry is also the main tool of weak pud trolls.
Weak pud trolls get what they get, but…every once in while I wonder “what if he’s just confused and lonely and this is really the best effort he can muster to try to interact with other human beings (why else go to a hockey site when you clearly never actually watch hockey?) etc.?”
Just offering up a red practice jersey…
8 men on the ice for the go ahead goal for Czechia! How did nobody notice this?!
They are allowed up to 67 men during the Russia ban.
This whole thread is way out of pocket. Keep in mind these are games. While we are fans, these games have relatively no impact on your day to day life. Remove your fandom and your day likely does not change in any great detail.
That being said, enjoy the Olympics and enjoy the NHL, but do it respectfully and be civil. Half these comments are beneath the people making them.
This news does suck for a Pittsburgher, a fan of the team, and as someone who actually is impacted (from my job) if their team has a major injury like this.
Out damn spot!
You own a bar? :)
Close, I work in hotels so sporting events have a pretty major impact on my work.
Case in point, the Steelers being lucky enough to get a home playoff game completely changed out budget for January. We went from forecasting to be just shy of budget to forecasting to exceed in very short order.
Not only that, but of course staffing levels went up, bartenders made more money, the cabbies that take people to the airport have more fares. It is all relevant to the sport and hockey is no exception. Especially for playoffs considering how quickly the need for games 5, 6, and 7 can be required.
Long story from over 10 years ago when I lived in San Jose. The Kings made the playoffs and my hotel paid an entire conference to relocate their group so we could accommodate taking the team at our hotel.
Probably explains why Cleveland sucks 😂
Wake me up when we get back to the important business on Wednesday night.
66 Beast always tells everyone they are wrong or that their opinion is stupid. He is not a typical Pens fan, so don’t lump us in with him. I think he had a word of the day calendar so he tries to work these words into sentences. He’s odd.
Love that your only exposure to big words is 90’s gimmick calendars and that you (self evidently) don’t see a need for anything beyond 6th grade sentences.
Couldn’t agree more, though…the running theme in my posts is don’t lump me in with the Yinzgrates, the dumbest fan base in all of sports.
The dunces who think think a coach who never lost is somehow bad at coaching…and who are now human versions of the dog drinking coffee in hell meme with McCarthy. Ooops. Enjoy.
The fair weather bandwagon hopping toolbags who can’t bear barely missing the playoffs by a game or two after 18 straight years in and a few Cups and want to trade everyone…including the second best player ever who is playing as well as ever. Not a one of them will support the down years they are demanding. That’s how we almost ended up in KC and went bankrupt several times.
Don’t lump me in with them.
Solid tantrum. Fun to watch you stomp your feet and toss fits over hockey. Wilf has been must-see posting for some time but you are giving him a run. Different style but extremely entertaining. Keep it up.
So…is this post…the EXACT same post he makes for everything…
Feigned amusement at the idea that people have opinions on things they actually watch that he clearly does not watch (he’s started wandering over the football site with this exact same schtick, too).
…the work of someone who is making an honest effort but has absolutely no idea how to communicate with other human beings and lacks social skills, is locked into a literalism that becomes painfully pedantic and whose hyperfixation will only allow them to beat this one tiny sad little drum all day long?
Or is he just a dunce pud troll with eight brain cells and honestly can’t do any better than this because he’s a dim dim bulb?
Awesome reply! I am honored that you put this much time into dissecting my posts. Reality is that I enjoy tweaking you. Nothing more. In the not-so-distant past you yelled at others here when their posts were not hockey driven. Yet you have numerous posts on just this forum dedicated to being offended and to offending others. I am enjoying the visual of you yelling and screaming at yourself for veering off-topic.
So…you are going with dim, then?
Easily amused by the same inane pablum over and over…like a small child who is endlessly fascinated with their nose being “stolen” or one who likes the warmth of a used diaper and gets that smile.
Fair enough.
To be fair, I value both your opinions. But both of you suck right now for making it so personal.
Have a good weekend :D
I greatly value my opinion being valued, especially when it is tweaking 66. She recently yelled at me for not talking hockey yet has now spent the majority of this forum doing the same while apparently not grasping the irony. Contributing to her spiral has been quite fun. Thanks for following along.
It’s crazy this article hit 100 comments.