Penguins Get Bad News on Sidney Crosby After Olympics Injury

Penguins star Sidney Crosby will miss a chunk of time after getting injured in Canada’s quarterfinal win over Czechia in the Milan Cortina Olympics. | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Penguins star Sidney Crosby won’t return to the ice for at least a month after being placed on injured reserve, the team announced Wednesday.

Pittsburgh declined to reveal the details of Crosby’s lower-body injury. Crosby, 38, suffered an apparent right leg injury during Canada’s quarterfinal win over Czechia in the Milan Cortina Olympics last week. The Canadian captain received two hard hits in the second period of the game that forced him to sit out for the rest of the contest. Crosby later underwent an MRI and was a game-time decision for Canada’s final two games against Finland and the United States but didn’t suit up for either game.

Crosby is expected to miss a minimum of four weeks. https://t.co/K3WB2aQa9y

— Penguins PR (@PenguinsPR) February 25, 2026

Crosby, who finished the tournament with two goals and six points across four games, said after Canada’s 2-1 overtime loss to Team USA that he was very close to playing in the gold medal match.

“It was pretty close,” Crosby told CBC. “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 have to make a decision that’s best for the group. It’s not an easy one, but that’s hockey.”

When news of Crosby’s injury broke, Penguins coach Dan Muse said it was part of the game and understood the risks of NHL stars participating in the Winter Games.

“It’s the Olympics,” Muse said. “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’s something that I think everybody dreams of.”

Crosby is the franchise’s all-time leader in assists and total games played, and he recently eclipsed Penguins legend Mario Lemieux in December 2025 to become the team’s all-time leader in points as well. He currently leads the Penguins with 27 goals and 32 assists through 56 games, with Pittsburgh sitting in second place in the Metropolitan Division. The Penguins, who haven’t made the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2022, will face a tough slate without their veteran captain for a sizable chunk of the rest of the regular season but will hope Crosby can make a full recovery.

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