RSS Penguins Team Notes

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Milan Olympics: Penguin players at the start

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 11: Erik Karlsson #65 of Team Sweden skates in the second period during the Men's Preliminary Group B match between Sweden and Italy on day five of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The wheels are starting to get in motion for the Penguin players who are over in Italy. Here’s our check-in.

Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell each recorded an assist in Sweden’s 5-2 win over the host nation Italy yesterday. The game was closer than many thought, with Italy scoring first and later making it a 2-2 game until the Swedes finally pulled away near the end of the second period. The David vs. Goliath type battle was one where the Italians were hanging on, despite being badly outmatched to the tune of the 60-22 shot differential reflecting the team quality differential of Sweden (all NHL players, many of All-Star caliber) and Italy (zero NHL players). The Swedes have a big game coming up tomorrow against their biggest rival Finland.

Karlsson was named an alternate captain for the Swedes, he’s been skating on a third pair with Philip Broberg and playing on their top power play. Rakell is playing as a mid-line winger with Elias Pettersson and Mika Zibanejad.

Karlsson getting a point continues his tradition of production at Olympic events.

Though he notched just a lone assist in a 5-2 #TeamSweden victory over Italy earlier today at the #MilanoCortinaOlympics2026 Games, Erik Karlsson now owns 9 in his first 7 career Olympic outings. It now has him ranking in a tie for 3rd on this national list of productive players pic.twitter.com/zTwWheEeBp

— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) February 11, 2026

The other two Pens Olympians get going today with their first action. Sidney Crosby is back to captain Team Canada again and spent this week centering Mark Stone and Mitch Marner while working on the top power play. Canada takes on the Czechs at 10:40am eastern. It’s been fun and games so far for the Canadian star players to take in some of the Olympic atmosphere, they’ll now flip the switch and look to get down to business.

Brad Marchand demonstrating the wave to Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon before the entire Team Canada joins in on the fun pic.twitter.com/Tk0qAgBaVf

— Dude Where's Makar (@joelthesakic) February 11, 2026

A couple of nice Crosby retrospectives have come out from the Canadian media in the past day or so. Nothing too revolutionary, just more examples of a classy human going about his business and going out of his way to do good things where he can. Certainly worth your time with the perspectives of some of Crosby’s peers.

As he prepares to captain Canada in another Olympics, @SachdevaSonny brings us the story of how Sidney Crosby evolved into one of the great leaders in hockey history, as told by the teammates he had along the way. https://t.co/d5XXsdtsqB

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 11, 2026

Sidney Crosby is a hockey legend. His peers say he's much more than that https://t.co/ISOF07pfQ6 pic.twitter.com/VbvZRnNhq6

— Province Sports (@provincesports) February 10, 2026

Latvia takes on the USA in the other game today at 3:00pm eastern, though it appears that Pittsburgh goalie Arturs Silovs will not be starting in net for the Latvians today. Goalie Elvis Merzlikins has prepared like the started for this game, the Latvians play on Saturday and Sunday coming up where Silovs is expected to get playing time eventually as the tournament rolls on. Team USA will feature former Penguin Jake Guentzel on a featured line with Auston Matthews, while western PA natives Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller have rotated in practices on a fourth line. The team is led by former Pens coach Mike Sullivan and a former assistant GM, Bill Guerin.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/news/72868/milan-olympics-penguin-players-at-the-start

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Looking at potential defense additions for Pittsburgh Penguins

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 15: Zach Whitecloud #2 of the Vegas Golden Knights shoots the puck during the first period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at T-Mobile Arena on January 15, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Zak Krill/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

When the Pittsburgh Penguins return from the 2026 Olympic break, they will have five games before the 2025-26 NHL Trade Deadline. Given where they are in the standings, and the way they have played for the better part of the past two months, the Penguins seem to have positioned themselves as potential buyers, or at the very least, some sort of hybrid buy-sell team like they were a year ago.

While the idea of somebody like Jason Robertson or Robert Thomas is fun to think about and dream on, those are probably more offseason-type moves than in-season deadline deals. Especially as it relates to Robertson given the Dallas Stars current status as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

The Penguins also already have a lot of depth at forward this season and probably have more good players than they can play at the moment. Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes and even Ville Koivunen are worthy of NHL playing time right now, but there just simply is not room for them.

The defense is where the Penguins might be in a position to make a small addition. Not only due to the injury to Kris Letang, as well as the fact Erik Karlsson is playing in the Olympics and is not getting any tine to rest, but just because they could use a little more quality depth at the position in both the short-term and the long-term.

Based on everything Kyle Dubas has said this season, and based on everything he has done over the past year-and-a-half, I would not anticipate them being in the market for older players that are obviously rentals.

But what about a younger player on an expiring contract that could potentially be re-signed?

The ideal situation would be finding a young defenseman with team-control remaining beyond this season, but that sort of thing is probably easier said than done.

So let’s take a look at a couple of options that could be available and might fit what the Penguins are looking for.

Simon Benoit, Toronto Maple Leafs​

Benoit is intriguing because he is still only 27 years old and is signed through the end of next season at an extremely manageable salary cap number of just $1.35 million per season. He is not going to do a lot to generate offense, but he has been a very solid defensive player this season and would bring some of the size and physical play that Dubas has tried to inject into the lineup this year.

He’s a bottom-pairing player, but he is cheap, you get two potential playoff runs with him and you know you’re going to get an honest effort and a player that’s not afraid to get in front of a shot.

He has been given exceptionally one-sided defensive assignments (only 26 percent offensive zone starts) with the Maple Leafs allowing just 2.58 expected goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play and only 2.32 actual goals per 60 minutes when he is on the ice. Both numbers are tops among Maple Leafs defensemen.

I could see there being interest, especially after the Penguins made a similar trade with Toronto at last year’s deadline to get Connor Dewar and Conor Timmins. That one worked out well.

Zach Whitecloud, Calgary Flames​

Whitecloud has been a solid, if unspectacular player for a few years now in Vegas, and recently found himself as part of the Rasmus Andersson trade that sent him to Calgary. Given the state of the Flames season and their ongoing rebuild, there is no doubt he could potentially be on the trade block again over the next few weeks. He is 29, signed for more full seasons after this at $2.75 million per season, and could be a potential depth upgrade both this season and beyond.

Again, you are not going to get much offense out of him, but he is a solid enough defensive player that can help keep the puck out of your net. The contract is going to increase the return in terms of assets, so it might come down to a matter of how much you are willing to pay this year and how much you like Whitecloud.

Mario Ferraro, San Jose Sharks​

The problem with Ferraro as a potential option is that he is an unrestricted free agent after this season and would likely be a rental. But he fits into the age range the Penguins might be interested in (27) and could be a potential extension candidate.

Ferraro has been stuck on a bad San Jose team for years and has typically outperformed his teammates when it comes to suppressing chances and goals. He probably has more offensive upside than a player like Benoit, but might cost more in terms of assets and be at risk of just simply being a few month rental. That might not be their preferred path.

Logan Stanley, Winnipeg Jets​

Stanley is a massive physical presence at 6-foot-7 and over 230 pounds, but has never really fully established himself as a quality or consistent NHL Player until this season.

It has been a perfectly timed breakout as well, given the fact he is in a contract year and due for a raise after this season as a pending unrestricted free agent. I don’t know that I am willing to risk paying what he is going to get on the open market this summer, and I suspect he might come with a fairly high asking price from Winnipeg, but he is a potential defense option that should be available.

Braden Schneider, New York Rangers​

I am going to include Schneider because he kind of fits the mold of what the Penguins might be looking for in a player — and the type of player they have looked to acquire at other positions — and will almost certainly be available.

I am just not sure I actually want him.

Or how much I would want him.

Or what I would even be willing to give up for him.

He is still only 24 years old, but is a restricted free agent after this season and would need some sort of a commitment contractually.

Maybe if you acquire him you give him a look the rest of the season, and if you don’t like what you see you just do not qualifying him an offer and let him go.

He has size and talent, but none of it has been put together at the NHL level and he seems to have taken a step backwards this season. Maybe a fresh start helps? He would not be high on my priority list.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/analysis/...ial-defense-additions-for-pittsburgh-penguins

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

23 Years Ago This Week: A dark chapter in Penguin history

UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 14: Hockey: New York Rangers Alexei Kovalev (27) in action vs Pittsburgh Penguins Joel Bouchard (39), New York, NY 2/14/2003 (Photo by Lou Capozzola/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X67754 TK1 R3 F22)

Memories like these pop up and serve as a reminder of how drastically different things were for the Pittsburgh Penguins, although now way in the past.

On this day in 2003, the Rangers acquired Alexei Kovalev, Dan LaCouture, Janne Laukkanen and Mike Wilson from the Penguins in exchange for Rico Fata, Mikael Samuelsson, Joel Bouchard, Richard Lintner, and future considerations #Hockey365 #NYR pic.twitter.com/KDiRr9xkOd

— Mike Commito (@mikecommito) February 10, 2026

In some ways, this moment might have been – if not rock bottom – than certainly a ‘it always gets darkest before the dawn’ for the Penguins. Kovalev was sent off for most importantly what was termed “future considerations”, which meant $3.9 million dollars in cash. That was the biggest amount the NHL would allow to change hands on a trade in a season where the Penguins were expecting to lose money that year, making their already tenuous financial situation that much worse. The Pens also threw in relatively expensive veterans Laukkanen and Wilson to drop even more salary while picking up a hodgepodge of players back from the Rangers without receiving any of their best prospects.

It was an act of survival and desperation in a hockey landscape where the end result of a healthy Penguin franchise was far from a given. At this point there was no Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin (or even Marc-Andre Fleury), there was just the grim financial reality of trying to scrape by and live to see another day. There was no reason to hope things would improve in the future, after all how could a team losing money purge their best players and expect to ever get better while worsening the product and team? That was a vicious cycle started with the Jaromir Jagr trade of 2001 as the team went into a downturn on and off the ice that troubled their very ability to remain competitive.

Of course by now, the sale of Kovalev is water long under the bridge. It took just five years from this point in 2003 to where the Penguins acquired Marian Hossa in 2008 as a sort of a full circle moment where the small time operation had been transformed into something completely different. In retrospect, it’s amazing just how quickly that took place.

A lot happened to get there: a new CBA tied revenue to team player payroll, there was an agreement with the state for a new arena to be built that would allow the team to grow, the draft broke extremely friendly to add players like Fleury, Crosby and Malkin to inject new life and talent get to the point where the shoe was on the other foot. The Penguins were now the fully functional NHL franchise, spending to the maximum limits, a position they would remain financially accessible to be at to this day. There were no more budgetary constraints, the team never had to imagine trading away a prime aged Crosby or Malkin due to salary concerns or even bigger questions about the viability of their team.

And, of course, eight years after they shipped him away, in 2011 Pittsburgh would re-acquire Kovalev as a rental of their own for a playoff run in the ultimate full circle moment. What he came back to by then was different in every way besides the jersey colors and Mario Lemieux from when Kovalev left.

That bright future felt like an extremely unlikely scenario back in 2003, when the Pens were in the NHL in name but hardly as a true franchise capable to operate.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/general/72875/23-years-ago-this-week-a-dark-chapter-in-penguin-history

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

This day in Penguins history: The 2009 run begins in earnest

TORONTO - FEBRUARY 14: Jason Blake #55 of the Toronto Maple Leafs scores on Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during game action February 14, 2009 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The Penguins status as a rising contender was in serious jeopardy on this day 17 years ago in 2009. What looked like a team on the rise — the 2008 squad made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final — was now mired in a rut. Pittsburgh was in 10th place in the conference, five points back of the playoff line. Time was growing short with only 25 games left in the season, continued success and solidifying their place as one of the NHL’s top teams was suddenly in very shaky ground.

February 14th was the date that ended up turning the season around, a clear early starting point to put the Pens on track to make the playoffs and eventually win the franchise’s third Stanley Cup just a few months later. However, like so many changes, it took going through pain and difficulties to make it to the other side.

Take that game on 2/14/09, against a not-exactly-stacked 11th place Toronto team. The Maple Leafs would outshoot the Pens 41-27 and score six-straight goals to take a 6-2 victory that only further mired the Penguins in their malaise. Not even Pittsburgh-native Bill Thomas scoring his second and final goal for the Pens to give them a 2-0 lead ended up being enough as the game spiraled out of control in the third period that saw them go from leading 2-1 to trailing 3-2 in a span of 19 seconds via two Jason Blake goals. Then it only got uglier from there. Via Hockey-Reference:

How did a loss spur a team onto greatness? The answer comes from the details.

Sergei Gonchar made his season debut on this night, coming back from a shoulder injury suffered in preseason. The absence of Gonchar proved to be a major limiting factor in the first two-thirds of the season. His presence as a top defender and power play wizard coming back into the lineup would serve as an important add. Ruslan Fedotenko also rejoined the lineup after missing a month with a hand injury. Fedotenko’s experience and steady play also signified an important return to health that the team would need in the period to come.

And while the team added those two elements, they would drop another after this game. Ray Shero decided to pull the trigger on a coaching change and relieve Michel Therrien of his duties the following morning. In Therrien’s place, a coaching newbie, Dan Bylsma, earned a promotion from his role as the Wilkes-Barre head coach up to the big time. Byslma’s refreshing outlook coming out of the often sour Therrien days provided wind in the team’s sails that would help them along.

Bylsma (and Gonchar…plus later trade addition Bill Guerin) would help spur the Penguins onto a 18-3-4 finish over the rest of the regular season. Pittsburgh would rocket all the way up to fourth place in the conference and draw rival Philadelphia in the first round, a rematch of the prior season’s Eastern Conference Final.

That all had to start somewhere, and the Toronto edition of a “Valentine’s Day massacre” ended up being the catalyst for the changes needed to get back to the top.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/general/72920/this-day-in-penguins-history-the-2009-run-begins-in-earnest

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Sidney Crosby records sixth career Olympic goal against Switzerland

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 13: Connor McDavid #97 of Canada celebrates his goal with Nathan MacKinnon #29 and Sidney Crosby #87 during the Men's Preliminary Group A match between Canada and Switzerland on day seven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 13, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by RvS.Media/Monika Majer/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Sidney Crosby has scored an Olympic goal for the first time in 12 years.

Crosby scored on Friday in the third period of Team Canada’s 5-1 preliminary round win over Switzerland in Milan.

Simply the best. pic.twitter.com/DFVO9lHn4n

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 13, 2026

The tally helped Canada improve to 2-0 following Thursday’s 5-0 win over Czechia. Next up is a game against France this Sunday at 10:40 a.m. ET.

Friday’s goal marked the sixth goal and 13th point in 15 games of Crosby’s Olympic career.

Crosby recorded four goals and three assists in seven games of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, including his overtime golden goal against Team USA.

He added one goal and two assists, with his lone tally coming in a 5-0 bronze medal game shutout of Finland, through six games of the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Crosby has now recorded three points in two games of the 2026 Milan Olympics thanks to a pair of helpers against Czechia and his goal against Switzerland.

The captain is so far the only Penguins player to record a goal this tournament. Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell have each contributed an assist during Sweden’s 1-1 start to the tournament. They dropped the puck against Slovakia this morning at 6:10 a.m. ET.

Arturs Silovs made his Olympic debut in relief for Elvis Merzlikins during Latvia’s 5-1 loss to the United States on Thursday. He made five saves on six shots against a stacked Team USA. He and Latvia 2343 also back in action early this morning with a 6:10 a.m. ET matchup against Germany.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/general/7...sixth-career-olympic-goal-against-switzerland

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

An Olympic Arty Party

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 14: Arturs Silovs #31 of Team Latvia shakes hands with Lukas Reichel #73 of Team Germany after the Men's Preliminary Group C match between Germany and Latvia on day eight of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena on February 14, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Some hockey topics to munch on for an Olympic Sunday.

Arturs Silovs made 26 saves against the Germans yesterday, helped Latvia to their first Olympic win in 12 years. [NHL.com]

Erik Karlsson notched two assists in Sweden’s win over Slovakia — but Sweden didn’t win by enough (5-3) and saw Slovakia celebrate winning the group due to total goal differential. Much more on this below. [NHL.com]

Jake Guentzel scored a goal in Team USA’s 6-3 win over Denmark as his partnership with Auston Matthews starts to take off. [ESPN]

Teams are allowed to dress two extra players for games in the Olympics, how they’re used tends to vary. [Sportsnet]

Here’s the outlook entering today sets the stakes for an important day:

USA beats Denmark 6-3, outshooting Danes 47-21. So, heading into final round-robin day:

Top four get bye into quarterfinals. Pool Winners get first three spots

Canada (6 points, +9 goal differential, vs France)
USA (6 points, +7, vs Germany)
Slovakia likely third (6 points, +2,…

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 14, 2026

The US and Canada are in good shape to cinch up their byes into the quarter finals. Goal differential will be worth watching, the Americans are two behind (and have a tougher-on-paper opponent today), seemingly setup for a tougher road to travel. In the event of a tie in points, the top seed will go to the best goal differential in the event. That could be significant, being as the Olympics use a bracket and will not re-seed and Sweden is now locked into the seventh spot, lining up to play the No. 2 team in the quarters. Thus, as James Mirtle spells out:

The No. 1 team will face the winner of a game featuring some combination of Switzerland, Germany and the Czech Republic. And the No. 2 team will get the winner of Sweden versus Latvia or Denmark

Slovakia’s group win to bump them over Sweden upsets the apple cart and has created a bit of chaos. Many were of the belief that the US, Canada and Sweden were the top-three teams in the tournament (in varying order). The way things have setup from the early results it sure looks like two of these teams will be playing each other in the quarterfinals in the single-elimination event that will send one high-powered club home and open up the podium for a surprising team to make an appearance.

That makes today huge for the Americans and Canadians in a bigger way than just the actual games they’ll be playing. Canada plays first (10:40am eastern time) and the US goes at 3:10. The Americans will know what they need to win by and have huge incentive to try and pass their northern neighbors on goal differential in order to get a better seed and path in the knockout round. That will also put pressure on the Canadians to put up a big enough win today on their own to the point that the US can’t match/surpass.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/general/72944/an-olympic-arty-party

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Sidney Crosby sets Team Canada Olympic scoring record

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 13: Sidney Crosby #87 of Team Canada celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal in the third period during the Men's Preliminary Group A match between Canada and Switzerland on day seven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 13, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Sidney Crosby recorded a goal and two assists in Canada’s first two periods against France on Sunday. The latter two points tied and then surpassed Jarome Iginla for most points by a Canadian player in the NHL era (1998-on).

Another milestone unlocked for the

Crosby's 15th career #WinterOlympics point passes Jarome Iginla for the most by a Team Canada player in Olympics featuring NHL players. pic.twitter.com/6TIGof5y5f

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 15, 2026

The stay at the top might be a short one – Connor McDavid was already up to eight points in his first eight Olympic periods prior to the start of the third against France, already enough to tie the Canadian record for most points in the Olympics (8).

Overall, it’s been all systems go for the Canadians in the group stage against lesser opponents with Crosby looking as sharp and effective as ever by producing six points in the tournament without being on the ice for a goal against. Canada has only given up two goals in the first eight periods.

With a period remaining against France, Sidney Crosby already has six points (2-4-6) in three games in the tournament, including at least one point in every game. He hasn’t been on the ice for a goal against.
As you’d expect.
At 38, still one of Canada’s most important players.

— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) February 15, 2026

Crosby and Canada keep chugging along towards a bye in the play-in round and will play again on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/general/72953/sidney-crosby-sets-team-canada-olympic-scoring-record

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

2026 Olympics: On Sidney Crosby ‘passing the torch’ to Connor McDavid

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 12: Captain, Sidney Crosby #87 of Team Canada react with Connor McDavid #97 during the Men's Ice Hockey - Group A match between Team Czech Republic and Team Canada on day six of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 12, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Xavier Laine/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Hold the Claude Giroux jokes, we might finally be seeing a real passing of the torch at the 2026 Olympics.

Olympics.com: “How Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby is passing the torch to Connor McDavid at Winter Olympics 2026”

The evidence focused on symbolism, when Connor McDavid was the last player in line to take the ice.

Yet beyond the numbers and the scoreline, there was symbolism. Crosby allowed McDavid to step onto the ice last, a subtle gesture that felt like a passing of the torch from one generation to the next.

Fans of the Penguins will know this is nothing new, Evgeni Malkin famously used “three years Super league” to pull rank and be last in line ever since his NHL debut, so in some veins the superstitious Crosby has no qualms about positioning of heading to the rink.

On the ice it was there too in a bigger way. McDavid created 14 chance contributions against the Czechs more than double of anyone else out there. Crosby was way down the list with two.

Forward Scoring Chance Contributions

McDavid leads the way with 14 chance contributions, a tournament high so far and more than all Czechs combined.

Pastrnak held to one chance, Czechs in general were mostly limited to rebounds and rushes.

Data from @DimFilipovic pic.twitter.com/ZXmvkxliBW

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) February 12, 2026

Of course, the torch may have been actually passed a long time ago as far as which player ascended to the higher level. McDavid already owns far more individual trophies (5 Art Ross scoring titles, 3 Hart MVPs) than Crosby (2 Art Ross’s and Hart’s). It’s just that it’s more dramatic on ice and in symbolism seeing the 29-year old McDavid take the lead as Team Canada’s dominant player for the first time at the Olympics, the position Crosby held down in the 2010’s.

The magic comes when the two are together on the power play. Combined with fellow all-world player Nathan MacKinnon, Canada’s power play down low is absolutely frightening with the amount of talent they push near the net.

The puck movement and and rotation between Crosby, McDavid and MacKinnon on the man advantage…

Canadian hockey fans waited way too long to witness this greatness on the Olympic stage.

(Via: @CBCOlympics) https://t.co/iGYwzpEzeo pic.twitter.com/X26N8cTuzJ

— Grady Sas (@GradySas) February 12, 2026

Crosby, 38, has not declared this will be his final Olympics, though the question about a potentially 42-year old playing in 2029-30 and being able to perform at the level of the mighty Canadian Olympic team area answers itself.

The good news for all is that the Milan games might not be the final international ‘best on best’ even for Crosby. Relations are good between the NHL, NHLPA and IIHF these days and a post-Olympics announcement is expected with details on a 2028 World Cup of Hockey.

At this point with the games underway, Canada faces off against Switzerland this afternoon, it doesn’t really matter who the symbolic best player is or where the offense is coming from. Crosby chipped in two assists in the first game and is still a key figure in aura and literally for the Canadians. There of course is no actual physical torch out there that the game’s best carries, just a figurative one. For now, all Crosby and McDavid are looking for is a gold medal and the team glory that comes with it.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/news/7291...ey-crosby-passing-the-torch-to-connor-mcdavid

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

The week ahead: Big week for Penguins players at the Olympics

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 11: Erik Karlsson #65 of Team Sweden chases the puck in the third period during the Men's Preliminary Group B match between Sweden and Italy on day five of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Andy Cheung/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The men’s Olympic hockey tournament continues — and concludes — this week with the knockout phase and medal rounds starting on Tuesday.

So far, it has been a pretty good tournament for the Pittsburgh Penguins representatives, and there is a good chance that at least one of them returns with some sort of a medal.

Their progress so far….

• Penguins Captain (and also Team Canada captain) Sidney Crosby has continued to play at a dominant level, even at age 38, and already has six points through the first three games of the tournament. That includes a pair of goals as Canada cruised through the group stage, outscoring their opponents by a 20-3 margin, and right into the quarterfinal. Crosby is tied for the second-leading scorer in the tournament.
• Team Sweden was probably one of the bigger disappointments of the group stage, finishing in third place behind Slovakia and Finland. Defenseman Erik Karlsson has three assists and nine shots on goal through the first three games, while forward Rickard Rakell has an assist and eight shots on goal. It’s not that Sweden has been BAD, they still won two of their three group stage games, but the loss to Finland was decisive and allowing a late goal to Slovakia, thanks in part to a bad penalty and a bad goal against, to lose the tiebreaker in the group was a tough result.
• Goalie Arturs Silovs took over the net for Latvia after a tough start for Elvis Merzlikins, and then led his country to a win with a big performance against Germany. He struggled early in their next game against Denmark, but finished strong to at least keep them in it.

So what is ahead for all of them this week?

It is a waiting game for Crosby and Canada as they will play the winner of Tuesday’s Czechia-Denmark game in the quarterfinals. They will be heavy favorites no matter which team it is, and it should be another emphatic win no matter who they face. Canada already beat Czechia 5-0 in the group stage, while Denmark doesn’t really have much high-level NHL talent that is going to be able to hang with what is basically an All-Star team. Canada has looked like the best team in the field so far — not really a surprise — and should not see any sort of a serious test until the medal round.

Crosby, meanwhile, is just three wins away from winning his third Olympic gold medal and adding another major accomplishment to his resume. If he gets it, he will be the first player to ever win three Stanley Cups and three Olympic gold medals.

He will also be a big part of it. Not that it is a surprise given what we are still seeing from him with the Penguins, but he remains one of Canada’s best players and one of the best players in the world. He is defying aging curves.

As for the Karlsson, Rakell and Silovs trio, they are going head-to-head on Tuesday for the chance to play the United States later in the week.

It remains to be seen if Silovs will get the start, but he has pretty much held the Latvian net since the opening period of the first game. It has been a mixed bag of results for him, and Sweden would be his toughest test yet as a starter in this tournament. If he helps pull off an upset there he would be a Latvian hockey legend.

It is still surprising that Sweden is even in this position where it needs to play in the opening playoff round. They were the team I was leaning toward gold with when the tournament began. They SHOULD beat Latvia, and assuming they do, that sets up a monster quarterfinal matchup between Sweden and the United States.

That is also a potential nightmare quarterfinal matchup for both teams because it means one of the top-three gold medal favorites from the start of the tournament is going to leave Italy without even having the chance to play for a medal. It would be a massive failure for either one of them. That is a good way to add some extra intrigue to a quarterfinal game.

The sub-plot to that game, as if it needed one, would be the Erik Karlsson revenge game against Mike Sullivan.

Even though Karlsson has not really said anything directly about Sullivan, it is pretty clear the two did not see eye-to-eye on things. It is not hard to read between the lines on some of Karlsson’s comments this season (and even going back to the 2024-25 season when Sullivan was still in Pittsburgh) and see how much better he has played away from Sullivan to realize it was just a bad fit for everybody.

Will Karlsson get his revenge?

Will Crosby get his next gold by going through either his former coach (Sullivan) or current teammates (Karlsson or Rakell)?

Will the United States win its first Olympic gold medal since 1980?

The next week will be fun to watch no matter the results.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/analysis/...big-week-for-penguins-players-at-the-olympics

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Pens Points: Knockouts Begin

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 15: (EDITOR'S NOTE: Image was captured using a static remote camera behind the goal.) Players of Team Canada and Team France shake hands after the Men's Preliminary Group A match between Canada and France on day nine of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 15, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It’s do-or-die time in Milan as the Olympic Men’s ice hockey tournament enters the knockout stages of competition, beginning today with four games that will set the Quarterfinal round set to take place on Wednesday. Thus far, Canada, The United States, Slovakia, and Finland have booked places in the quarters based on their performances in the group play. That leaves the remaining eight sides to battle it out in a playoff round to sort out the other four quarterfinalists.

Play begins on Tuesday at 6:10 AM EST with Germany v. France and Switzerland v. Italy. Then it’s Czechia v. Denmark at 10:40 AM EST before Sweden v. Latvia wraps up the day at 3:40 PM EST.

Pens Points…​

Three of the Penguins Olympic representatives will be in action on Tuesday, all looking to keep their medal hopes alive and advance to the quarterfinals. Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell hope to keep Sweden in contention and set up a showdown with the United States while going up against Arturs Silovs and Latvia. [Pensburgh]

The last time we saw the Pittsburgh Penguins in action, Avery Hayes was making his NHL debut and scoring two big goals in a game against the Buffalo Sabres. Hayes was sent back to the AHL for the Olympic break, but his stay back in the minors may only be temporary. [Pensburgh]

Ville Koivunen has spent time between the AHL and NHL this season as his development continues to progress. Right now he’s in Wilkes-Barre and tearing up the league with 13 points in his last nine games as he helps the Baby Penguins battle for a playoff bye in the standings. [The Hockey News]

In a classic Kyle Dubas move, the Penguins bought (relatively) low on former first round draft pick Egor Chinakhov who was looking for a change of scenery away from Columbus. Since coming to PIttsburgh, Chinakhov has looked every bit of a former first round selection. [The Hockey News]

Another potential Dubas reclamation project came in the form of defenseman Ilya Solovyov, acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in January. After being scratched his first three games after the trade, Solovyov has worked his way into the lineup and is hoping his spot becomes permanent. [Trib Live]

If the Penguins are going to be making move at the trade deadline, it seems the most likely assests they are willing to part with are draft picks, just not their 2026 first round pick unless they are blown away. Given their position in the standings, it seems unlikely any players are on the block. [The Athletic $$]

NHL News and Notes…​

Brandon Bussi has been a breakout star for the Carolina Hurricanes this season and they aren’t letting him get away. On Monday, the Hurricanes and Bussi agreed to a three-year contract extension that will keep the former waiver wire pickup in Raleigh long term. [Sportsnet]

Jeff Skinner will be looking for a new home once the NHL resumes play next week. Skinner and the San Jose Sharks have agreed to part ways as the forward was placed on waivers for the purpose of having his contract terminated, making him a free agent. [The Hockey News]

Not that there was much doubt coming into the Olympics, but the United States and Canada will face-off for gold in the women’s tournament after both sides won their respective semifinal contests on Monday. The gold medal game is scheduled for Thursday at 1:10 PM EST. [Yahoo!]

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/news/72984/pens-points-knockouts-begin

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

How much will Avery Hayes push into the lineup down the stretch?

BUFFALO, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 5: Avery Hayes #85 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates with teammates after scoring his first career goal during the first period of an NHL against the Buffalo Sabres game at KeyBank Center on February 5, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joe Hrycych/Getty Images) | Getty Images

There’s a famous story in sports about how in 1925 the first baseman for the New York Yankees, Wally Pipp, showed up to the ballpark with a headache.

Miller Huggins, the Yankees’ manager, noticed this, and said “Wally, take the day off. We’ll try that kid Gehrig at first today and get you back in there tomorrow.” Gehrig played well and became the Yankees’ new starting first baseman. This story first appeared in a 1939 New York World-Telegram on Gehrig’s career, in which Pipp was interviewed. Pipp was later quoted to have said, “I took the two most expensive aspirin in history.”

For the non-baseball fans (or young) out there, Lou Gehrig would go onto play in a then-record 2,130 straight games. And thus, getting “Wally Pipp’d” became a point for the last hundred plus years in sports about a replacement stepping in and never looking back.

Avery Hayes might not go down in history to the same degree as the legendary ‘The Iron Horse”, though after Hayes’s two-goal NHL debut it’s worth thinking about the situation for where he might go from here for the rest of the season. That debut was partially brought on, ironically enough, in a fourth line right wing spot because the typical holder in the lineup of that position, Noel Acciari, was sick for a game. It won’t cost Acciari his spot forever, though it has opened up a door that will be worth further exploring this season.

Hayes was sent back to the AHL for the Olympic break, he still looks on a high, recording a hat trick in his first game back. Last night Hayes picked up an assist and dropped former Penguin Zach Aston-Reese in a fight with a mean short left.

AVERY HAYES pic.twitter.com/CwXlA65bo4

— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) February 15, 2026

You can bet Penguin management has to be intrigued. The question now becomes just how much they’ll be looking to do to get Hayes a chance to get back into the NHL lineup. It’s a legitimate question since the current forward group figures to leave the break with full health with the normal fourth line featuring Acciari, Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte playing with an abundance of chemistry and success together.

Josh Yohe wrote a good line in The Athletic today, saying: “the second you think pieces of your fourth line are unmovable, you’ve got yourself a problem”. That would apply to moving in or out of the lineup, or even status on the team itself.

One area working in the Pens’ favor is the 23-player roster maximum disappears after the NHL trade deadline. Teams just have to be mindful to stay under the salary cap (no problem at all there for Pittsburgh) and the limitation of four post-deadline call-ups (which is also no problem since emergency recalls if a team needs them due to injury as also allowed), all of which should definitely open up the possibility to get Hayes and his good pal Rutger McGroarty back with the NHL squad after the March 6th deadline. From there it won’t be too difficult to rotate out a player like Acciari or Dewar at times to get some younger blood in the lineup.

That could also be an audition for next season. Both of Acciari and Dewar are impending free agents this summer. Hayes and McGroarty are waiting in the wings as natural, younger replacements for next season, if the management team decides to go in that direction.

Another alternative could be to consider moving one of Dewar or Acciari in a trade. The wisdom of doing that when the team is clicking and remove a piece of their success is questionable at best. Trade value on both players won’t be high either, likely making the reward not worth the potential risk of damage it could do to this team’s morale and unity. Had this season unfolded like the previous few in Pittsburgh, it would be easy to trade veterans as their contracts near expiry (including Lizotte, who has already re-signed) and move onto younger players. This Pens team is fourth in the Eastern Conference with a .625% points percentage, they’ve earned keeping their group together a while longer.

The good news for the Penguins is that it’s a good problem to have right now where they have about 14 forwards that, all things considered, they’d probably like to have dressing for an NHL game on any given night. The problem pops up in that only 12 can actually dress. That offers them a lot of options on what to do next in the course of managing the excess of players they have available now at their disposal, building in some comfort to hedge against future injuries.

One of those angles will certainly be how much they decide to work Hayes back in for NHL opportunities down the stretch. The Pens are starring down a very difficult upcoming March that sees 17 games in 31 days against many of the best teams in the league. They have a real grind coming up, the post-March 6th ability to have fresh bodies like Hayes and McGroarty on hand could be a real blessing to keep players fresh and inject the lineup with new options as they go along.

Based on that timeline a transition wouldn’t be as immediate or impactful as a Hall of Famer like Gehrig entering the picture and never leaving it, but as Wally Pipp knew all too well opening the door to a new option can lead to changes that end up lasting longer than just a single game. Hayes is making a strong case to be in the NHL picture down the stretch in some form, the answer to just how much opportunity he’ll get will be one of the more intriguing little storylines for the Penguins in the final sprint of their 2025-26 season.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/analysis/...y-hayes-push-into-the-lineup-down-the-stretch

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Wilkes Weekly: A winless week

It was an uncharacteristic week for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins coming out of the AHL All-Star break. The Pens phoned in a 5-0 loss to Syracuse on Saturday before battling back to force OT before falling to Cleveland on Sunday. From Nick Hart at WBSPenguins:

Saturday, Feb. 14 – PENGUINS 0 vs. Syracuse 5
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton saw its five-game win streak stalled by being shut-out for the second time this season. On both occasions, the culprit was the Syracuse Crunch, who held the Penguins to a season-low 16 shots on goal in Saturday’s loss out of the All-Star break.

Sunday, Feb. 15 – PENGUINS 3 vs. Cleveland 4 (OT)
The Penguins fought tooth and nail against the Monsters in a back-and-forth bout, but Cleveland captain Brendan Gaunce put his team over the top in OT. Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen both scored in the first period, while Emil Pieniniemi potted his first AHL goal early in the third.

It was a tough week for many, Sergei Murashov gave up five goals on 29 shots on Saturday in a game where no one else on his team had much juice. The next night, Joel Blomqvist got pulled after allowing a few weak goals in the middle of the second period. Superior goaltending has been the great equalizer and a hallmark for WBS this season, it was a notable blip in performance there (though Murashov came in cold to make 13 saves on 14 shots and help the team battle back against Cleveland). Matt Dumba might have had it the worst of all, losing several teeth after taking a puck to the mouth on Sunday.

On the positive side, it was nice to see the names that NHL Pittsburgh is going to want to see play well from the Sunday game at least, where McGroarty and Koivunen scored goals. Avery Hayes added an assist and a fight in another standout week. 20-year old prospect Emil Pieniniemi notched his first career AHL goal as his season gets in gear after a delayed start due to his standoff over the Pens’ plan for him.

As usual, nothing has changed overall in the standings – the Penguins remain locked into second place in points and points% in the division-focused AHL outlook. The chances of catching first-place Providence have become even more slim after the P-Bruins won both of their games over the last week to push their current winning streak up to an impressive 12. On the plus side, there hasn’t been any pressure from beneath WBS, since third-place Charlotte lost both of their recent games in regulation it meant that WBS’s 0-1-1 week added one point to that cushion. Thus, as it probably will remain for a long time (if not the rest of the 72-game season already), WBS remains solidly in second place of their division – an important spot to be in to earn a bye for the first round of the playoffs.

The Pens will look to get back on track with three games this week – they visit Springfield (down in the standings but riding a two-game winning streak) tonight before returning home for the start of a weekend home-and-home with Bridgeport beginning on Saturday and carrying over for a rematch on Sunday. The Saturday game at 6pm eastern will be streaming free online for anyone jonesing for some good old AHL hockey action.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/wbs-weekly/72979/wilkes-weekly-a-winless-week

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Sidney Crosby injured in Canada’s Olympic game, inconclusive updates follow

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 18: Sidney Crosby #87 of Team Canada returns to the bench in the second period during the Men's Quarterfinals Playoff match between Canada and Czechia on day 12 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 18, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Troubling news out of Milan, where Sidney Crosby suffered an apparent leg injury in Team Canada’s quarterfinal game in the 2026 Olympics against Czechia that has knocked him out of the game.

Crosby took a heavy hit in the second period from Czech defender Radko Gudas and had his legs buckle under him. Seconds later, Gudas and forward Martin Necas crashed into Crosby along the boards. Crosby would slowly skate to the bench right after that, favoring his right leg. After staying on the bench doubled over and receiving assistance from a trainer, Crosby slowly walked back to the lockerroom.

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

Crosby has been out since that point and didn’t return in the second period, while his teammates and countrymen have struggled with the pesky Czechs. Canada fell behind 2-1 in the game, their first time even losing during a best-on-best Olympic game since 2010 before finding a tying goal with the game tied after two periods.

This will be a developing story, we’ll update if Crosby is able to return for the third period or when any news comes out about his status or condition.

Update: Crosby will not be returning to the game, per Elliotte Friedman. He is not on the bench with his teammates for the third period.

Crosby will not return to this game

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 18, 2026

More updates: Canada coach Jon Cooper talked with the media but didn’t provide much specific information about Crosby’s status or condition moving forward after the 4-3 OT victory.

Jon Cooper said part of the message was – don’t let this be Sidney Crosby’s last game at the Olympics.

Cooper said he doesn’t have an update yet on Crosby’s status moving forward into semifinal.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 18, 2026

Cooper said Crosby will be evaluated and Crosby just felt he wasn’t in position to help the team the rest of the night. Says they didn’t want to lose this game and this be Crosby’s last game of these Olympics

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) February 18, 2026

Canada plays again in the semifinals on Friday.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/news/73036/sidney-crosby-injured-in-canadas-olympic-game

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Pens Points: Mayhem in Milan

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 18: Players of Team United States congratulate Connor Hellebuyck #37 after defeating Sweden 2-1 in overtime during the Men's Quarterfinals Playoff match between the United States and Sweden on day 12 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 18, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Four quarterfinal games were on the schedule for the men’s ice hockey tournament at the Winter Olympics on Wednesday and did they ever deliver the drama. Of the four contests, three went into overtime, all featuring late drama that saw one of the teams needing a late equalizer to keep their Olympic hopes alive. In the end, Slovakia, Finland, Canada, and the United States all survived and have guaranteed themselves a shot at a medal of some sort.

That being said, despite all the theatrics from Wednesday, there will be piece of news likely to dominate headlines and keep Canada fans and fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins holding their breath.

Pens Points…​

Canada may have survived a scare from the Czechs to advance, but all the talk will be about the status of Sidney Crosby who left the game in the second period with an lower-body injury and did not return. Crosby was injured after a hit from Czechia defender Radko Gudas. [Pensburgh]

No one imagined it when the season began, but the Stanley Cup playoffs are very much as possibility for the Penguins this season. While they sit in good position at the Olympic break, there is still work left to be done once everyone returns and the season resumes next week. [Pensburgh]

It was a tough Valentine’s weekend for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after they were shutout on Saturday by Syracuse to end a five-game winning streak then lost to Cleveland on Sunday where they were still able to secure a point by getting the game to overtime. [Pensburgh]

Forward Filip Hallander returned to practice with the Penguins this week for the first time since being diagnosed with a blood clot in December. Hallander is now on his way to Wilkes-Barre where he will take on a conditioning assignment as part of his return to hockey. [Trib Live]

Another face returning to practice since team activities were allowed to resume was defenseman Kris Letang. After missing the final four games before the Olympic break, Letang is back on the ice and looking healthy, with full plans to play next Thursday against New Jersey. [The Athletic $$]

NHL News and Notes…​

So far the surprise side in Milan after winning Group B, Slovakia kept rolling right into the semifinals and guaranteed themselves a chance at a medal by steamrolling Germany 6-2 in the first quarterfinal game on Wednesday. They will face the United States in the semifinals on Friday. [NHL]

For the first time in this Olympic tournament, Canada was given a scare as Czechia pushed them to the absolute brink before Nick Suzuki and Mitch Marner stepped up to save the day and push Canada into the semifinals where they will meet Finland on Friday. [NHL]

For over 50 minutes, Finland looked to be dead in the water against Switzerland before a frantic final minutes saw the Finns find two goals late to force overtime where they capped off the comeback when Artturi Lehkonen went bar down to push the defending gold medalists into the semifinals to meet Canada. [NHL]

Wrapping up the action on Wednesday was yet another overtime thriller that saw the United States clinging to a 1-0 lead late in the third period before Sweden forced overtime with a late tying goal where Quinn Hughes came to the American rescue and set up a semifinal date with Slovakia. [NHL]

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/news/73031/pens-points-mayhem-in-milan

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Canada head coach Jon Cooper not ruling Sidney Crosby out for rest of Olympics

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 18: Sidney Crosby #87 of Team Canada warm sup prior to the Men's Quarterfinals Playoff match between Canada and Czechia on day 12 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena on February 18, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images

In the second period of Canada’s quarterfinal win over Czechia on Wednesday, the focus of Pittsburgh Penguins fans shifted from the gold medal pursuits of Sidney Crosby to whether or not he suffered a serious injury. After taking a big hit from defenseman Radko Gudas that saw the captain’s leg bend in an awkward manner, Crosby gingerly left the ice and slowly limped back to the locker room. He did not return to the game. It immediately raised concern for both team Canada and the Penguins.

On Thursday, Canada head coach Jon Cooper offered something of an update on Crosby. Cooper said that he is not ruling Crosby out for the remainder of the tournament, and that he is doing everything in his power to play in both the semifinal against Finland and a potential gold medal game.

Cooper emphasized they are not putting anybody in harm’s way, but that if Crosby can play, he will play.

From The Athletic:

“Sid is by no means ruled out of the tournament,’’ Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper said Thursday. “We’ve got the best of the best looking at him. … We’re taking this day by day. And we’re not going to put anyone in harm’s way. But if he can play, he’s definitely going to. We’ll know more again in 24 hours.’’

Long-time Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe echoed a similar sentiment, and that even though he is hearing Crosby is “iffy” to play Friday and this weekend, he “very much desires to play.”

At this point we are all still guessing until there is something more official from either Team Canada or the Penguins.

Having said that, the fact he reportedly had imaging done on Wednesday, and we are more than 24 hours out from the play, and they are not yet ruling him out seems to indicate that whatever injury he is dealing with may not be catastrophic for the season.

That does not mean he will not miss time for the Penguins. Or for Canada the rest of this week.

It seems logical to conclude that he is going to miss something. It is just a matter of how much time, and how the Penguins can withstand that. Games? Weeks? More than a month?

While it would not be ideal, I am not sure a few weeks would severely damage their season or playoff chances.

They are in a good position in the standings with a little bit of a cushion. Evgeni Malkin is still playing at a high level. Ben Kindel seems to have broken through the mid-season rookie wall he hit, just had three weeks off, and is playing some of his best (and most productive) hockey of the season. There is still some capable center depth on the roster.

It is also worth pointing out that without Crosby on the ice during 5-on-5 play this season the Penguins still own a plus-11 goal differential (86-75) and a 53 percent expected goals share. Granted, that comes with Crosby still in the lineup, playing in the game, and opening different players up for different roles, but the fact the second, third and fourth line have still mostly outplayed their competition is a good indicator it is a very good team beyond the captain.

At this point we are just in a wait-and-see mode. We will know more on Friday, especially if Crosby ends up playing.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/analysis/...ruling-sidney-crosby-out-for-rest-of-olympics

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Crosby’s injury re-opens debate on NHL participation in Olympics

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 18: Sidney Crosby #87 of Canada is leaving to the locker room during the Men's Playoffs Quarterfinal match between Canada and Czechia on day twelve of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 18, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by RvS.Media/Robert Hradil/Getty Images) | Getty Images

You could almost feel the rush start building up as soon as Sidney Crosby limped off the ice yesterday. Other players like Kevin Fiala (out for the season with a broken leg), Josh Morrissey (currently injured to an unknown degree) and Brad Marchand (who missed two Olympic games but has since returned) have picked up injuries in these Olympics, but a player on the level of Crosby raises the discourse to new levels.

It harkens back to the 2014 Olympics, when then-New York Islander star John Tavares was lost for the season with a torn MCL suffered in Sochi.

First, the latest updates on Crosby have been inconclusive at best. Crosby has not been ruled out by Canadian coach Jon Cooper for Friday’s semifinal game yet, however he obviously has picked up some level of injury that has his immediate future in doubt. Even if Crosby can return for the games, his status for a stretch of 12 games in 21 days for the Penguins, which begins in just a week, has to be at least partially in doubt.

It probably won’t be as severe as “Mario Lemieux only playing one NHL game after the 2002 Olympics” but then again the situations were drastically different with Lemieux back then clearly trying to hold onto as much of his health as possible to participate in the Olympics and then be forced to address his health in the aftermath. (Lemieux would go onto play only 10 games the following season). That was less the fault of an Olympic injury and more a different priority in a different time with a much different health situation.

Going back to 2014 and the endless debate, former NYI general manager Garth Snow didn’t take the news well on losing his best player, as one would expect. Snow called NHL participation in the Olympics a “joke” and said:

“This is probably the biggest reason why NHL players shouldn’t be in the Olympics, it should just be amateurs,” Snow told Newsday. “And it could have happened to anyone; it just happened to be us that lost our best player.”

“A lot of people pay to see John play,” he said. “It wouldn’t matter if we were 10 points clear of a playoff spot or 10 points out. We lost our best player and he wasn’t even [injured while] playing for us.”

Snow asked rhetorically if the IIHF and IOC would reimburse the Islander season-ticket holders who were out a lot of money. Ticket prices have risen significantly in the last 12 years, the same thought holds water for those Penguin fans who have invested hundreds or thousands of dollars in the 10 home games Pittsburgh will play through the end of March. That total investment will reach eight-figures with no small amount of the decision linked to the opportunity to see Crosby play.

On the flip side, Penguin coaches and teammates surely understand and accept the risk involved.

“It’s the Olympics,” coach Dan Muse said after a Penguins practice yesterday. “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.”

Crosby’s teammate Bryan Rust encapsulated the overwhelming majority of player opinions by responding to the early news that Crosby got hurt and whether the risk justified the desire to still compete.

“You can get injured in practice, look at (Aleksander) Barkov, he (is missing) the year because he got injured in practice. (Kevin Hayes) got injured in practice. Things can happen all sorts of places. With the way these practices are now, with how intense they are, guys across the league, somebody might get injured.

“I don’t think guys in this league are too worried about that. The opportunity to represent your country at the highest level, the world stage, I think guys are more than willing to accept that risk.”

That rings true in a lot of senses. We can’t speak for injured players like Crosby, Fiala and Morrisey but it stands to reason all would get right back on the plane to Italy to represent their countries again, even knowing firsthand the price that could be attached in terms of pain that might entail.

The question becomes weighing player interest against what is best for the NHL season. Ancillary debates spawn from there about the impact of taking a three week pause and condensing a season into a reduced calendar is another element that impacts the league and the players who don’t get Olympic participation, held up against a notion about growing the appeal of the game (of which, results can be spotty for tangible impact of best-on-best drawing into increased NHL audience).

The debate draws down to competing opinions and viewpoints that will never align. Those with an NHL bent, be it for professional or monetary reasons, as Snow illustrated will justifiably be angry when the inevitable happens for star players getting hurt at the Olympics. Others, like the players themselves as Rust spoke to, are more than willing to risk it for the glory involved and opportunity to represent their country. There are decent enough reasons to be on either side of the fence, depending on where a perspective falls.

It’s a debate that will rage on for as long as the NHL and the Olympics both exist, neither of which are going away anytime soon. NHL players have been confirmed to compete in the 2030 Olympics, and the league is increasing their own involvement in staging best-on-best action in 2028. The questions about whether the cost is worth the benefit won’t change for people who run NHL teams compared to those that want to represent their countries, which will only lead to more instances of the topic coming back for further discussion as time goes on.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/news/73060/crosbys-injury-re-opens-debate-on-nhl-participation-in-olympics