Report: Sidney Crosby Hopes to Play for Canada in NHL 4 Nations Face-Off amid Injury

Julia StumbaughFebruary 9, 2025

Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Sidney Crosby, who has missed the Pittsburgh Penguins’ last two games with an apparent left arm injury, “hopes to play” for Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported the news. Kaplan described Crosby as “desperate to play in the tournament.”

TSN’s Darren Dreger wrote earlier Sunday that Crosby is traveling to Montreal to join Team Canada, and will skate Monday “as part of Canada’s ongoing evaluation.”

4 Nations Face-Off rosters must be finalized by 5 p.m. ET Monday, according to Dreger. Canada is set to open the tournament against Sweden on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.

Crosby was injured in a Tuesday night game against the New Jersey Devils when his arm was pinned awkwardly between two opponents.

After immediately leaving the ice following the collision, Crosby returned for the rest of the Devils game and skated in both the overtime period and shootout.

But he did not join the Penguins for either side of the team’s back-to-back set this weekend, sitting out both a Friday win over the New York Rangers and Saturday loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. It was his first time missing a Penguins game since the 2022 postseason.

After missing practice earlier this week, Crosby did participate in an optional skate ahead of Saturday’s game in Philadelphia:

Adam Kimelman @NHLAdamKSidney Crosby on the ice this morning at Flyers practice facility. pic.twitter.com/K8wHm5V4U5

Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, who has identified Crosby’s injury only as an “upper-body” issue, said Saturday when asked about the Penguins captain’s tournament status that the team would “take each day as it comes.”

“He skated for a long time this morning,” Sullivan said Saturday. “He felt significantly better today than he did yesterday, and that’s really encouraging.”

The Penguins, who are already missing Evgeni Malkin on a week-to-week basis, have had their depth strained by the absence of their two star centers. Crosby’s injury is also particularly concerning given his history of left wrist injuries.

But Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman the team plans to leave any injury management decisions up to their captain.

“They have said, ‘If you want to play in this, it’s your decision, and we will support it,'” Friedman said about the Penguins’ communication with Crosby.

Crosby, who helped Canada win Olympic gold in the 2010 Vancouver Games and 2014 Sochi Olympics, last represented his country in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He was named Team Canada’s captain for the 4 Nations Face-Off on Jan. 30.

If Crosby is unable to play this week, alternate captain Connor McDavid could get the nod to lead the team, while Mark Scheifele could fill in his roster spot. But Team Canada will hope to see their captain back on the ice in time for Crosby to wear the C during Wednesday’s tournament opener.