Penguins’ Sidney Crosby to miss Friday’s game against Rangers

When speaking to the media, Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan announced that center Sidney Crosby will not be in the lineup when the team takes on the New York Rangers on Friday night.

Crosby was on the ice for morning skate on Friday. Sullivan stated that the longtime captain is “taking it one day at a time.”

This will be the first time Crosby will miss a game since Game 6 of the opening round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when the Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia native received a controversial hit from then-Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba.

Crosby had been evaluated for an upper-body injury after what happened to him on Tuesday night. Early in the third period against the New Jersey Devils, Crosby received an awkward hit from opposing players Luke Hughes and Erik Haula. The 37-year-old was laboring as he skated off the ice, favoring his left side. He left the game for a few minutes but would return to the action later.

Pittsburgh ended up losing the game 3-2 in a shootout, marking the team’s fourth defeat in the past six games.

It isn’t known if Crosby will be available for the second game of Pittsburgh’s back-to-back as they visit the rival Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night. That is the final game for the team before the league breaks for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

With Crosby’s health in question, concerns arise about his availability for the upcoming in-season tournament. He is slated to captain Canada when things get underway in Montreal next week.

On top of being one of the most skilled athletes to ever play the game, Crosby’s durability has made him even more legendary. In seven of his 19 years in the NHL, the former Rimouski Oceanic star has played at least 80 games (with three seasons being shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a lockout). He’s played the entire 82-game scheduled in each of the past two years.

So far, in 2024-25, the three-time Stanley Cup champion leads the Penguins with 41 assists and 58 points through 55 games. He was on a five-game point streak, which has seen Crosby posted four goals and seven points over that span.

The Penguins (22-24-9) are seventh in the Metropolitan Division, eight points back of the last Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.