The Pittsburgh Penguins are still waiting for their captain, Sidney Crosby, to return from the injury he suffered during the 2026 Olympics, and a new update from his international teammate has provided more insight into the situation.
Now, Mitch Marner has shed light on the severity of Crosby’s injury while the Penguins continue to monitor his recovery.
Update on Sidney Crosby’s Injury
Crosby was injured on Feb. 18, 2026, while representing Canada’s men’s national ice hockey team in the Olympic quarterfinal against Czechia. The incident occurred during a collision with Czech defenseman Radko Gudas that caused Crosby’s right leg to buckle awkwardly.
The injury forced Crosby to miss Canada’s semifinal win over Finland’s men’s national ice hockey team. And the gold medal game against the United States men’s national ice hockey team, which ended in a 2–1 OT loss for Canada. Although Crosby was reportedly close to playing in the final, it was decided he needed more recovery time to avoid further damage.
The Penguins later placed Crosby on injured reserve with a minimum recovery window of four weeks. Encouragingly, the veteran center has returned to the ice and began skating with teammates earlier this week.
Before the Vegas Golden Knights defeated Pittsburgh 6-2Â in Las Vegas on Thursday, Marner provided new details about Crosby’s injury.
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According to Marner, Crosby suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain during the Olympics. The injury is a partial ligament tear in the knee and can lead to instability and significant discomfort.
“It was really unfortunate for our team… He skated the day after and the next day, and he looked like he had nothing wrong with him,” Marner said. “Which is incredibly impressive with how bad that injury is and how it makes people feel and skate.”
The Penguins have not announced an official return date for Crosby, but early projections suggest he could be back around March 21 when Pittsburgh hosts the Winnipeg Jets. Head coach Dan Muse said decisions about Crosby joining the team on the current road trip will be made on a game-by-game basis.
For now, Pittsburgh is trying to manage without its captain. The Penguins have won three of their eight games since the Olympic break, though they still sit second in the Metropolitan Division.
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Meanwhile, Mitch Marner had a strong performance for Vegas on Thursday, recording a goal and an assist in the Golden Knights’ win.
The Penguins will look to bounce back when they face the Utah Mammoth on Saturday as they continue to wait for their captain’s return.
