Sidney Crosby addresses returning to Penguins after month-long injury absence

The Pittsburgh Penguins have stayed afloat in the battle for a playoff race even though superstar captain Sidney Crosby hasn't played since he suffered a lower-body injury during the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics men's hockey tournament on Feb. 18. 

In total, Crosby missed 11 games following the Olympic break. He didn't want to make it an even dozen before returning to action. 

Sidney Crosby "excited" to no longer be watching Penguins play

Penguins head coach Dan Muse and Crosby both confirmed that the three-time Stanley Cup champion will be in the lineup when 34-18-15 Pittsburgh plays at the Carolina Hurricanes (42-19-6) on Wednesday evening. 

"Excited to get back in it," Crosby told reporters following the Penguins' morning skate. "Watching these guys, being on the [road] trip, obviously getting closer. It's been close. Just happy to finally be back in there." 

Without having Crosby available, the Penguins went 5-3-3 to begin Wednesday, sitting in the second playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division standings. Some previously suggested he could wait until Saturday's home game versus the Winnipeg Jets to return, but he insisted on Wednesday that he's good to go regarding both the injury and his overall fitness. 

Sidney Crosby has big goal in mind for return

Per ESPN stats, Crosby still leads the Pens with 59 points and 27 goals on the season despite his absences. On Wednesday, he praised his teammates for picking up the slack while he was out. 

"You just see on a nightly basis the way we compete, the way we work, just coming back in games, a lot of different things," Crosby said about watching games from the press box, per King Jemison of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "So just want to jump in there and contribute as best I can." 

What was supposed to be a rebuilding Penguins club was the top surprise team of the ongoing season when Crosby was playing, so it's understandable that some Pittsburgh fans feared the worst when the 38-year-old went down. Now that he's back, Crosby is focused on guiding the Penguins to a place few thought back in October they could reach. 

"You play to play in the playoffs and ultimately win," Crosby added during his comments. "So it’s competitive. You can see on a nightly basis, everyone’s pushing for a few spots. But that’s fun. As a hockey player, those are the games you want to be in."

Both the Penguins and New York Islanders ended Tuesday's NHL action on 83 points. The Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings entered Wednesday on 82 points, while the Columbus Blue Jackets were on 81 points.