Sidney Crosby remains confident in the Penguins’ playoff hopes as he lands on injured reserve

It was an important day for Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby on Wednesday.

His celebrated Little Penguins Learn to Play program for area youth was staged at UPMC Lemieux Complex.

Crosby has helmed this initiative since 2008 and routinely has spread the gospel of hockey to children who have been dazzled by his exploits on the ice.

But on Wednesday, Crosby was not on the ice. Wearing a track suit, Crosby watched from the bench as his teammates instructed attendees in drills.

Crosby will remain off the ice, at least in a game, for approximately a month.

Earlier in the day, the Penguins announced that their most indispensable player will be sidelined a minimum of four weeks because of a suspected right leg injury he suffered while skating for Canada during the Olympics last week.

Crosby, who was placed on injured reserve, declined to identify the specific nature of his ailment Wednesday but expressed optimism he should recover within the prescribed timeframe.

“It feels good,” Crosby said. “Obviously, I want to be back out there as soon as possible. Just have to figure out what that looks like, how long it’s going to be and find a way to make sure that I’m at my best when I come back.”

Crosby tried to come back in the tournament after he was injured during a quarterfinal-round game against Czechia on Feb. 18.

During that contest, he was hit by Czechia defenseman Radko Gudas. Crosby tried to duck the initial hit, only to have Gudas crash on top of him, with Crosby’s right leg pinned underneath him.

Crosby expressed no ill will toward Gudas over the mishap.

“I didn’t have a problem with the play,” Crosby said. “He was trying to be physical and step up. Play hard as any defenseman would. It went the wrong way as far as my end of it. I don’t think he should feel the need to reach out or anything like that. It’s hockey, and that stuff happens. Unfortunately, it’s one of those things.”

For the remainder of the tournament, Canada coach Jon Cooper suggested Crosby was a possibility to play in the semifinal round and Sunday’s gold-medal game, which Canada lost to the United States, 2-1, in overtime.

Crosby made the decision not to play in either contest but suggested the decision was far from automatic.

“Yeah, a lot closer than I thought,” Crosby said. “A day or two after, I didn’t think it was necessarily going to be an option. So, the fact that I even had a chance, or was close to it, (Canada’s medical) staff there was unbelievable. (Penguins physician Dr. Dharmesh Vyas) here was really helpful, too, in trying to go through that whole process.

“But, unfortunately, it wasn’t something I could do.”

Crosby admitted his immediate focus in the moment was on Canada’s fortunes and not his obligations to the Penguins.

“I’ll be honest with you: All I cared about was playing that game and focusing on that,” Crosby said. “That’s not any disrespect to our team or what I feel about this season or anything like that. We all put a lot of work in to try to be as successful as possible here.

“But given the opportunity to play in the Olympics and in that game, I think trying to play was all my focus was on. Obviously, with talking to doctors and everybody, they were comfortable with me just being honest as far as what I felt and what I could do and couldn’t do. Like I said, ultimately, it came down to not being able to do it.”

Crosby wasn’t the only NHLer to leave Milan injured. Los Angeles Kings forward Kevin Fiala will miss the remainder of the season after his left leg suffered multiple fractures while skating for Switzerland.

Additionally, Stars forwards Radek Faksa (Czechia) and Mikko Rantanen (Finland) were placed on injured reserve with undisclosed ailments they suffered during the tournament. Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (Sweden) was hobbled with an unspecified malady as well.

Czechia defenseman Radko Gudas hits Canada forward Sidney Crosby during quarterfinal round game at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Olympics in Milan on Feb. 18. (AFP)

Like the Penguins, those teams are playoff contenders, and they potentially will have to pursue that endeavor missing the services of some of their most talented (and compensated) players.

Is that risk worth whatever benefits the NHL enjoys from participating in the Olympics?

“It’s the Olympics, and it’s an amazing experience,” Crosby said. “Just as an athlete, not just a hockey player. If you want to look at it just from the hockey perspective, it’s incredible, the product on the ice. The way that fans see the games and just how competitive it is and how it brings everyone together, I think it’s pretty amazing.

“Obviously, injuries are part of the game. They come with that, especially at that level, with the speed and the intensity and the physicality of the games. It’s great that guys have the opportunity to go and showcase and have that opportunity.”

With Crosby sidelined, Rickard Rakell now has the opportunity — or is burdened with the glorious purpose — of replacing Crosby as a center on one of the team’s top two lines.

Rakell, who played center extensively earlier in his career as a member of the Anaheim Ducks, is typically deployed as left wing of the Penguins’ top line with Crosby at center.

“Just going to try to play my game,” Rakell said. “You can’t replace our No. 1 center who is missing right now. I’m just going to try to step up my game, elevate my game, do anything I can to help keep us winning hockey games.”

The Penguins have won quite a few games this season because of the presence of Crosby. Entering the tournament, he had the team’s longest consecutive games played streak with 81.

Injuries to significant players are nothing new to the Penguins this season. All-Stars Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson have missed time because of their health.

Crosby professed assurance that his teammates can maintain a trajectory that has them pointed to the postseason during his convalescence.

“I’m confident,” Crosby said. “We’ve shown all year we’ve had injuries and guys have stepped up. To get to where we are at this point, it’s because of our team play. I don’t think it’s been because of any one person. It’s because collectively as a group, we’ve found different ways to win and different guys have stepped up.

“As long as we continue that and understand that, then I think we give ourselves a good chance. But it’s going to be an important stretch here the next little bit. A lot of teams are trying to get points and in similar positions. Just really confident as far as that is concerned.”

With the Olympics behind him, Crosby’s primary concern is getting healthy and returning to the NHL’s postseason for the first time since 2022.

“That’s why we play,” Crosby said. “Obviously, the Olympics is a great opportunity and experience. But you shift your focus to … playing in the playoffs. It’s so special and so fun to be in those big games and play for that. That’s where my mind is at.”