The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that captain Sidney Crosby has been placed on the National Hockey League’s COVID Protocol List on Tuesday.
The superstar forward will miss Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers, but how many more games is up in the air.
According to the NHL, being placed on the COVID Related Absences List can be the result of a number of factors including, among others: an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed; mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals; required quarantine as a high-risk close contact; isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or quarantine for travel; or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol.
Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan in the team’s statement said that because Crosby is on the list doesn’t necessarily mean that he has COVID-19.
"As I said to our players, we can do all the right things and this kind of stuff could happen," Sullivan said. "But there's protocols put in place for a reason. We will do our very best to adhere to the protocols and control what we can to give ourselves the best chance to win."
The 33-year-old Crosby leads the Penguins with seven goals and 18 points and won’t be easy to replace in the lineup said Sullivan.
"He's not an easy guy to replace by any stretch, but we have been through this experience in the past and found ways to have success," Sullivan said. "It should provide opportunities for others to step up."
On Feb. 20, Crosby reached a NHL milestone, playing in his 1,000th regular-season game. He also recently passed Port Hood’s Al MacInnis as the Nova Scotian with the most career NHL points.
