Pittsburgh Review

Sidney Crosby is set to represent Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off after recovering from an upper-body injury that kept him out of the Pittsburgh Penguins' last two games. The Canadian team will face Sweden in their first match at Bell Centre in Montreal on Wednesday.

Crosby, who will captain Canada, expressed his enthusiasm by stating, "Happy to be here and excited to get going," following a full practice session on Monday. The 37-year-old center was involved in a collision with New Jersey Devils players Luke Hughes and Erik Haula during a recent game but returned to participate in the shootout.

Crosby did not play in the Penguins' subsequent games against the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers, marking his first absence since November 11, 2021. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan mentioned, "We're going to take each day as it comes," noting Crosby's improvement after practice sessions.

Crosby has been a crucial player for the Penguins this season, leading the team with 58 points in 55 games. Sullivan acknowledged Crosby's importance by saying, "He's the heartbeat of this team."

The Cole Harbour native has previously achieved significant success with Team Canada, including gold medals at various international tournaments such as the Olympics and World Championships.

NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen, deputy managing editor Adam Kimelman, and independent correspondent Wes Crosby contributed to this report.