Sidney Crosby to miss the start of training camp
A year ago, Sidney Crosby declared himself ready for training camp, finally healthy after injury marred seasons the previous two years with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The NHL team opened training camp Thursday as news spread about the injury bug biting the Penguins captain again.
The good news, according to first-year Pittsburgh head coach Mike Johnston, is Crosby’s latest ailment is unrelated to a right wrist injury that hindered him late last season and into the playoffs.
Johnston described the injury as minor.
Still, any injury to Crosby, last season’s NHL scoring champion with 104 points, is enough to make the Penguins faithful, and any hockey fan, cringe.
At 27, the Cole Harbour, N.S., native has a lengthy and serious injury history. It includes:
- Broken jaw, March 2013
- Right wrist injury, 2013-14 season
- Soft-tissue injury in his neck, February 2012
- Recurrence of concussion-like symptoms, December 2011
- Concussion, January 2011
- High ankle sprain, January 2008
In nine NHL seasons, Crosby has yet to play a full 82-game regular season, twice reaching 81 contests. He played 80 games last season and 79 during the 2006-07 campaign.
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Losing Sid the Kid to another long-term injury would be devastating to a Penguins outfit trying to rebound after blowing a 3-1 series lead in Round 2 to the eventual Stanley Cup finalist New York Rangers in last year's playoffs.
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During the regular season, Pittsburgh won the Metropolitan Division with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 51-24-7.
In other Penguins injury news, centre Evgeni Malkin will also be held out of the start of training camp as a precaution with a minor injury.
Like Crosby, the Russian sniper has had his share of injuries over the years. He played 60 games last season, 31 in the 48-game lockout-shortened campaign in 2013 and 43 contests in 2010-11.
