Pittsburgh Penguins and Team Canada captain at the 4 Nations Face-Off, Sidney Crosby, got hurt on Tuesday and did not practice on Wednesday.
With the best-on-best international tournament set to begin next Wednesday, concerns over Crosby’s availability will certainly swirl. The good news for Team Canada is Crosby returned to the game against the New Jersey Devils.
Sidney Crosby is “being evaluated for an upper-body injury.” He returned to the game on Tuesday after this collision, but missed practice on Wednesday pic.twitter.com/gB4pxt99aH
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 5, 2025
San Jose Sharks star rookie Macklin Celebrini could be a player for Team Canada to consider if Crosby is unable to play in the tournament. At just 18, Celebrini has 39 points (17 goals, 22 assists) in 43 games. He’s shown a 200-foot game that resembles Crosby’s. Not to mention, his 17 goals lead all NHL rookies.
David Gonzales-Imagn Images
While it might be unlikely that he gets picked as a replacement, especially for a player as important as Crosby, it certainly isn’t out of the question that he’s an option.
The Sharks rookie has four goals and six assists in the last ten games. Head coach Ryan Warsofsky is expanding the role of the 2024 No. 1 pick after Mikael Granlund was traded to the Dallas Stars.
If Celebrini is chosen as a replacement at the Four Nations, he will have a better chance of playing for Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele is likely the top choice to replace a forward for Team Canada. In 55 games, the center has 31 goals and 30 assists. His 31 goals are tied for most among Canadian forwards in the NHL this season with Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, who is already on the roster for Team Canada.
With his second goal of the night, Mark Scheifele has tied Ilya Kovalchuk for the all-time Jets/Thrashers franchise lead in goals (328).
He also has 31 goals on the season for the #NHLJets. What a season for him so far. @HockeyCanada you watching? pic.twitter.com/WQUk1ZUVja
— Connor Hrabchak (@ConnorHrabchak1) January 31, 2025
Other options for a possible replacement include Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki, Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston, and Chicago Blackhawks young star Connor Bedard.
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