Crosby skated on his own on Thursday, two days after getting tangled up during Pittsburgh's game against New Jersey.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner and the rest of the hockey world are holding their breath as Pittsburgh Penguins and Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby works through an injury before the 4 Nations Face-Off.
On Tuesday, the 37-year-old suffered an upper-body injury against the New Jersey Devils. He left the game briefly before returning and participating in the shootout for the Penguins.
Crosby skated on his own on Thursday at the team's practice facility in Pittsburgh. Although it initially appeared he could rejoin the team for practice, he went onto another pad as the Penguins' skate began.
"He skated on his own today. That was pre-planned," Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters on Thursday. "He's continuing to be evaluated. We'll have probably more information on his status tomorrow."
Marner has never played with Crosby at the international level with Canada. The two players, along with Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon and other NHLers, skated in Vail, Colorado in the summer.
Marner is in the midst of a career year with the Maple Leafs, scoring 70 points — 16 goals and 54 assists — in 52 games. Toronto's leading scorer is also in the final season of a six-year, $65.408 million contract he signed in 2019.
The 27-year-old forward has admitted several times this season that it would be special to play alongside Crosby and other big names with Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off which begins on Feb. 12.
But now, with Crosby's status for the tournament up in the air, players, including Marner, are detailing what the forward's withdrawal would mean for Canada, and the fans who are looking forward to best-on-best competition.
"Oh, it would suck. It would suck a lot. Really hoping he's okay," Marner said on Thursday in Seattle. "He's a big part of Canada every time they've been a part of something like this. He's kind of the staple of the head of everything."
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Crosby has 17 goals and 41 assists for 58 points in 55 games in his 20th season with the Penguins.
Canada's tournament starts on Wednesday in Montreal, meaning Crosby has five more days to prepare for game action. Given that the forward was on the ice Thursday, there's a positive hope that he'll be ready for their first game against Sweden.
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