Breaking: Crosby withdraws from tonight's All-Star Skills competition!

The one player absent tonight is making headlines. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins have just announced in a breaking news report that captain Sidney Crosby will not take part in tonight's Skills competitions for the All-Star weekend. The star player is reportedly ill. 

The team did however mention that Crosby is expected to play tomorrow in the actual All-Star Game. 

Crosby was supposed to take part in the Skills competitions, notably in the Accuracy shooting set. Eight players will compete in the Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting™, a timed event where a shooter is positioned 25 feet from the goal line and shoots pucks at five LED targets located in the net. we do not know who will replace Crosby in the event. 

Crosby was selected to play in the All-Star Game for the eighth time in his career when the league released rosters for the annual event earlier this month. Crosby has been selected for the All-Star Game seven times before in his career but has played in only three due to injuries. Crosby has contributed a goal and an assist in each of the last two All-Star Games, played in Tampa Bay and Los Angeles. He was the Metropolitan Division captain in 2017 in Los Angeles, when he was selected one of the NHL's 100 Greatest Players.

This time, it's an illness that's getting in the way. 

Let's hope the Pens captain feel better ahead of tomorrow's game.