Sidney Crosby makes the hardest decision of his life minutes before seminal vs. Finland

Earlier Friday morning, just hours before puck drop against Finland in the men’s Olympic semifinal, Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby took part in a closed ice session in Milan. It was an encouraging sight after he underwent imaging late Wednesday night to evaluate the lower-body injury suffered in Canada’s dramatic quarterfinal win over Czechia.

The injury occurred after Crosby was sandwiched along the boards between Radko Gudas and Martin Necas. His left leg buckled awkwardly beneath him, and after a tentative stride, he retreated to the bench. He did not return for overtime, though Canada managed to secure the win without its captain.

Heading into Friday, uncertainty loomed. Emily Kaplan reported that Crosby “would like to play, he’s trying to play,” but ultimately the decision would be his. Other insiders suggested he could potentially dress as a 13th forward in a limited capacity: an idea that felt at odds with Crosby’s team-first mentality if he wasn’t fully able to contribute.

Then, just minutes before puck drop, the final decision came.

Sidney Crosby will not play in the semifinal against Finland.

It’s undoubtedly one of the toughest calls of his career, sitting out with a trip to the Olympic gold-medal game on the line. Canada now faces Finland without Sid, leadership core shaken but far from broken. Connor McDavid will wear the ‘C’ today, with Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon serving as alternates, since IIHF rules dictate one player from every team must be designated as captain for the game, hence the replacement.

The question now shifts from whether Crosby would play to whether Canada can advance without him.