Sidney Crosby reveals why he did not play in the Gold Medal game.

Canadians across the country were devastated on Sunday when they learned that Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby would not be participating in the Gold Medal game, with Crosby forced to the sidelines due to an injury he suffered earlier in the tournament.

That sorrow was only further amplified when Team Canada failed to secure the Gold Medal, losing in overtime to Team USA by a score of 2-1.

Crosby admitted immediately following the loss that watching from the sidelines had been a difficult experience for him, but perhaps harder still was the decision that put him in that position to begin with. During a post game press conference, Crosby was asked about the difficult decision he made to not play and whether or not he had weighed the fact that this could be his last time at the Olympic Games. Crosby's response left no doubt that he made an incredible sacrifice for his country by choosing to sit out for the Gold Medal.

"It might of crossed my mind a little bit but ultimately I think it was about what's best for our group and what gave us the best chance to win and I think that becomes pretty clear at that point," said Crosby as per TSN. "If I'm not able to go I'm not gonna compromise our team or put myself ahead of that. It might of crossed my mind but ultimately that's not how you make your decision."

It might sound cliche but this is exactly the kind of selfless sacrifice that you would expect of Crosby given his track record so far throughout his hockey career, and it is exactly the reason so many in the hockey community hold him in such high regard.