Elliotte Friedman believes $17,400,000 superstar has "earned the right to play" at 4 Nations Face-Off amidst mysterious injury status

Olympics: Ice Hockey-Men
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman said this team Canada forward deserves the right to decide his participation in the 4 Nations Face-off (Image Source: Imagn)

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman believes Sidney Crosby should play in the 4 Nations Face-Off if he wants to. Crosby, 37, has been dealing with an upper-body injury. He was hurt during a collision in a game against the Devils on Tuesday. Though he returned to play, he has missed two straight practices. On Thursday, he skated alone at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.

On Friday's episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman said Crosby was not looking good as he was being protective toward his hand injury (1:55):

"He wants to play in the 4 Nations. The question is, is he going to be able to? I watched as much video as I could on Thursday morning, and you could tell he was being very protective of whatever is ailing him on that arm. He wasn't really pushing it. And we'll see how he looks."

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said Thursday's practice was "preplanned" and that Crosby is still being evaluated. The Penguins are also missing Evgeni Malkin, so Crosby's absence adds to their struggles.

Talking about Crosby, Friedman mentioned he has earned the right to decide if he wants to play in the 4 Nations Face-Off even if he misses NHL games.

"To me, I think Crosby has earned the right, and might be the only guy in the tournament who you could say has earned the right to play in this tournament, even if he misses games NHL games," Friedman said.
"I think if Sidney Crosby says he wants to play, even if he can't play the Penguins last two games before the break, he should be allowed to play, and nobody should be complaining about it. Nobody. It's his call, and he's earned the right to make it.

Crosby is set to captain Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off. He has played for Canada many times, winning two Olympic gold medals.

Despite his injury, he leads the Penguins with 58 points in 55 games this season. He signed a two-year, $17.4 million contract extension in September. His deal keeps him with Pittsburgh through the 2026-27 season.

Sidney Crosby was excited about 4 Nations Face-Off

Sidney Crosby was excited to represent Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-off. Speaking to the media on Jan. 31, after being announced as Canada's captain, Crosby said:

"I think, when you get on those teams, there's so many great leaders. I think, for me, just having the opportunity to play for Team Canada, be part of this group, it's been a long time.
"So, regardless of who's wearing the letters, I think (there are) a lot of great leaders. Just really happy to be able to play for Team Canada again."

Sidney Crosby is a decorated player, perhaps one of a few in the history of ice hockey. In addition to his two Olympic golds, he has three Stanley Cup wins and many other achievements to his name.

Friedman said Crosby might not want special treatment, but he still believes Crosby deserves this decision.

"Now I'll say this. I could see him mortified at this idea that he deserves any special treatment, but I'm saying it," Friedman said. "I don't care if he's able to play in the NHL right now or not, if he wants to play in this tournament, he should be able to do it."

If he chooses to play in the 4 Nations Face-Off, it will show his dedication to Team Canada. Whether the Penguins or the NHL agree remains to be seen.

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Edited by Rajdeep Barman
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