Sidney Crosby is traveling to Montreal and hopes to play for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off, sources confirmed to ESPN on Sunday.
Crosby, the Team Canada captain who missed Pittsburgh‘s last two games before the break with a left arm injury, is desperate to play in the tournament, sources told ESPN.
The 37-year-old has not competed for Canada since 2017.
The Penguins will leave the decision up to Crosby whether or not he participates, and he will take as much time as he can to decide if he’s ready, sources told ESPN.
Teams must submit finalized rosters by 5 p.m. ET Monday.
Crosby’s travel to Montreal was first reported by TSN.
He skated for three consecutive days before traveling to Montreal, trying to ramp himself back up while testing out the injury. Crosby was injured during Tuesday’s game against the New Jersey Devils, when he got tangled up with two New Jersey players. That caused him to leave the bench, although he came back and finished the game.
The injury affects the same left arm where Crosby has previously dealt with wrist issues, including undergoing wrist surgery in 2021.
Team Canada told Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele to be on standby as a possible injury replacement. Crosby intends to skate Monday, and there’s a chance his availability for the tournament will be on a game-by-game basis, sources told ESPN.
Crosby leads the Penguins with 58 points (17 goals and 41 assists) in 55 games this season.
Canada opens the tournament Wednesday against Sweden.
The United States plays Canada on Saturday, a matchup that is expected to draw a raucous crowd at the Bell Centre. Representing Canada is one of Crosby’s biggest passions, and the tournament will allow him to team up with Nathan MacKinnon, one of his best friends and an offseason training partner, as well as their fellow Nova Scotia native Brad Marchand.