Crosby nears return from concussion

Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby will be a game-time decision for the Penguins tonight. After winning his second Stanley Cup in June and first World Cup in September, Crosby appeared to be at the top of his game. Unfortunately, Sid the Kid was knocked out of the Pen’s lineup after suffering a concussion during a pre-season practice in early October. Given his history with concussions, this news caused quite a stir in the hockey world.

With the knowledge that now exists regarding concussions and head injuries, it is a necessity to allow your body to heal properly. This is something that many athletes have dealt with, especially those who play in contact sports. Leagues have also become proactive in ensuring the well-being of their athletes. Concussion protocol is used to evaluate the status of each individual and to determine the next steps that should be taken before an athlete returns to play.

The timing of Crosby’s most recent concussion could not have been worse. He was playing incredible hockey and was the clear-cut number one player in the world. As the recipient of both the Conne Smythe Trophy, as the NHL’s best player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and World Cup of Hockey's Most Valuable Player Award, many anticipated that Crosby would carry his recent success into this season and take the league by storm. The news of the injury came as a huge surprise and was an immediate disappointment. 

Crosby’s first notable concussion occurred on Jan. 1, 2011 in the NHL’s Winter Classic when he was blindsided by a hit to the head from Washington Capital’s forward David Steckel. While attempting to return to play just four days later, he was hurt yet again and would go on to miss the next eight months. At the time, he was leading the NHL with 66 points (32 goals, 34 assists) in just 41 games and was by far the best player in the league. Additional injuries in the next two seasons would cause the game’s best player to suit up for only 99 of a possible 212 games. This struck fear into the minds of hockey fans as well as uncertainty regarding Crosby’s future.

As someone who follows hockey very closely, I am hoping that this is the last of Sidney’s injuries. He is the face of the game and will go down as one of the greatest players to ever lace up the skates. Regardless of how well he plays against my favourite team (the Leafs), I still love him as an athlete and could not imagine what the league would be like without him. Players of his caliber do not come around often so we want to keep him around for as long as we can.