Canada rocked by massive Sidney Crosby injury blow before USA hockey gold medal Winter Olympics’ showdown

Sidney Crosby will not play for Canada in the men’s gold medal hockey game against the US at the Winter Olympics on Sunday, four days after suffering an apparent right knee injury.

Crosby’s status was revealed just over an hour before puck drop when the lineups came out. He skated in a closed-to-reporters practice Saturday, according to coach Jon Cooper and other players.

Cooper made the decision on Saturday night with Crosby and informed the rest of the players on the night before the game. 

The 38-year-old center left the quarterfinal game against Czechia with the injury and he missed Canada’s semifinal game against Finland.

Being without the two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time Stanley Cup champion is a huge loss for Canada in a hugely anticipated showdown with the also-unbeaten Americans. 

‘It’s one of the biggest games in hockey history,’ USA’s Matthew Tkachuk said in the moments before the game.

It was a significant blow for Canada before one of the biggest hockey games in history 

Connor McDavid will again wear the captain’s ‘C’ in Crosby’s absence. McDavid leads all Olympic players with 13 points over five games. 

Despite the magnitude of the game, Cooper insisted in the buildup that emotion would not cloud his judgement when it came to Crosby being involved.’ 

‘No, no, it’s too important,’ Cooper explained on Saturday. ‘We don’t want to have somebody in there as an inspiration when we could have a player that could be capable of helping. 

‘You never know if guys are going to get hurt in the game. He wouldn’t want to do that, either.’

According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, the team did everything to try and get Crosby to play and at one stage on Saturday, there was cautious optimism that he would make the game. 

Crosby was the architect behind one of Canada’s greatest Olympic moments when he scored the overtime goal against the U.S. to secure gold on home ice at Vancouver 2010.

Regarded as a national hero in Canada, ‘Sid the Kid’ also led his country to the top of the podium in 2014.

Meanwhile, the United States team is at full strength for the game. There had been some degree of concern for winger Tage Thompson – tied for the team lead in goals with three – as he left the semifinal against Slovakia after blocking a shot.

Canada fans were still fired up for the game despite the bad news before it started

Canadian hockey icon Wayne Gretzky watches on as the teams warm up in Italy 

There were more Canada fans in the arena in Milan compared to USA supporters in what was a fiery atmosphere when the game finally began.

Speaking before the game, Wayne Gretzky told NBC: ‘You got the best players in the world and the best two teams going against each other right now.

‘I’m really excited now because there is pressure on this US hockey team and that is a good thing – it means the sport is growing in the United States.’