how did sidney crosby get injured

Sidney Crosby’s latest injury happened during the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Canada’s quarterfinal game against Czechia, when he took a pair of heavy hits from defenseman Radko Gudas that caused his right leg to twist awkwardly.

How did Sidney Crosby get injured?

The key play

• The injury occurred on February 18, 2026, in Canada’s Olympic quarterfinal vs. Czechia in Milan.

• On one shift, Crosby absorbed two big checks from Czech defenseman Radko Gudas.

• On the first collision, his right leg bent/folded underneath him and spread awkwardly under the weight of the hit, a classic mechanism for a lower‑body or knee injury.

• Shortly after, he was sandwiched into the boards by Gudas (and another Czech player reported as Martin Necas), which ended his night.

• He left the game and did not return, and later could not play in the Olympic gold medal final, where Canada lost to the United States in overtime.

What kind of injury and how long is he out?

• The Pittsburgh Penguins announced it as a lower‑body injury and placed Crosby on injured reserve after he returned from Milan.

• Reports indicate he was looking for a knee brace and tried individual skates to see if he could play in the gold‑medal game, suggesting a significant knee/leg issue rather than a minor tweak.

• He is expected to miss at least four weeks for the Penguins.

Recent scare before this Olympics injury

• Earlier in February 2026, Crosby had another brief injury scare when he took a butt‑end of a stick to the midsection off a faceoff, left in visible pain, and went to the locker room before later returning.

• That incident did not keep him out long term, but it set the stage for concern around his durability leading into the Olympics.

Context: Crosby and injuries over his career

While the current buzz is about the Olympic lower‑body injury, Crosby has a long history of high‑profile injuries:

• Concussions and head hits, including the famous blindside from David Steckel in the 2011 Winter Classic and later contact that kept him out indefinitely.

• Previous lower‑body and upper‑body injuries, plus core and hernia issues listed across his career injury history.

These past issues are part of why this latest four‑week absence is such a big talking point among fans and forums right now.

“He endured two heavy hits on one shift… including one where his legs spread awkwardly under the weight of the hit,” is how one detailed report described the Olympic play.

TL;DR: Crosby got hurt at the 2026 Olympics when Radko Gudas hit him twice on one shift, with Crosby’s right leg folding awkwardly under him and then being driven into the boards, causing a lower‑body (likely knee/leg) injury that will keep him out at least a month.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.