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The Pittsburgh Penguins are off to a strong start to the 2025-2026 season. The team is unexpectedly competitive in the Metropolitan Division, and it’s providing early optimism that they could return to the postseason after a three-season absence.
For Penguins captain and superstar Sidney Crosby, this season represents perhaps a final chance. Both in the NHL, as the Pens try to maintain their status in the Eastern Conference, and on the international stage. Crosby will lead his home country of Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, taking place in Italy, in what could be his final Olympic appearance.
He hasn’t made it known how much longer he will play, but the 38-year-old Crosby is cherishing the opportunity in front of him. In a recent interview with RG, Crosby shared how their NHL’s absence from previous winter games made him wonder if he would ever get the chance to represent his country again.
“Just having the chance to do it again,” he said. “With the couple (Olympics) that we missed, I didn’t know if we were going to go back or if it was going to take time. Those ones that felt like they were going to happen and they didn’t, almost at the last minute, so I tried not to get my hopes up too much.”
Crosby has had an incredible run with Team Canada over his playing career. Spanning a gold medal at the World Junior Championships, to multiple gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympic Games, to leading Canada to the win at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, Crosby has accomplished everything and then some at the international level.
Still, the future Hall of Famer is motivated, maybe more than ever, to lead Canada to another gold medal. Canada is coming off a surprising upset in the 2025 IIHF World Championships, losing in the quarterfinals to Denmark. Crosby was the captain of that team, also.
It was a shocking loss, and Canada is looking to exact some revenge when the 2026 Winter Olympics commence. The Crosby-led Canadians are the betting favorite heading into the tournament, but contenders like the United States, Sweden, Czechia and even Finland (the 2022 gold medalist) have a shot to knock Canada off their perch.
That all begins with the leadership of Sidney Crosby in what will likely be his final appearance for Team Canada at the Winter Olympics.
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Jacob is a featured writer covering the Pittsburgh Steelers for Steelers On SI and the NHL for Breakaway On SI. He also co-hosts the All Steelers Talk podcast. Previous work covering the NHL for Inside the Penguins and The Hockey News.
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