Sidney Crosby's Concussion Saga: Comprehensive Coverage

Sidney Crosby notched an assist on Chris Kunitz's third period goal and Kris Letang put in 19:06 worth of work as the Pittsburgh Penguins won their 10th straight game — this one a huge victory over the New York Rangers. The 5-2 win moves Pittsburgh within four points -- with one game in hand, too -- of the Rangers for first place in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference.

Crosby and Letang were big parts of the win, but it was a full team effort for Pittsburgh. Matt Cooke scored two goals and Evgeni Malkin notched a goal and an assist in carrying the Pens to victory. Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves and turned the calendar on a full month without a loss. His last defeat came on Feb. 15.

Here's a look at Crosby's helper, via NHL.com:

The Penguins are back in action Saturday against the New Jersey Devils. New York hosts the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday evening.

For more on the Pens, check in with SB Nation Pittsburgh and Pensburgh. For more on the Rangers, check in with Blueshirt Banter and SB Nation New York.

As was the case with Sidney Crosby's first return from a concussion, which took place back on Nov. 21, 2011, against the New York Islanders, the game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers is being picked up for national television coverage in both the United States and Canada. NBC Sports Network and TSN2 are carrying the game, but because of the short notice that they received, they won't be doing normal broadcasts.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media has the details.

NBC will not be airing any pre- or post-game coverage of the Rangers/Pittsburgh showdown at Madison Square Garden Thursday night. As of now, it appears TSN2 will not either, beyond the typical hockey coverage SportsCenter does. Though I believe both will provide their own intermission reports. At 7 p.m. ET, both networks will pick up coverage from the ROOT Sports Pittsburgh broadcast, featuring Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey.

The NBC Sports Network broadcast (7 p.m. ET) will be blacked out in both Pittsburgh and New York City.

For more on the Pens, head over to Pittsburgh Penguins blog Pensburgh and SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more on the Blueshirts, check out New York Rangers blog Blueshirt Banter and SB Nation New York.

There are a lot of really cool things about America. Democracy, apple pie, footbaw and the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament are all really cool, but none of them are as cool as prop bets. Prop bets, if you didn't know, are actually scientifically proven to be three times more American than apple pie and baseball combined.

Sidney Crosby returns to the ice for the Pittsburgh Penguins against the New York Rangers tomorrow, and Bovada has four prop bets related to his comeback. They are:

Will Sidney Crosby score a goal March 15th vs. the New York Rangers?
How Many Minutes will Sidney Crosby play March 15th vs. the New York Rangers?
Will Sidney Crosby record a point March 15th vs. the New York Rangers?
How many games will Sidney Crosby play in the 2011-2012 Regular Season?

I'm digging the over 14 1/2 minutes bet for Crosby. The Penguins wouldn't put him on the ice if he wasn't 100 percent healthy, and the Pens absolutely need a win to keep their hopes alive for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Crosby has averaged more than 21 minutes per game in his NHL career and played nearly 16 minutes in his season debut against the New York Islanders back on Nov. 21, 2011.

For more on Sidney Crosby's concussion recovery, stick with our StoryStream. For more on the Penguins, check in with SB Nation Pittsburgh and Pens blog Pensburgh.

Sidney Crosby will make yet another return from concussion on Thursday night when the Pittsburgh Penguins visit their division rival New York Rangers. The team announced the news Tuesday morning. It'll be the second time this season the NHL's golden boy has returned to action following concussion problems, and the hope is that it'll be his last triumphant return to action.

After failing to play for 10 months due to his injury, Crosby played his first game of 2011-12 back on Nov. 21 against the New York Islanders. He scored four points in the process, but after a hit in a game vs. Boston on Dec. 5, Crosby was pulled from the lineup yet again. He's been making a slow recovery since and hopefully won't suffer another setback this time around.

With Crosby back in the lineup, the Penguins have to be considered the favorites in the Eastern Conference. They've been red-hot of late as winners of nine straight games, and inserting the best player in the world back into the lineup should do nothing to hurt that. It's perfect timing, too, as the Rangers sit just four points up on Pittsburgh for the top spot in both the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference.

For more on Sidney Crosby's concussion recovery, stick with our StoryStream. For more on the Penguins, check in with SB Nation Pittsburgh and Pens blog Pensburgh.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has been cleared for contact and could return to the lineup soon. The NHL's star player made the announcement following practice in Pittsburgh on Tuesday afternoon, according to NHL.com, although he reiterated that there's no timetable for his potential return to the lineup.

"I was cleared to do contact," Crosby said. "We'll see how that goes. There is no real timetable, but it's a good step. Hopefully, I can keep the momentum and get out there soon.

"I've been through this before. Contact is the big step. It's nice to be symptom free, but it's not as fulfilling until you get out there. I just want to make sure that I take the right steps here and get back out there soon."

Crosby certainly has been through this before. He made a triumphant return to the Penguins lineup back in October, but played only a handful of games before returning to the sidelines with concussion symptoms. Doctors seemed puzzled as to what ailed Crosby, and there were serious concerns about his status for several months.

There still are concerns, of course. After his brief return to action earlier in the season, those concerns will still exist even after he returns to the Penguins lineup -- whether that's next week, in the first round of the playoffs or next season. But in this case, the news is good. The best player in the world has been cleared for contact once again. Let's just hope there's not another setback.

For more on Sidney Crosby's concussion problems, stick with our StoryStream. For more on the Penguins, check in with SB Nation Pittsburgh and Pens blog Pensburgh.

The Pittsburgh Penguins released a statement Tuesday regarding Sidney Crosby's recently- diagnosed neck injury and added some specifics.

An independent specialist contacted to review recent medical tests taken on Sidney Crosby found no evidence of a past or present neck fracture but verified that Crosby is suffering from a soft-tissue injury of the neck, that could be causing neurological symptoms.

Dr. Alexander Vaccaro is a spinal trauma expert at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and co-director of the Spinal Cord Center at Thomas Jefferson University. He is past president of the American Spinal Injury Association.

The statement also explains that Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, Penguins owner Mario Lemieux and Penguins CEO David Morehouse were in Philadelphia Monday to review the diagnosis made by Dr. Robert S. Bray.

They added that Vaccaro, Bray and UPMC doctors all agree that Crosby's injury is treatable and that he will return to action when he is symptom-free, though no timetable was added.

For more news, analysis, and discussion on the Penguins, visit Pensburgh.

In addition to a concussion, Sidney Crosby did suffer a neck injury, the Pittsburgh Penguins confirmed on Saturday. Earlier in the day, reports surfaced indicating a second doctor had found Crosby suffered C1 and C2 vertebrae damage, possibly fractures, a diagnosis the Penguins confirmed had been made shortly thereafter.

Here's the statement in full:

The diagnosis of Dr. Robert S. Bray, a neurological spine specialist based in Los Angeles, is that Sidney Crosby had suffered a neck injury in addition to a concussion. Dr. Bray reports that the neck injury is fully healed. Those findings will be evaluated by independent specialists over the next few days. The most important goal all along has been Sidney's return to full health, and we are encouraged that progress continues to be made.

The statement is worded carefully and it's unclear what was known and when. According to the earlier reports, Crosby was upset with the Pittsburgh doctors and only learned of the neck injury after recently visiting a specialist. He was set to have a third doctor check his neck to confirm the findings, as well, and it appears from the Penguins statement that Crosby will be evaluated by doctors with no connection to the team.

It's also important to note that the doctor who evaluated Crosby believes his injury is fully healed. This bodes well for the Penguins' star's future and could mean he, and the team, dodged a bullet.

While the NHL is in the middle of its showcase All-Star Weekend, startling injury developments regarding the face of the league surfaced on Saturday evening. Bob McCown and Elliotte Friedman reported that Pittsburgh Penguins' center Sidney Crosby has an injury to his C1 and C2 verterbrae. The diagnosis was made by Dr. Robert Bray, a neurological spine specialist in California who had not previously been involved with Crosby's treatment and rehab.

The CBC's Friedman spoke with Crosby's agent, Pat Brisson, who confirmed the injury and added that a third opinion is being sought.

Via @FriedgeHNIC:

"Sid did suffer a concussion, but last week, the possibility of two fractured vertebrae (C1 and C2) was discovered. A third doctor is being consulted to determine the exact diagnosis."

McCown added that Crosby should be healed in time for the playoffs, and added that the Penguins franchise center was unhappy with the Pittsburgh doctors who apparently missed the injury:

Drs expect Crosby to heal and be ready for playoffs. Unclear if he even suffered 2nd concussion. Sid said to be very unhappy with Pit docs.

— Bob McCown (@FadooBobcat) January 28, 2012

For more news, analysis, and discussion on the Penguins, visit Pensburgh.

Sidney Crosby spoke with the media after skating Friday in Sunrise, Fla., and while the elephant in the room was a morning report that suggested the Pittsburgh Penguins locker room was coming unglued in the wake of Crosby's prolonged absence, the main focus of his discussion with reporters was still his health.

On that front, Crosby is still experiencing symptoms, although he's been allowed to exert lightly, which is why he was able to skate at BankAtlantic Center on Friday. In his own words, via George Richards of the Miami Herald:

The highlights:

- Crosby still has symptoms. "Symptoms are a lot better, but I wouldn't say symptom free. I'm allowed to lightly exert. That's positive. When you're sitting around for a bit, it's nice that symptoms have been better. It's nice to get that step on the ice. We'll see how it goes."

- Is this worse than last year? "This is a tough injury. It's not clear-cut all the time. I think I know a lot more know about what I'm feeling and how to improve it, and I think being familiar actually probably helps a bit. At the same time, it's tough to be out and come back."

He has not been cleared to play. He has not been cleared for contact. He's just sick of riding the bike and skating around with his teammates isn't going to make it any worse, so that's essentially what he's doing.

For more on the team, check in with Penguins blog Pensburgh. For more on the injury to Sidney Crosby and his ongoing recovery, keep tabs with our StoryStream.

The news that Sidney Crosby has begun skating and that he's travelling with his Pittsburgh Penguins teammates on road games is obviously good news for all hockey fans, but does it mean that a return to the lineup is imminent? No, according to Penguins general manager Ray Shero, who clarified a few things to the media on Thursday.

"I'm happy he's joining the team on the trip," Shero said. "Sid is a hockey player and he wants to play hockey. He wanted to join our team because we're in a tough stretch. He badly wants to play and be out there. But he's not cleared to play. We want to be very careful. Once he's cleared to play, he'll be the most excited guy on the ice."

The clarification from Shero shouldn't really be necessary, but there are some around Pittsburgh who have questioned Crosby's desire to be around his teammates and on the ice.

Columnist Dean Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wrote about those concerns Friday morning. They're wide-ranging, from fans questioning his desire to remain in Pittsburgh to teammates apparently discussing a temporary captaincy. It's all a little silly, considering the topic of debate is the best hockey player in the world, and the point Kovacevic tries to make is that the speculation is unfounded.

But again, when it's the best player in the world and he's not on the ice, this is the sort of thing that happens, for better or worse. In the meantime, Crosby will continue to to move along in his recovery, and he won't be back on the ice until he's medically cleared to play.

For more on the team, check in with Penguins blog Pensburgh. For more on the injury to Sidney Crosby and his ongoing recovery, keep tabs with our StoryStream.

There is still no timetable for the return of Sidney Crosby to competitive hockey, but there is some good news coming out about his recovery from a concussion -- or "symptoms," considering it's never been announced that he's suffered a second concussion.

Pittsburgh Penguins Head Coach Dan Bylsma revealed on Wednesday that Crosby will travel with the team on an upcoming road trip and that he plans to skate. He will be skating on his own and is still not participating in contact practice.

Said Bylsma, about the trip and Crosby's rehab:

"Tonight, Sidney Crosby will be joining us on the road trip. He will be skating during this trip. He also will at some point in time address the media as well. No set plan, but this will happen in the next few days. (Crosby) has been working out with light exercises in the weight room and on the bike. We'll be glad to see him on the ice."

Crosby missed the second half of last season and the beginning of this season with a serious concussion. He returned on Nov. 21 and played eight games before he took another blow to the head, putting him right back on injured reserve with another concussion.

For more on Crosby, check in with Pittsburgh Penguins blog Pensburgh.

Sidney Crosby's long road back to the ice for the Pittsburgh Penguins from a concussion sustained in the 2010-11 NHL season just keeps getting longer. Crosby's return to play for the Penguins in the 2011-12 season was made fleeting by a hit taken against the Boston Bruins earlier this December, and Crosby is still suffering from concussion-like symptoms, according to Penguins coach Dan Bylsma.

The Penguins have no timetable for Crosby's return, and the center, who has missed eight straight games with this condition, has not spoken to the media since December 12. He is taking part in light workouts, much like he did last season while dealing with the aftermath of his concussion. Crosby played in just 41 games in 2010-11.

Crosby has appeared in eight games for the Penguins this season, and has recorded 12 points in those games, including multiple points in five of them. His first game back, a two-goal, two-assist performance against the New York Islanders in November, was his best outing of 2011-12.

For more on the Penguins, head to Pensburgh.

Sidney Crosby missed about 10 months with a concussion. His recovery was a slow, arduous process that dragged out so long out of the need for caution. Simply put, the Pittsburgh Penguins and doctors were extremely careful with Crosby, not allowing him to return to the ice before returning to 100 percent health.

By doing this, the team was hoping he'd lack the susceptibility to future concussions that many similar patients carry through the remainder of their careers. Well, we don't know if Crosby's return to the sidelines is related to his prior concussion or not, but we do know that he's been having similar symptoms, and now, he's been placed on the injured reserve yet again.

The Penguins announced the news late Saturday on their website and via Twitter.

Crosby has been placed on the IR retroactively, which likely dates back to at least Tuesday, December 6, the day after he suffered this most recent injury in a game against the Boston Bruins. Injured reserve players must stay on the sidelines for seven days, meaning Crosby would be eligible to come off at any point now. But the fact that he's been placed on there at all means he's obviously not ready to return in the imminent future. 

For more on the news, check in with Penguins blog Pensburgh. 

Sidney Crosby was set to miss just two games after suffering a setback in his concussion recovery last week, but it appears as though he's out indefinitely, although officially listed as questionable. He missed practice on Monday morning and told the media that symptoms have returned.

Via PensInsideScoop on Twitter, here's Crosby speaking with the media in Pittsburgh:

I'm not feeling bad. Just have to be careful and make sure I'm 100 percent before I return. No timeframe. You have to listen to your body. Passing ImPACT was encouraging but it's not everything. Have had some symptoms. Been doing light exertion. It's the same recovery routine again but hopefully not as long.

Hopefully. Hopefully not as long. Ugh.

It's hard to tell if this is just bad luck or what, as it seemed Crosby was 100 percent when he returned to the Penguins lineup less than two weeks ago. Any criticism that the Penguins rushed their star back into the lineup seems silly, given the fact that they were extra cautious with him throughout the entire recovery process. 

For more on Crosby's injury, subscribe to updates from this StoryStream. 

Sidney Crosby will miss the next two games for the Pittsburgh Penguins as a precautionary measure following a heavy hit in his team's game Monday evening vs. the Boston Bruins. In the third period of that game, Crosby collided with teammate Chris Kunitz and limped off the ice, eventually coming back before the end of the game. 

He's not in bad shape and it doesn't appear to be a serious setback in his concussion recovery, but they're playing things safe here. Via a team press release, here's general manager Ray Shero on Crosby's injury setback:

"Sidney took a hard hit during our game against Boston Monday night and wasn't feeling 100 percent," Penguins General Manager Ray Shero said. "He saw Dr. Micky Collins of UPMC today and took an ImPACT test, which showed no problems. However, we all think it's best that he sits out the next two games as a precaution."    

He didn't travel with the team to Philadelphia on Wednesday as they prepare for Thursday's game against the rival Flyers. If he sticks to the timetable detailed by Shero, he'll also miss Saturday's game at the New York Islanders and will be ready to return to the lineup when the Pens host the Red Wings on Tuesday evening.

For more on Crosby and the Pens, check in with SB Nation Pittsburgh and Penguins blog Pensburgh. For up-to-date updates on No. 87's status, stick with this StoryStream.

As everyone probably knows by now, Sidney Crosby made his return to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night, making his first appearance since suffering a concussion last spring. After months of setbacks and recurring headaches that he couldn't get rid of, Crosby finally got completely healthy and was able to take the ice against the New York Islanders. His debut went as well as anyone could have possibly imagined, as he scored twice and recorded two assists for a four-point debut. Here's video of Crosby talking about his return with reporters.

Crosby's been skating in full-contact practice for some time now, so it was just a matter of when the Penguins thought he was ready for full game speed, not if he would return soon. Not to disrespect the New York Islanders organization or fans, but this game probably did not just coincidentally fall on the day Dan Bylsma and Ray Shero thought Crosby was ready to go. A home game against a struggling opponent was always going to be the best game for Crosby to return in. 

Crosby's second game should be a bit more of a challenge, as the St. Louis Blues come to Pittsburgh on Wednesday. The Pens are about to face a tough road trip after that game and another home match against the Ottawa Senators. In three consecutive games that will all be televised nationally, the Penguins play on the road against the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Washington Capitals.

For more on the return of Sidney Crosby from the fans who care about him most, check in with Penguins blog Pensburgh.

Everybody wondered how Sidney Crosby would look in his first game back from his concussion. Would he be the same player? Would he look sluggish? Would he be Sidney Crosby?

Well, just a few minutes into the first period, he certainly looks like he same Sid The Kid that we all know. On just his third shift of the game, Crosby streaked in on goal, shook a defender, then went backhand and top shelf over Anders Nilsson for the first goal of the game.

It's also (obviously) Crosby's first goal of the season, and it came on Pittsburgh's first shot of the game. Love him or hate him, he's just an incredible spectacle to watch. Hollywood really couldn't have written his return much better than it's gone so far tonight. Of course, there are still about 55 minutes of hockey remaining. 

For more on the return of Sidney Crosby from the fans who care about him most, check in with Penguins blog Pensburgh.

Sidney Crosby will be back on the ice in game action on Monday night when the Pittsburgh Penguins take on the New York Islanders, and in advance of his first game since early January, the superstar spoke with a throng of media. Okay, maybe throng is too small a word. 

Sid talked about his return, and how it's been a while since he's played a game. He's not sure how he'll play in his first game back. 

It's still a process of getting back and used to things. I mean, it's not going to get any easier. It's going to be an adjustment but I think that opportunity is something that I've waited a long time for. Just really excited and just really looking forward to getting going and into that routine.

I have no idea what to expect as far as how I'll feel and things like that. I'm sure that's just something that, as the game goes on, I'm sure I'll get a better feel for that. I've been working hard over the last couple of months but it's been a long time since I've played a game. I don't really know what to expect but I'll try to give myself every chance to be ready and play the best I possibly can given the layoff here.

For more on Crosby's return, check in with SB Nation Pittsburgh and Penguins blog Pensburgh, where they're all downright giddy over the game Monday. 

Sidney Crosby will make his long-awaited return to the ice on Monday when the Pittsburgh Penguins host the New York Islanders, NHL.com announced on Sunday. Crosby has not played since Jan. 5 because of concussions but has been practicing with the Penguins for quite some time. The Penguins said Crosby will speak with the media on Monday after practice.

At the time of the injury, Crosby was having a particularly strong season and was leading the league in points. He had 32 goals and 34 assists through 41 games. The Penguins would eventually finish in fourth in the Eastern Conference, but lose in the first round of the playoffs to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the seven-game series. This season, the Penguins are once again sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference through 20 games.

For more insight and analysis into Crosby's return, be sure to check out Penguins blog Pensburgh.

See that last Sidney Crosby update? We can basically just copy and paste it and throw it here, just changing around the dates a little bit. The Pittsburgh Penguins announced Wednesday that Crosby's status still remains unchanged, and that he won't be in the lineup for Thursday's game at Tampa Bay.

He's been practicing on a top line and is traveling with the team on their two-game road trip in Florida, but his status is still unchanged and he still remains on injured reserve. The Pens have said they'll alert media at least one day before Crosby is set to return to the lineup, and they can wait until 5 p.m. ET on any game day before they have to make the official move and take him off IR.

We're unaware of the chances of Crosby playing on Saturday against the Panthers, but it's status quo for now. The Penguins will let us know when something changes, and until then, we'll keep letting you know that nothing is changing. 

Sidney Crosby may, in fact, be getting closer to a return from a months-long absence due to a concussion, but as of Monday his status is unchanged, according to Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma. In recent weeks, speculation has ramped up that Crosby was getting closer to playing, and the Penguins have started releasing nearly daily updates in regards to his status. But there remains no word on when he'll return.

Crosby has been out Jan. 5, 2011, when he suffered what was deemed a serious concussion. On Monday, he was practicing on a line with Evgeni Malkin and James Neal, but he was not made available for interviews. Crosby has been participating in practice for several weeks and has been cleared for full contact.

After Tuesday's game, the Penguins will go on a two-game road trip to Florida in which they'll play the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers. The team says they will announce his return with at least one day's notice.

For more insight into Crosby's situation, be sure to check out Penguins blog Pensburgh. 

Sidney Crosby will not be in the lineup for the Pittsburgh Penguins this upcoming weekend, head coach Dan Bylsma announced after practice on Thursday morning. He'll miss Friday night's game in Pittsburgh against the Dallas Stars, as well as Saturday's game on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes. 

The Penguins star has been recovering from a concussion for months now and is slowly nearing a return, and the warranted speculation over the last few days surrounded what could have been a Friday night return. 

But alas, it will not be. The soonest possible return now is Tuesday evening against the Colorado Avalanche at CONSOL Energy Center, but there's no word on Crosby's status for that game. He continues to progress in his recovery.

The news here, really, is that the team finds the need to update his status game-by-game. If he was still far from returning, there would be no need to say "hey, he's not playing." The simple fact that Bylsma made that announcement goes to show just how close Crosby is to returning to action. 

Sidney Crosby may finally be ready to return to the ice in a real live NHL game. One month after returning to full-contact practice with the Penguins, Crosby said Monday that there is a possibility he could suit up against the against the Dallas Stars on Friday. Of course, he hardly made a guarantee.

 "That's a possibility," Crosby said of the Stars game. "Just like however many games left there are (also are a possibility). ... Everyone else's guesses are as good as mine."

The fact that Crosby is acknowledging that a return could come sooner than later is encouraging, at least more so than a week ago when he ruled himself out entirely for the Pens' trip out west. Still, the star admitted that he hasn't thought about a particular return date, and that he is still day-to-day after meeting with team doctors. 

This isn't the huge news that fans have been waiting for, but at least it seems as if Crosby's recovery is moving in a generally positive direction. 

For more on Crosby and the Pens, check out SB Nation Pittsburgh and SB Nation's Pittsburgh Penguins blog PensBurgh.

The Sidney Crosby injury hiatus is nearing an end, but just don't expect a return to the ice immediately. The Penguins star said Monday he will not play on Pittsburgh's west coast road trip this week.

There is no date scheduled for his return, but Crosby said he has not felt any lingering effects of the concussion in full-contact practice, which he resumed on Oct. 13. Crosby has not played since suffering a concussion on Jan. 5.

Crosby offered an update on his status on Monday. Quotes via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

"It's not just an automatic thing to go through hitting. It's a big step, and I just want to make sure I get through that well. That's the most important thing, however long it takes. I just want to make sure it goes well, and I'm giving myself the best chance to make sure I can handle it. 

"Sometimes you're fighting for pucks, you're battling (in) corners and you get hit sometimes when you don't expect it, you're trying to handle the puck and you don't look for someone — all that stuff is much different than being prepared (for) a one-on-one-battle."

This week, the Penguins have tough dates against a pair of Western Conference contenders, the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings.

For more on Crosby and the Pens, check out SB Nation Pittsburgh and SB Nation's Pittsburgh Penguins blog PensBurgh.

Sidney Crosby is still some distance away from competitive action even if his recovery goes perfectly, but the Pittsburgh Penguins captain took a huge step towards returning to game action on Thursday. The Penguins have confirmed that Crosby has been cleared for contact in practice, which ESPN.com NHL reporter Pierre LeBrun passed along via Twitter. Thursday's practice will be the first time since January that Crosby has seen contact on the ice.

The Penguins have been responsible about not rushing Crosby back to action too soon, but even the most patient of Penguins fans probably aren't going to stop themselves about thinking about his imminent return upon hearing this news. Though no timetable has been set by the Penguins, Crosby could return to game action in a couple of weeks if he does not suffer any recurring symptoms from his January concussion.

For more on Crosby and the Pens, check out SB Nation Pittsburgh and SB Nation's Pittsburgh Penguins blog PensBurgh.

There were indications and reports out there that Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby was meeting with doctors Tuesday to determine if he was ready to return to action following the effects of multiple concussions.

According to Crosby, that meeting did not happen.

"I don't know who said I had an appointment today but I don't," Crosby said. "It's the same as usual -- I feel good. It went good today and I'm excited to be home."

Penguins general manager Ray Shero had said on Monday that he anticipated Crosby would visit his concussion specialist Tuesday, but that was apparently wishful thinking.

Crosby did participate in a morning skate without contact as he's been doing. He did accidentally collide with assistant coach Tony Granato but there were no repercussions.

Crosby usually meets with a specialist to review his process once a week. That meeting may still happen at some point this week and could be impetus for his imminent return.

For the latest updates on Crosby's return, follow this StoryStream. For more on the Penguins, be sure to check out Pensburgh.

Good news, Sidney Crosby fans (and fantasy hockey players who took a chance on Sid the Kid). According to a report from SiriusXM radio, the Pittsburgh Penguins star could be cleared for contact very soon, thus paving the way for his return to the lineup.

Via the Twitter feed of SiriusXM radio producer Josh Rimer:

I've been told that Sidney Crosby will meet with Doctors in the next day or so and the HOPE is he will be cleared for contact, however..... He will not b playing right away. Next phase will b 2 test the contact 4 the next 1-3 weeks in practise b4 he plays.

Crosby traveled with his team on their season-opening West Coast road trip and he's been skating with them without contact (although Matt Cooke did reportedly give him a bump during practice last week, which is hilarious).

He's yet to make it to the contact stage thus far in his recovery from a January concussion that's kept him out of live action ever since. He suffered a setback in April after being cleared for non-contact practice as he attempted to ramp up his workouts in hopes of returning for the playoffs.

If this report is true Monday, we'll still have to see how he responds to that contact before thinking about when he could actually return to game action. But being cleared for contact is the next step in recovery, and the news that that could be coming soon is definitely exciting. 

Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby, who is still recovering from the effects of a concussion suffered in January, has been placed on injured reserve by the team.

The 24-year-old stated on Saturday that he didn't expect to play when the Penguins begin their 2011-12 season on Thursday at Vancouver. That was confirmed when he was officially sent to IR on Monday -- which means the franchise icon will be out of action for at least seven days.

However, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported over the weekend that the Pens' captain is still likely to travel with the club during their season-opening three-game western Canadian road trip, which also includes dates in Calgary and Edmonton. He has also been skating with the team during practice.

Pittsburgh returns on October 11 for its home opener against the Florida Panthers.

For the latest updates on Crosby's return, follow this StoryStream. For more on the Penguins, be sure to check out Pensburgh.

Sidney Crosby has been cleared to practice, but only without contact. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain will also not participate in scrimmages. Crosby has been out since January when he suffered blows to the head in consecutive games and experienced post-concussion symptoms afterward.

"I’m cleared to practice without contact. That’s good news for me. I’m excited to get going," said Crosby, who continues to recover from a concussion suffered in early January. "Whatever symptoms I’ve had have been pretty minimal. To be able to get cleared to do this is good."

The return to practice is a significant step for Crosby, even if he's not allowed to participate fully. As coach Dan Bylsma pointed out, Crosby should basically be at the same speed as his teammates once he is cleared to fully practice.

Crosby was enjoying a Hart-trophy contending season when he went out. Through 41 games, he had scored 32 goals and had 34 assists. His 66 points still managed to lead the team.

For the latest updates on Crosby's return, follow this StoryStream. For more on the Penguins, be sure to check out Pensburgh.

Sidney Crosby met with the media on Wednesday for the first time in months, addressing the ongoing concussion problems that have plagued him since January. There's still no timetable for his return, and the doctors that have handled his case stressed repeatedly that they'll take their time in "reconditioning" Crosby for a return to the game. 

They did, however, express their extreme confidence in his eventual return at 100 percent health. 

Dr. Michael Collins said that Crosby has seen "significant improvements" of his symptoms lately. He called Crosby's concussion one of the vestibular system in the brain, the part of the brain that takes in sensory information. The doctor explained that with a vestibular system injury, the brain gets "foggy" when there's a lot of motion -- as there is when one is playing hockey. 

Collins also said that Crosby is a "Ferrari" when it comes to his vestibular system, and that it's that system that makes him such an elite player. In other words, his sensory perception is incredible and above and beyond that of most other people, but this concussion has affected that. When asked if the doctors feel he'll be able to regain the full health of that system, they expressed even more confidence. But they also stressed that it hasn't happened yet.

Dr. Ted Carrick explained that Crosby's brain injury gave him issues with stability and understanding where his body was in relation to space, but that after treatment, they've been able to correct those issues and that Crosby is progressing. It was pretty in-depth stuff the doctor discussed, but essentially, it seems as though they've almost reconstructed the way his brain processes such information. 

All parties stressed that Crosby will not make a return to the ice until he's at 100 percent, even when it's hard to gauge exactly when he's 100 percent because his 100 percent is so superior to that of a normal patient. He was at about 89 percent, according to doctors, when symptoms returned during his recovery and he was forced to take a step back in that recovery.

In essence, there's really no news on this Wednesday. Crosby isn't retiring -- or even thinking about it, he says -- just as he isn't making a triumphant return to the ice right away. As expected, the Penguins, the doctors and Crosby himself are taking their time in assuring that they get to 100 percent before an eventual return. We don't know when that's going to happen. 

For more on the Penguins, check in with SB Nation's Pensburgh.

Sidney Crosby is taking it slowly in his recovery from a concussion. He hasn't played an NHL game since January and there's apparently no immediate end in sight to that recovery, despite reports over the course of the summer that said he had begun his full, usual workout regimen.

His silence over the course of the offseason has only fueled the rumor mill, so with that in mind, the Penguins, Crosby and his agent, Pat Brisson, released a statement on the team website Wednesday night. The news isn't exactly what Pens fans (and hockey fans, for that matter) were hoping to hear.

When [Crosby] got to 90 percent exertion in his workouts, however, he started having some headaches again. At that point, his doctors and trainers altered his workouts accordingly.

He recently has visited specialists in Michigan and Georgia.

"We've had him see leading specialists because we want to make sure he gets the best care possible," Brisson said. "The Penguins always encourage their players to get second and third medical opinions and have been very supportive of this. And we've been talking to Ray Shero every step of the way."

The Penguins open training camp on Sept. 16 and play their first regular-season game on Oct. 6, but Brisson said Crosby's return won't be dictated by dates or games. He will play whenever he is ready - whatever that date may be.

Concussion specialists in multiple states, more headaches, "he'll play when he's ready." It's not what anybody wanted to hear, of course, but the good news is that the Penguins and the NHL aren't forcing him to play hockey before he's ready. He's clearly not ready now, and we don't know when he will be ready. 

But at least he won't play before then.

For more on the Pens, visit SB Nation's Pensburgh.

Sidney Crosby is training as if he will start the Penguins' season opener on Oct. 6. His status is still up in the air, however, with rumors flying that lingering symptoms from the concussion he suffered in January will hold him back. Pens' general manager Ray Shero wouldn't comment either way on Crosby's status, emphasizing only that the star center has "been going very hard."

"There are no dates," Shero said. "When he is cleared to play, he is cleared to play. ... We are thinking bigger picture here. I've always told Sid, you will never be pressured to play or pressured to practice."

Crosby has refused to talk to news media this summer as he trains nears his offseason home in Nova Scotia. He is expected to show up in Pittsburgh a week before camp opens in September, at which time there should be more concrete news on his status.

For more on the Penguins, head over to the SB Nation blog PensBurgh.

While Pittsburgh Penguins fans will need to wait until October to see Sidney Crosby play in an actual NHL game again, the star player is back on the ice again after suffering concussion symptoms for the latter half of the season. Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that the Penguins and Crosby's agent have confirmed the center's return to on-ice workouts, which he would usually begin around this time normally.

This comes just several weeks after doctors had given Crosby the OK to return to the ice. He had attempted a comeback in April during the playoffs, but headaches prevented him from doing so. However, Rossi reports:

Crosby's confidants believes [sic] those headaches were the result of a sinus infection and not a recurrence of concussion symptoms.

The original concussion came as a result of two hits at the start of January. After Jan. 5, Crosby did not play in another game. With the return of Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to the ice this fall, the Penguins will surely be considered a top team in the Eastern Conference

For more on the Penguins, check out Pensburgh and SB Nation Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby, who missed the last several months of the Pens’ 2010-2011 season, “probably is already ready to go,” says head coach Dan Bylsma, and he’s currently working out in the way he typically does during the summer.

“The doctors here cleared him to go home and work out as he normally would be working out,” Bylsma said. "He’s been working out two times a day and progressing along his normal road of normal summer activity.

“He’s got another 2½ months ahead of him doing that.”

This is, obviously, fantastic news for the Penguins. The Pens played reasonably well without Crosby and Evgeni Malkin (who appears to have mostly recovered from his ACL and MCL surgery, and who should also be ready for the start of the 2011-2012 season) as the 2010-2011 regular season came to a close. But the team hit a wall in the playoffs and were eliminated in the first round by the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Pens might well have been a Stanley Cup contender if not for the injuries. Penguins fans have been on tenterhooks all spring about Crosby’s return and whether he’d be ready for the beginning of next season. Now, it appears he will be.

For more on the Penguins, check out Pensburgh and SB Nation Pittsburgh.

Sidney Crosby has been cleared by a Pittsburgh concussion specialist to begin his off-ice summer workout routine, but as he normally does in the offseason, he won't start those workouts until late July or early August. 

It's good news for the NHL's poster boy, just a little over a month after suffering a setback in recovery from the concussion that's kept him out of Penguins games since January. Crosby was pushing himself in late April to return from his injury for the postseason, and it's possible, though unconfirmed, that the extra demand on his body led to the setback.

We've said over and over again that the only way to treat a concussion is rest, rest and more rest. Crosby has seen plenty of that. According to Penguins general manager Ray Shero, Crosby spent the last three weeks on vacation, and seems to be ready to rest some more before beginning those workouts. 

But now, Crosby is back in regular summer workout mode. Hopefully, that means a return for training camp. The Pittsburgh Penguins are a different team without him. 

It's been five months since he's played a game of hockey, and still, Sidney Crosby has not been able to resume working out since suffering a set back in his concussion recovery in April. That news comes via a new report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Crosby's agent, Pat Brisson, said by email today that Crosby "hasn't been cleared yet by the medical staff."

Crosby was diagnosed with a concussion Jan. 6 and did not play the balance of the season or in the playoffs, when the Penguins fell to Tampa Bay in the first round.

Crosby began skating again in mid-March, and he joined his teammates for pre-game, morning skates at the end of March. During the postseason, however, we learned that Crosby had suffered a setback while taking part in those morning skates, even though he hadn't yet been cleared for contact.

He hasn't skated since, and now it's been about a month since he's done so. No progress. We wait. The Penguins wait. The NHL waits. Crosby waits.

We always hear about injuries at the end of a playoff round once teams are eliminated, but typically, those injuries are to guys who were playing with broken bones and sprains and that sort of thing. But for the Pittsburgh Penguins, their most shocking injury update is to a player who hasn't played a game since January. He just so happens to be the NHL's biggest star, too.

Sidney Crosby announced on Friday, his team's locker clean-out day at CONSOL Energy Center, that he recently suffered a setback in his recovery from a concussion that caused him to stop taking no-contact morning skates with the team. 

Via the Penguins website, here's what Crosby had to say to reporters:

I started to get some symptoms, probably a week and a half ago, whenever I stopped skating. I started trying to ramp things up a bit as far as working out and skating, and I got a little bit of symptoms. So I had a setback, (headaches) and all the stuff that goes along with it. The progression had gone pretty well, but at the same time I still wasn't ready.

...

I feel like, from where I was a couple months ago, things were a lot better. Just being able to skate was encouraging. Hopefully, the next step doesn't have any hurdles and I can get ready for next season as usual.

Concussions are tricky. There's no set protocol on how to treat them, and depending on the severity the symptoms can linger for a long time. The best way to cure them is simply with rest, and the hope is that Crosby didn't push himself too far back when he ramped up his workouts in the last month or so.

For more on Crosby and the Penguins, check in with Pensburgh and SB Nation Pittsburgh. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins received great news on Wednesday morning.

Their star, leader and captain will be joining them on the road. Sidney Crosby has been cleared to skate with his teammates in practice, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The Post-Gazette is reporting that it's just a return to game-day morning skates, which don't include contact. The Trib report seems to insinuate that he will take contact. 

No. 87 will travel with his team to Florida for a two-game swing against the Panthers and Lightning, and while he won't play in game action, it's still a huge step in his recovery. He's been out since January 5 with a concussion, and there's been talk that he won't return at all this season.

That's still a possibility, of course. Crosby hasn't experienced any negative effects in the individual workouts he's been going through over the last few weeks, but there's no telling what will happen with full-speed, full-contact practices. 

Obviously, the Penguins are a much more dangerous team with Crosby in the lineup. Time is running out on the regular season, and there's no guarantee he could be back for the postseason, but this encouraging news is at least reason for optimism in Pittsburgh. Should Crosby return, the Pens will be even more of a force in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

For more, visit SB Nation's Pensburgh.

Sidney Crosby took the ice Monday at Penguins' practice for the first time since he's been out of the lineup with a concussion. He's missed 29 games thus far, and as the playoffs approach, the news of his return to the ice is obviously encouraging. 

The Penguins released a video of their star on the ice at CONSOL Energy Center.

There's still no timetable for Sid's return to the lineup, and in reality, with a concussion issue like this, it's impossible to know. We simply don't know what his current symptoms are or how those symptoms are affected by a brisk, 15 minute morning skate. 

With that said, the fact that he's able to get back on the ice and just resume basic hockey stuff is obviously a great sign. The Penguins surely won't rush him back, but if he's able to get back for the postseason, the team automatically has to be placed in the "Cup contender" category.

When asked today by reporters if he'd return to the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup this season, Sidney Crosby's answer wasn't nearly as clear as fans hoped it would be. 

Via NHL.com:

"You know what? That could happen. But am I sitting here packing it in? No. I hope I'm back and, geez, I hope I play this year," Crosby said. "But that's the thing with these things, you don't know. There's no time frame. Like I said, I'm expecting to play this year."

Expecting to play. Not that he's going to play. He's expecting to play. You can understand, then, why Crosby thinks this injury is "scary." There's just so much uncertainty with concussions and head injuries, and Crosby expressed those fears on Thursday as well.

"It's really scary," Crosby said. "There's not anything that you can really compare it to. The fact as far as being out, being away, and how to deal with that, probably going back to when I hurt my ankle, that helps me a bit. But this is a little different when you're talking about your brain.

"Yeah, it's scary, but like I said, to a certain extent or certain point, there's nothing you can do except give yourself a chance to heal and, hopefully, it happens sooner rather than later." 

Make no mistake: Crosby is getting better. It's just not coming along that fast, and with an injury that can only be battled with rest, rest and more rest, that's about as frustrating as things can get. It can't help that his team is in the thick of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, either.

For more on Crosby's situation, head over to Pensburgh.

Multiple sources have reported that Sidney Crosby’s mysterious “upper body injury” is officially a concussion. Coach Dan Bylsma said in his post-game that Crosby will miss one week and that he was symptom-free following the hit from David Steckel in the waning moments of the Winter Classic.

Bylsma had no comment when asked if Victor Hedman’s hit, a hit for which Hedman was assessed a boarding call in Pittsburgh’s 8-1 win over Tampa last night, caused the concussion.

Pensburgh has all of the latest news, including speculation that the Penguins may have let Crosby play with a concussion against Tampa last night.