Sidney Crosby | Biography & Facts - Britannica

2010–21: Injuries, more Stanley Cups, and COVID-19

In 2011 his career nearly came to a premature end when he suffered a concussion after an on-ice hit in January. Crosby missed the remainder of the 2010–11 NHL season, and there was speculation that postconcussion problems might prevent him from returning to hockey. After a prolonged rehabilitation, Crosby rejoined the Penguins’ lineup in November 2011, but he played for just two weeks before he was again sidelined by a recurrence of concussion-like symptoms. He returned in March 2012. His highly publicized injury led to increased public discussion about—and agitation to improve—player safety in the NHL.

Crosby missed 12 games of the lockout-shortened 2012–13 NHL season because of a broken jaw, but he still managed to lead the league with 1.56 points per game. However, the top-seeded Penguins were swept out of the following postseason by the Boston Bruins in the conference finals, a series in which Crosby failed to score a point. He won his second career Art Ross Trophy for leading the NHL in points (104) during the 2013–14 season, a feat that also earned him a second Hart Trophy. His postseason scoring troubles continued, however, as he tallied a single goal and eight assists in 13 playoff games, and the Penguins were upset in the conference semifinals. Crosby tallied 84 points in 2014–15—the lowest total of his career in a season not shortened by injury or labor issues—but still managed to lead the NHL with 1.09 points per game. The Penguins again had a disappointing season, however, as the talent-laden team barely qualified for the playoffs and was quickly eliminated in the first round.

Crosby helped the Penguins return to the upper echelon of the NHL in 2015–16 while scoring 85 points over the course of the regular season. He then tallied 19 points in 24 postseason games while leading the Penguins to their second Stanley Cup victory of his captaincy, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason’s most valuable player for his efforts. Crosby led the NHL in goals scored (44) during the 2016–17 season, as the Penguins posted the second best record in the league. In the following postseason he helped Pittsburgh again advance to the Stanley Cup finals, where the team faced the Nashville Predators. The Penguins defeated the Predators in six games, and Crosby—who had scored eight goals and tallied 19 assists over the course of the playoffs—won a second consecutive Conn Smythe Trophy.

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Crosby kept the Penguins among the top teams in the NHL during the 2017–18 season, but the franchise’s run of Stanley Cup victories ended with a loss in the second round of the playoffs. He continued his excellent individual play in 2018–19, scoring 100 points during the season, but the Penguins were swept in the first round of the playoffs. The next two seasons were shortened because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Crosby helped the team qualify for the postseason in 2020–21, but the Penguins again lost in the opening round.