Will Sidney Crosby angle for a spot on Canada’s Olympic team, defying the NHL’s decision not to participate?
The two-time gold medalist was asked Tuesday if he would go to the PyeongChang Winter Games if other individual NHL players were allowed.
“I haven’t even thought that far, to be honest,” Crosby said. “It’s a difficult situation to be in, there’s no doubt, but I know some guys have been vocal about going regardless, but I’m not sure if I’m thinking quite that far ahead yet. It’s something that just happened. It’s something you have to think about.”
Crosby hasn’t joined the stance of longtime Russian rival Alex Ovechkin, who has said he will play in the 2018 Olympics regardless of the NHL’s feelings.
“I’m definitely not going to declare that right now,” Crosby said in September, according to NHL.com. “Kind of wait and see what happens. But if [Ovechkin] feels that strongly about it, I don’t have a problem with that. If he wants to represent his country and be there that’s his choice.”
Crosby’s public view appears unchanged from last summer. Now that the NHL has announced it will end its streak of Olympic participation since 1998, Crosby is joining a chorus of players disappointed in the news.
“I really thought something was going to be able to get worked out,” he said. “Unfortunately, that’s not the case.”
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