Crosby lands on COVID-19 list
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby missed Tuesday night’s home game against the Flyers after he was placed on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list.
Coach Mike Sullivan said there’s no timeline yet for his return.
The unexpected news forced the Penguins to scrap a morning skate at the last minute in accordance with league protocols and reshuffle their lineup to fill a void in the middle.
“It’s tough,” Sullivan said. “The impact he has in the dressing room and on the bench, he’s an influential player for us in so many areas. He’s not an easy guy to replace by any stretch, but we have been through this experience in the past and have found ways to have success.”
Sullivan issued a reminder that just because a player is on the list, it doesn’t mean he has tested positive. Other reasons a player could be in the protocol include an initial positive test that remains unconfirmed or a high-risk close contact.
Crosby, 33, leads the team in scoring with seven goals and 11 assists in 20 games.
The Predators placed D Ryan Ellis (upper-body) and F Luke Kunin (lowerbody) on IR and C Ryan Johansen on the COVID-19 list. Ellis, third on the team in points, will be out up to six weeks, and Kunin two to four weeks. There’s no timetable yet for Johansen’s return.
Baseball: MLB teams will operate alternate sites similar to those used during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, delaying the beginning of the Triple-A season by at least a month, ESPN reported. The Triple-A season now will begin the first week of May, which is about the same time as the Double-A, high-A and low-A seasons.
College basketball: Creighton coach Greg McDermott apologized for racially insensitive comments he made to his players following a loss to Xavier last week. In a statement on Twitter, McDermott addressed the comments: “Specifically, I said: ‘Guys, we got to stick together. We need both feet in. I need everybody to stay on the plantation. I can’t have anybody leave the plantation.’ I immediately recognized my egregious mistake and quickly addressed my use of such insensitive words with my team. I have never used that analogy and it is not indicative of who I am as a person or as a coach. I am deeply sorry. I have apologized to our student-athletes and to our staff, as well as to President (Daniel) Hendrickson and Director of Athletics Bruce Rasmussen.
NBA: The league moved closer to a deal where players on two-way contracts would be eligible to appear on the active roster for as many games as their teams would like this season, according to reports. The proposal to lift a 50-game limit on the active roster for two-way players is likely to be passed by the NBA’s board of governors pending approval later this month.
NFL: The Vikings released veteran TE Kyle Rudolph after 10 seasons. Rudolph, 31, will become a free agent for the first time in his areer . ... ESPN reported that the Texans restructured RB David Johnson’s contract, which now will be worth up to $6 million in 2021, including $4.25 million fully guaranteed at signing. Johnson, 29, might have been a salary-cap casualty if he hadn’t restructured his deal.