Sidney Crosby skates ahead of Team Canada's semifinal game, will not play Friday

Since leaving Wednesday's quarterfinal game against Czechia, Team Canada and Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby's status for the remainder of the Olympics has been up in the air. 

On Friday morning, TSN's Ryan Rishaug reported that Crosby skated in a closed session ahead of the semifinal matchup against Finland, but is doubtful to return to game action. 

About an hour prior to game time, it was announced that Crosby would not be playing. 

Due to international rules requiring teams to have a captain, in Crosby's absence, Connor McDavid will wear the C on his jersey while Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche will serve as alternate captains. 

Through parts of four games at the Winter Olympics, Crosby has two goals and four assists for six points, and in his Olympic career, he has seven goals and nine assists for 16 points in 17 games. 

Crosby left the game in the quarterfinals against Czechia in the second period with a lower-body injury. He spent a few minutes on the bench speaking with the Team Canada training staff before leaving for the locker room. 

Canada will take on Finland this morning at 10:30 a.m. with a chance to advance to the gold medal game. 

Team Canada's coach won't rule Crosby out for the tournament 

As Canada and Pittsburgh waited for an update on their captain, on Thursday morning, Canada's head coach, Jon Cooper, said that while Crosby did not practice, he said that he was "by no means ruled out of the tournament" and that he and the team are "taking this day-by-day." 

"We're not going to put anyone in harm's way," Cooper continued. "But if he can play, he's definitely going to." 

While it appears that Crosby will not play on Friday against Finland, the team will either play in the gold medal game on Sunday should they win, where they'll face the winner of USA-Slovakia, or they'll play in the bronze medal game on Saturday afternoon. 

"Guys are willing to accept that risk." Penguins react to injury

As the Penguins were wrapping up practice on Wednesday morning in Cranberry Township, the news of Crosby's injury slowly began making its way into the Penguins' locker room. 

The reaction was largely one of understanding that the opportunity to play at the highest level for your country is one that no player would pass up. 

"I don't think guys in this league are too worried about that," Penguins forward Bryan Rust said. "The opportunity to represent your country at the highest level, I think, guys are more than willing to accept that risk."   

"It's the Olympics, any time these guys get an opportunity to represent their countries, I'm happy for them," head coach Dan Muse added. 

The Penguins will return to action on Thursday, February 26 at PPG Paints Arena when they'll face the New Jersey Devils.