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Crosby expected to make full recovery
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After weeks of speculation over the status of Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and his recovery from a concussion, the team issued an update Wednesday night on its website.
Crosby, the Penguins said, has visited concussion specialists in Georgia and Michigan, with the conclusion being that he is expected to make a full recovery, but that it could take more time.
He was leading the NHL with 66 points in 41 games when he was diagnosed with a concussion Jan. 6 that sidelined him for the rest of the season and the playoffs.
"I appreciate all the support I've received from my family, friends, teammates and fans and from the entire Penguins organization," Crosby said in the statement after not speaking publicly for about four months.
"I know they only want the best for my health, and for me to be fully ready when I return to game action."
Crosby began experiencing headaches when he reached 90 percent exertion in his rigorous offseason workouts, and that training was altered, although the release did not say how it was altered.
Training camp opens Sept. 16, and the season opens Oct. 6, but it is not known if Crosby will be ready for either of those dates. He is expected back in Pittsburgh in the next few weeks.
"We always knew this was going to be a progressive recovery -- based on how he felt," said Crosby's agent, Pat Brisson, in the release.
"With a concussion, there is not a finite recovery period like with a shoulder injury or a knee injury. That's why we've never even set a specific goal for a return date like the start of training camp or Oct. 1 or anything else. He will play when he is symptom free."
The release said Crosby has made significant progress this summer, which is what general manager Ray Shero and coach Dan Bylsma have said recently. The release also said Crosby's rigorous workouts included skating, shooting, stickhandling and off-ice work. It did not say what his workouts have consisted of since he began having headaches and the workouts were altered.
"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."
Crosby's primary concussion doctor has been Michael Collins of UPMC.
Brisson made a plea to tone down the intense push for information about Crosby:
"We would appreciate patience and understanding at this time. There has been a lot of speculation swirling over the past several weeks. We wish we could provide more specific details about Sidney's recovery, but a concussion is a different kind of injury. It's not something you can check with an X-ray. And you can't predict a precise recovery period. It's all about the way he feels.
"He has been feeling a lot better, but we want to give him all the time he needs to make a full recovery. He's only 24, and he's got a lot of great years ahead of him."
First Published August 25, 2011 8:42 am
