The NHL announced that Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby will not participate in Friday’s NHL All-Star Skills (8 p.m. ET NBCSN) due to an illness. Despite his absence on Friday night he is still expected to play in Saturday’s game for the Metropolitan Division team where he will be joined by his Pittsburgh teammate Kris Letang.
Crosby has appeared in 45 games this season for the Penguins, having scored 21 goals to go with 36 assists giving him 57 points on the season.
He is on track for what would be his best offensive season since the 2013-14 campaign when he won his most recent scoring title.
While Crosby has been one of the league’s best players from the moment he arrived this is only the fourth All-Star weekend he has taken part in during his career. He missed several due to injury and then had a couple of All-Star games fall in Olympic years when he otherwise would have played.
Coverage of the NHL Skills begins at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN and will be followed by a TV special hosted by Nashville Predators defender P.K. Subban.
MORE:
• Capitals’ Ovechkin to sit first game after All-Star break
• Carey Price will not play in 2019 NHL All-Star Game
• P.K. Subban hosting special after Skills competition
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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.