PWHL, NHL navigating post-Olympics injury reality

The GIST: It’s hard to believe the Milano Cortina Olympics ended just over a week ago — unless you look at the PWHL and NHL injury reports. With the second half of both seasons underway, superstars from the hockey leagues find themselves sidelined by injuries sustained while competing for their countries in Milan.

🫂 PWHL standouts, Team USA and Canada captains miss time: Veteran women’s hockey legends Marie-Philip Poulin (Canada, Montréal Victoire) and the aforementioned Knight (USA, Seattle Torrent) were injured during the Games, along with Erin Ambrose (Canada, Montréal Victoire) and Kendall Coyne Schofield (USA, Minnesota Frost).

• Poulin missed one game but was back on the ice last night, while the other three landed on long-term injured reserve and will be out for at least three weeks. Not great.

☹️ Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby could return this month: Canada’s other veteran captain suffered a lower-body injury in the Olympic quarter-finals and missed the rest of the tourney, but there’s chatter that he could be back on the ice in the coming weeks. There’s also good news to report for Josh Morrissey (Canada, Winnipeg Jets) and Mikko Rantanen (Finland, Dallas Stars), who could return before the regular season ends on April 16th.

👉 Why it matters: NHL players were not permitted to play in the Olympics for the last 12 years, and the risk of injury was a major reason why. Now, some of the brightest women’s and men’s stars are sidelined as the real playoff push begins. With growth inevitably comes growing pains.