Sidney Crosby Back on the Ice Tonight

The game's best player gets his feet wet against the lowly Islanders after 11 months on the sidelines.

Sidney Crosby will lace up his skates and play his first game of NHL hockey against the New York Islanders tonight, nearly 11 months after he was downed by consecutive hits to the head. The Pittsburgh Penguins centre has been on the sidelines since Jan. 5 of this year due to a concussion suffered at the hands of the Washington Capitals' Dave Steckel on New Year's Day. The injury was re-aggravated just days later when the Tampa Bay Lightning's Victor Hedman drilled Crosby into the boards. Crosby, who at age 24 has already won nearly every award worth winning in the sport of hockey, had been the focus of continent-wide scrutiny over his return ever since he was first injured, prompting months upon months of speculation of whether he would ever be the same player, or if he'd even retire. Crosby's concussion sparked changes to the NHL's head injury protocol, and his decision to not play until he was fully recovered has led to intense debate over player safety.