Crosby to return to Penguins lineup on Monday

Hockey fans can now breathe a sigh of relief. Sidney Crosby is set to return to the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup on Monday night after missing more than 10 months with a concussion, the team announced Sunday.

Crosby will make his return against the New York Islanders.

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, who spoke with Crosby on Sunday, said the superstar is both "excited" and "anxious."

"He's been wanting to play hockey for a long time," Bylsma said. "Now that he is scheduled to play, the anticipation is coming to the forefront and he's excited."

"We're certainly going to enjoy No. 87 out there," Bylsma added.

TSN Radio host James Cybulski said Sunday that Crosby's return "does the game a world of good."

"This is the face of hockey right now," Cybulski told CTV News Channel. "Sidney Crosby is the best player on the planet."

Crosby has not played a game since Jan 5, when he was driven into the boards by Tampa Bay defenceman Victor Hedman. He had also taken a hard hit from the Capitals' David Steckel on Jan. 1, but remained in that game and was cleared to play against Tampa.

When he was sidelined, Crosby had already rung up 32 goals and 66 points in 41 games last season, and was on pace for the highest-scoring season since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96.

The 24-year-old suffered for months with post-concussion symptoms that included dizziness, nausea and sensitivity to light and loud noises.

Crosby's doctors explained that his concussion largely affected the vestibular system, the part of the brain that controls space in motion, making it particularly important for professional athletes.

When training camp got underway in September, Crosby cautiously said that it was "likely" he would return to hockey this season.

He opened camp wearing a white helmet to remind teammates that he could not be hit. Crosby was cleared for contact on Oct. 13, which ramped up speculation about when he would return.

At the September press conference, Crosby said retirement was never an option he seriously considered.

However, he did say that the NHL needed to reconsider its policy regarding headshots.

Crosby said he had come across a statistic that showed of the tens of thousands of hits across the league every year, only dozens were hits to the head.

"And to take those out, the game's not going to change," he said.

"As players we're professionals, and the odd time maybe there's accidental contact, but for the most part we can control what goes on out there," he continued, questioning the distinction between stickhandling rules and those covering players' bodies.

"If a guy's got to be responsible with his stick, why shouldn't he be responsible with the rest of his body when he's going to hit someone? Whether it's accidental or not accidental, you've got to be responsible out there, and like I said, at the end of the day, it could do a lot more good than what it's going to take away from the game."

Since Crosby was injured, league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan has cracked down on head shots, suspending players for dangerous hits.

Despite losing their superstar, the Penguins are off to a strong start with a record of 11-6-3 and fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

Bylsma said he will start Crosby on a reduced schedule and won't ask him to play his usual 20-plus minutes right away. However, he predicted his superstar wouldn't be interested in holding back.

"You get those guys in a game, they always want to go out one more shift," Bylsma said. "So we may have to tie him to the bench a bit."

Cybulski said it makes sense for Crosby to make his return in a home game, as well as against a team that he seems to enjoying playing. Crosby has scored 62 career points in 33 career games against the Islanders.

While Crosby's teammates have avoided hammering him during practices, it remains to be seen exactly how opposing players will treat the superstar.

"It's one thing to take part in contact practices with your teammates. This is a different story when you're playing to win," Cybulski said.

"Nobody wants to be the guy to end the career of Sidney Crosby. So it remains to be seen how his opponents will react."