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Pittsburgh Penguins superstar captain Sidney Crosby underwent surgery for a core muscle injury and is expected to miss a minimum of six weeks, likely putting him out for at least 18 games.

According to general manager Jim Rutherford, the surgery was performed at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia by Dr. William Meyers.

“He’s not an easy guy to replace with everything that he does and (how he) helps our team and the contributions he makes,” head coach Mike Sullivan said this week. “No one person is going to pick up that slack.”

A two-time Hart Trophy recipient, Crosby exited the ice in the third period of Pittsburgh’s 3-2 shootout win over Chicago on Saturday.

INJURY UPDATE: Sidney Crosby underwent a successful core muscle injury repair. The expected recovery time is a minimum of six weeks.

More information: https://t.co/YCc9fyWITN pic.twitter.com/ypmQoHRQPT

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 14, 2019

Earlier in the period, Crosby collided and got his skates tangled with Blackhawks defenseman Erik Gustafsson. Crosby finished his shift, including a blocked shot off his skate, but then limped down the runway toward the locker room.

Lingering issue

The team said in a statement that Crosby has been dealing with a sports hernia since training camp.

Crosby, who sat out Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Rangers, leads the Penguins with 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 17 games.

The 32-year-old Crosby has led the Penguins to three Stanley Cup championships and has won numerous individual awards, including two Conn Smythe Trophies.

–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)