The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without captain Sidney Crosby for at least six weeks after he underwent a successful core muscle injury repair on Thursday.

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According to the Penguins, Crosby has been dealing with a sports hernia since training camp. Saturday, Crosby left the Penguins’ 3-2 shootout victory over the Blackhawks after getting his skate caught in the ice and being shoved by Blackhawks defenseman Erik Gustafsson.

The surgery to correct Crosby’s sports hernia was performed by Dr. William Meyers of the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia, Pa, Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford announced.

Reports of Crosby’s injury surfaced on Wednesday, via an article from The Athletic’s Rob Rossi. Crosby, who went day-to-day after Saturday night’s game against the Blackhawks at PPG Paints Arena, was reported by Rossi to have aggravated the sports hernia and was considering advice from medical personnel to undergo the surgery.

Through 17 games with the Penguins, Crosby has five goals and 12 assists, making him the team’s current points leader for the 2019-20 season. The Penguins have been plagued with injuries through the first few months of the season, and at one point were unable to ice a fourth line during practice.

Should Crosby’s recovery go as planned, he should be expected to return to playing in either late December or early January.

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

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— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 14, 2019

Headline photo: NHL