“I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I thought about it": When Sidney Crosby contemplated retirement following major concussion injury

The NHL has done its best to ensure the safety of players through continuous discussions about concussions and different regulations over the years. One of the major head injuries came when Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby suffered the brunt of some deadly hits to the head.

In 2011, Crosby had two major incidents within five days that caused a major impact on his health. During the Winter Classic on New Year's Day, Crosby was hit by the Washington Capitals' David Steckel.

Crosby didn't have possession of the puck and was looking behind to check where the puck was. Steckel trying to follow it, collided with the Penguins forward.

Four days later, against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Crosby was boarded by Victor Hedman and struggled to get off the ice. His stellar 66-point scoring season in just 44 games was cut short after the incident.

The hit resulted in him missing 11 months of action, returning to the Penguins lineup in November during the 2011-12 season. Eight games since his return, Crosby was elbowed by Boston Bruins' David Krejci. After assessment, Crosby was said to have sustained a soft tissue injury.

Crosby was out for months before returning to the ice in March. In an interview later in 2013, Crosby admitted that retirement had crossed his mind.

"I'd be lying if I didn't say that I thought about it," Crosby had told Peter Mansbridge.

"When you get a typical injury you're given a time frame, you're gradually working towards getting back," Crosby had said. "With concussions there is not generally a time frame or a span where you're feeling better.

"You feel like you're getting better and it can be one day and you're back to where you started. It's a frustrating injury and one that anyone has gone through can relate. It's a hard one to understand unless you've gone through it."

He would return in March that season, score 56 points in the regular season and another 15 in the postseason for the Pens.

Sidney Crosby had opened up on his 'crappy' time

In another interview about his concussion phase in 2019 with The Athletic, Crosby detailed the physical toll his body took during the recovery.

“I don’t really think about it a whole lot. It’s not really that fun to think about,” Crosby had said. “It was a pretty crappy time.”

Crosby would also miss the first six games of the 2016-17 season because of a concussion he suffered during practice. That has been the final major concussion related issue that Sid has had to deal with.