Maple Leafs' Marner recounts 'bizarre' injury, hopeful for Crosby

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Perish the thought.

Any idea that Sidney Crosby would be unable to play for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, which starts next week, doesn’t sit well with Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner.

“That would suck, suck a lot for sure,” Marner said to media in Seattle on Thursday. “Really hoping he is OK. He’s a big part of Canada every time they have been a part of something like this. He is the staple of the head of everything.”

Crosby, who was named captain of Canada last week, skated on his own on Thursday after suffering an upper-body injury in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ game against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan told reporters that Crosby’s solo skate was pre-planned and that Crosby still is being evaluated, with an update to come on Friday.

Marner will be the Leafs’ lone representative to wear Canada’s colours, and will go up against Leafs teammates Auston Matthews with the United States and William Nylander with Sweden.

As for his own injury, one in his lower body that kept him out of the Leafs’ 6-3 win against Calgary on Tuesday, Marner called it “bizarre.”

He said it was not anything that came out of the Leafs’ 4-3 win in Edmonton against the Oilers on Saturday. Marner was back in the Leafs lineup against the Kraken on Thursday.

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“Just a spasm thing,” Marner said. “Something locked up on me for a day and a half, throughout the day of the Calgary game it started really getting back to normal and (Wednesday) felt 100%. Just a weird little day thing.

“We had a great off day at the nordic spa in Calgary (on Sunday). People think that maybe going in the tubs was how it (happened). I don’t know. It was weird.”

Marner had a funny response when he was asked whether he has been watching the Netflix documentary American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson, which was released recently.

Nylander told reporters he spent the off-day on Wednesday in his hotel room in Seattle watching the doc because “everybody on the team is watching it.”

Said Marner: “I watched it too. It was crazy.”

What did Marner learn?

“I don’t get how it didn’t … he’s, I mean … I think everyone is thinking what I want to say,” Marner said. “First time watching something like that. It was bizarre. I was shocked at the end of it all.”

tkoshan@postmedia.com

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