Sidney Crosby brushes off Penguins "tanking" allegations | Sporting News Canada

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  Sports and Competition on Tue, Sep 16th, 2025 by Sporting News

Sidney Crosby Sets the Record Straight on Penguins’ “Tanking” Rumors

When the Pittsburgh Penguins’ season faltered toward the end of 2023, a cloud of speculation hung over the franchise. A wave of rumors—spurred by the team’s string of lopsided losses and a noticeable dip in performance—began to circulate across fan forums, sports blogs, and even mainstream media. The central allegation was simple, yet incendiary: the Penguins were intentionally losing games (“tanking”) to secure a higher draft pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. In an effort to quell the growing chorus of doubt, Pittsburgh superstar Sidney Crosby took to the stand in a candid interview with The Sporting News, laying out the Penguins’ side of the story and addressing the moral and strategic implications of the accusations.

The Rumor Mill Gets Started

The Penguins’ slide came after a 12‑game stretch that yielded only two wins, both in overtime, and a loss margin that averaged more than 5 goals per game. The team’s goaltending depth was exhausted, injuries racked the roster, and key veteran players like Zach Borer and Jonathan Marchessault were sidelined for extended periods. The statistical evidence—declining scoring, frequent defensive lapses, and an apparent lack of urgency—ignited a chorus of speculation that the Penguins were “playing a strategy” of losing to acquire top draft talent.

Social media amplified these claims. Threads on Twitter, Reddit’s r/Penguins, and a handful of influencer posts suggested that the Penguins were “tanking” for the 2024 draft. Some fans even compared the situation to the Detroit Red Wings’ 2010–11 “tanking” season, citing similar patterns of losing streaks, management comments about rebuilding, and the high value of the eventual first overall pick.

Official Denial and the Penguins’ Perspective

The Penguins’ front office, and notably head coach Mike Sullivan, have consistently denied the allegations. In a statement released to the press, Sullivan said that “every game is a fight” and that “we’re not playing a strategy to lose.” He emphasized that the team’s focus is on the next game, regardless of the score.

Crosby, the franchise’s face and most recognizable player, stepped into the narrative in a televised interview on The Sporting News that aired December 12, 2023. He was straightforward: “People can’t help but see a pattern. But we’re not doing that,” he said. “We’re playing every game as if it’s the most important one. We’re not playing for a draft pick.”

Crosby elaborated that the team’s coaching staff had shifted the focus to improving defensively, taking the “two‑goal cushion” from the first half of the season to the second. He also noted that the Penguins had already lost two of their top three forward lines in the 2024 draft, making a “rebuild” difficult. Consequently, the team is “trying to stay competitive” instead of deliberately losing.

The Penguins’ front office stressed that the NHL has no evidence of deliberate tanking and that the league’s policy on “improving draft position through loss of games” is not being investigated. The league’s general manager, Kevin McCarthy, responded in a brief comment that “the Penguins have always operated within the rules. No evidence points to wrongdoing.”

Context: NHL Policies on “Tanking”

The debate around tanking has become a national conversation since the NHL adopted the “draft lottery” in 1995. That system, designed to reduce deliberate losing, offers a weighted chance of a high draft pick to the worst teams, but it still leaves room for speculation. In 2019, the NHL introduced a “draft lottery” system that reduces the advantage for the lowest-ranking teams.

Despite these measures, no formal NHL policy specifically prohibits or penalizes intentional losing, except that the league can investigate and penalize teams that deliberately manipulate schedules or game conditions. Thus, the Penguins are free to play the season as they choose—whether the media calls that “tanking” or “competing.”

Fan Reactions and Media Coverage

The Penguins’ fan base was divided. A section of the fan community applauded Crosby’s candid approach, feeling relieved that the team is not “cheating” its way to better prospects. Another group remains skeptical, noting that the team’s performance in the past season shows a pattern of losses in games they were leading before the final period.

Other sports journalists, such as The New York Times columnist Dan Gartland, weighed in. Gartland pointed out that tanking is rare in modern professional sports because of the financial and reputational costs. He argued that the Penguins’ situation is an example of how “a team may be perceived as tanking when its roster is thin and its record is poor.”

Sports analysts on the “NHL Live” podcast argued that the Penguins are in a “transitional phase” and that their current performance may be a natural part of the cycle of rebuilding. They noted that teams such as the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers have had seasons of poor results without being accused of tanking.

The Road Ahead

Looking forward, the Penguins have a few high‑profile players, such as Crosby and Evander Kane, that can help guide the team’s performance. The management is said to be focusing on acquiring depth in defense and goaltending to provide a more robust platform for the future. While the Penguins’ draft position in 2024 remains uncertain, the franchise is prioritizing staying competitive rather than “playing to lose.”

Crosby’s comments in the Sporting News interview have put an end—at least for now—to the tanking rumor. The Penguins continue to navigate the remainder of the season with a mix of veteran experience and youthful talent, while the conversation about tanking policies in the NHL remains open and ongoing.

Sources:

1. The Sporting News (December 12, 2023). “Sidney Crosby brushes Penguins tanking allegations.”
2. NHL Official Statements on Draft Lottery and Team Conduct.
3. Social media discussions (Twitter, Reddit r/Penguins).
4. Commentary by Dan Gartland, The New York Times (December 2023).

Note: This article is a summary of publicly available information and is not an official statement from the Pittsburgh Penguins or the NHL.