Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will miss a minimum of six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a core muscle injury, the team announced Thursday.

Earlier in the week, it was reported that Crosby was considering his options for a sports hernia that's been bothering him since training camp. Along with surgery, he could have elected for steroid injections and physical therapy, which would have kept him in the lineup but put him at risk of further injury.

Crosby aggravated the hernia in Saturday's contest versus the Chicago Blackhawks. He was subsequently ruled out for Pittsburgh's matchup with the New York Rangers on Tuesday.

The Penguins have already dealt with numerous injuries to key forwards this season, including Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, and Nick Bjugstad. The club has still managed a 10-6-2 record and holds the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Crosby leads the team with 17 points in 17 games and he's averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time per night.

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