When Sidney Crosby was recently interviewed by the media, no one could take their eyes off the right side of his face. Crosby’s puffy cheek seemed to be a pretty clear indicator that he had the mumps, but the team was cautious in saying why they were resting the star forward this weekend. The Penguins initially claimed there was no indication that Crosby had mumps.
A statement from Jim Rutherford regarding Crosby: pic.twitter.com/k9wwg218Io
— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) December 12, 2014
It turns out that’s exactly what he has.
Sidney Crosby has the mumps.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) December 14, 2014
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of all of this comes from a statement seen over on ESPN.com regarding Crosby’s infectious period.
According to the release, Crosby will be “monitored daily, but specialists believe he should be through the infectious period by Monday.”
So … why was Crosby addressing the media when it was obvious something was going on? Crosby’s case was apparently an unusual one, according to Penguins team doctor Dharmesh Vyas.
“He did not have a classic presentation of mumps.”
Mumps typically causes both sides of the face to swell, so the team believed that Crosby’s ride side – the side which looked like he was storing food for winter – was being caused by a salivary gland infection.
As a result of all of the mumps cases spreading around the NHL, the league sent out information to all of the franchises.
In light of the mumps situation, the league sent out a memo in conjunction with the NHL’s Infection Control Subcommittee last month, providing clubs’ medical personnel and trainers with recommended guidelines and protocols to assist in both the treatment and prevention of the disease.
How long will the mumps in hockey be a story line? That’s difficult to say considering that the disease has a very lengthy incubation period which can make any kind of prediction nothing better than a guess.
