PITTSBURGH (AP) – A jersey worn by No. 1 draft pick Sidney Crosby in his first NHL game was found Tuesday at Pittsburgh International Airport, two days after it vanished from luggage checked onto a flight by his father, a US Airways spokesman said.

The shirt was found wrapped in plastic at the foot of a stairway used to load luggage onto planes by a US Airways employee. The employee notified a manager, who in turn contacted Crosby’s father to confirm it belonged to the rookie, US Airways spokesman David Castelveter said.

“We are in the process of returning it,” he said.

The jersey, worn by Crosby in the Penguins’ season opener in New Jersey last week, disappeared from one of two bags checked onto a flight to Buffalo, N.Y., on Sunday afternoon by the 18-year-old player’s father, Troy. The luggage was partially unzipped and the shirt missing when the elder Crosby picked it up at baggage claim.

It was unclear whether the shirt had fallen out of the bag or was removed.

US Airways and police officials were investigating Tuesday afternoon.

“We certainly don’t want to engage in speculation,” Castelveter said. “The important thing is that it was found. … There is an investigation. We’ll keep asking questions.”

JoAnn Jenny, a spokeswoman for Pittsburgh International Airport, said only that police had launched an investigation.

AP-ES-10-11-05 1742EDT

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