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By Kristin Tullo (@K_Tullo)
Brian Burke, by his appearance alone, can be described as an intense hockey guy. His feelings on Bobby Ryan and why the four-time 30 goal scorer was left out of the final roster for Team USA headed to Sochi, also pretty intense.
To the American viewers tuning into Wednesday’s unveiling of the Men’s roster that will represent the United States during the 2014 Winter Games, it was a shocking revelation to see Bobby Ryan’s name scratched from the final cut.
For the guys making the decisions though, it seemed pretty easy.
According to Scott Burnside’s extensive look into the making of Team USA, it was a matter of confidence that the committee had in Bobby Ryan. And there was an obvious lack of that.
It’s important to remember though, the same group of people that are skeptical of Ryan feel confident sending Paul Martin who has not played since November, Jimmy Howard who has not won a game in any of his last 10 starts and missed time with a knee injury, and Ryan Callahan who has played just 24 games this season due to numerous injuries.
Add Blake Wheeler to the mix, and you wonder if USA is hungry for a medal at all.
“I think he’s sleepy. I think he skates sleepy,” offers one member of the selection committee.
Poile asks for a show of hands: “Are guys nervous about Bobby Ryan?” A flurry of hands go up in the air.
“That’s a lot of guys,” Poile notes.
Brian Burke wasn’t going to just let it go at that.
“He’s a passive guy,” Burke said of Ryan.
“He’s not intense. That word is not in his vocabulary,” Burke went on. “ It’s never going to be in his vocabulary.”
Done? No?
“He can’t spell intense.”
It’s one thing to cut a guy, it’s another to publicly destroy his image for no reason.
Ryan, who says Burke called him yesterday but has yet to return the call, spoke to Bruce Garrioch this morning about how he feels about Burke’s words and not making Team USA.
“I thought he thought more of me as a player,” Ryan said according to the Ottawa Sun reporter.
“They were direct quotes. It’s unfortunate they feel that way. They’ve got to form a team,” Ryan, who added that Burke’s comments about his intensity being “gutless”, said. “ I guess to a certain degree you have to respect it. You don’t have to agree with it, right? I certainly don’t.
“They could have just cut me.”
The Senators star forward plans to use what he’s heard about himself to his advantage and even make them regret their decision.
“ I”ll remember it and use it as motivation. That’s all you can really do.”
Bobby Ryan currently leads the Senators with 18 goals and adds on 18 assists for 36 points. He sits behind Erik Karlsson who has the team lead with 38pnts (10g, 28a).
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