After Team USA‘s 4-2 loss to Canada in the World Cup of Hockey on Tuesday evening, the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ Phil Kessel sent out this tweet:
Just sitting around the house tonight w my dog. Felt like I should be doing something important, but couldn't put my finger on it.
— Phil Kessel (@PKessel81) September 21, 2016
Phil Kessel Rips USA Over Snub
What, exactly, makes this so funny? Kessel was, in many people’s opinion, the biggest player snubbed by Dean Lombardi and the rest of USA Hockey’s selection team. The 28-year-old Kessel completed his first regular season with Pittsburgh with 26 goals and 59 points, and scored 10 goals and 22 points in the playoffs, eventually helping his team to win the Stanley Cup. He previously played for the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Kessel expressed disappointment at not being named to the team back in May, but remained otherwise tight-lipped until calling out the team on social media. He previously represented the United States at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, scoring five goals in six games played. He was arguably the top performer on the team in that tournament.
It should be noted that Phil Kessel underwent surgery on his wrist over the summer, and may not have been healthy enough to play in the tournament. However, he was left off the team before scheduling the surgery.
Bobby Ryan has also chimed in
Another player who has been a USA Hockey snub, Ottawa Senators forward Bobby Ryan chimed in with his own level of shade this morning. Ryan was left off the 2014 Olympic team when Brian Burke stated that he didn’t know how to spell the word intensity.
https://twitter.com/b_ryan9/status/778561054078971905
Jeremy Roenick Previously Voiced Displeasure
In a related move, former Team USA member Jeremy Roenick had this to say after the team’s embarrassing 3-0 loss to Team Europe on Saturday:
Seriously??? That's the best USA can give??? Defending champs if u look at it literally. That's a joke!! Europe embarrassed us. Wake up!!!
— Jeremy Roenick (@Jeremy_Roenick) September 18, 2016
Roenick has represented USA Hockey in the 1991 Canada Cup (the predecessor to the World Cup of Hockey), as well as the 1998 and 2002 Olympic Games. He has been known to be vocal about media issues, having previously gotten in trouble for remarks made while he was playing for the Philadelphia Flyers, as well as calling out USA Hockey himself about team selections for the 2006 and 2010 Olympic rosters.
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