With only so many slots to fill, picking the roster for Team Canada is a task more daunting than one might think. To accurately select an appropriate depth of talent to compete in the Olympic tournament, Canada’s general manager Steve Yzerman painstakingly assembled a squad with specific roles for each player.
The common thought when selecting specific stars among an abundance of even more stars is to simply pick the best 25 players. Yzerman chose his crew with an obvious design on who would be playing with whom. There were bound to be some omissions and certainly some feelings hurt. It is easy to second guess from the comfort of your own keyboard, but here are the top snubs from the Team Canada selection.
Joe Thornton, Center, San Jose Sharks
Currently the fifth leading scorer and leader in assists, the San Jose captain is a two time Olympian. With his size, experience and considerable talent, Thornton is one of the most curious omissions.
Logan Couture, Center, San Jose Sharks
Thornton’s teammate, youngster Couture will be rehabilitating an injured hand over the next month. That may have been taken under consideration, but with Steven Stamkos included, Couture should be there too.
Claude Giroux, Center, Philadelphia Flyers
One of the larger five-finger face-slappings of the day was to Giroux, who was at one time considered a lock for the team. A slow start certainly cost the Flyer’s captain, but he has been in good form lately. His versatility and ability to play on the wing could have been useful in Sochi.
Martin St. Louis, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning
Perhaps the most gut-wrenching decisions for Yzerman came when he left off his/Tampa Bay veteran right wing and 2010 omission, Martin St. Louis. This would be the last Olympic opportunity for the 38-year old. As a Canada Cup snub himself, Yzerman knows how it feels to be left out. It’s surprising that he left his own captain experience that feeling twice in four years.
Dan Boyle, D, San Jose Sharks
A casualty of being the oldest defenseman on the roster, Boyle was the odd man out among the players listed. He’s a gifted offensive blue liner who has represented Canada in 2006 and 2010. His services were deemed to be surplus for the team in 2014.
Eric Staal, C, Carolina Hurricanes
The captain of the Hurricanes has been one of the top players in the league over the past five years, but has been limited with injuries this season. With the abundance of talent at the center position, Staal certainly can’t be too upset he was left off the roster.
Taylor Hall, LW, Edmonton Oilers
The third leading scorer among Canadian left wings happens to play for the NHL’s worst team. Hard to say what role that had in Hall’s exclusion, but as one of the most exciting young players in the league, the experience playing on the biggest international stage could have been invaluable.
Josh Harding, G, Minnesota Wild
Whether he is able to overcome the nagging issues with his M.S., Yzerman missed an opportunity to name Harding as an alternate for Sochi. He has been the best Canadian goaltender all year before his recent run on the injured list.
Tyler Seguin, C, Dallas Stars
I’m scratching my head about Seguin’s exclusion particularly since his teammate and captain Jamie Benn was included. With the obvious attention paid to the chemistry with Sidney Crosby/Chris Kunitz and Ryan Getzlaf/Corey Perry, Benn/Seguin should have been a no-brainer.
James Neal, LW, Pittsburgh Penguins
Even though he has been in and out of the Pittsburgh lineup, Neal has been incredibly productive with 36 points in 24 games played. With all the centers chosen, Neal could easily be swapped in as a more natural fit on the wing.
Brent Seabrook, D, Chicago Blackhawks
The biggest head scratcher on the defense to me is the absence of Seabrook. He has the second best plus/minus rating in the NHL (+22) and is the third leading Canadian defenseman. He has size and snarl and gives Canada someone other than Shea Weber to be nasty in the defensive zone. Good enough for the 2010 games, “Seabass” was a glaring omission.