Infamous Team Canada roster snubs
Rookies and proven veterans have felt the pain of being excluded from representing our country
When Team Canada’s Olympic roster is unveiled Tuesday morning, the selections and omissions will be heavily scrutinized by this country’s fans and media.
And as the decision last week by USA Hockey to leave Ottawa Senators star winger Bobby Ryan behind showed, nothing gets the debate going like a high- profile snub.
Given the deep pool of hockey talent Canada possesses, there’s sure to be a handful of those when players are announced.
Of course, that’s nothing new to Team Canada. Over the years, team builders had to make tough roster decisions. Here are some of the biggest snubs in our country’s hockey history.
Bobby Hull — 1972 Summit Series
Bobby Hull was arguably the best forward on the planet at the time of the 1972 Summit Series between Russia and Canada. But just a few months before the event, he signed a lucrative contract with the Winnipeg Jets in the WHA and was ruled ineligible for selection to Team Canada. The NHL felt threatened by the start- up league and Hull got caught in the middle. But it’s worth noting that when the Canada Cup was staged in 1976, Hull was allowed to suit up for Canada — despite still playing in the WHA. Had he been allowed to play in 1972, Hull may have helped Canada win that series against the Russians before a pivotal Game 8.
Brett Hull — 1986 World Championships
Team Canada may have made a short- sighted decision when it opted not to take Brett Hull on its roster for the 1986 IIHF World Hockey Championship in the Soviet Union. The sniper — who held dual Canadian and American citizenship — decided to join Team USA. He scored seven goals in 10 games for the Americans in that tournament and often cites the experience as a turning point in his career. The move cost Canada Hull’s services at international events for the next 15 years.
Steve Yzerman — 1987 and 1991 Canada Cups
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Steve Yzerman was often considered the third- best hockey player in the NHL behind Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Yet his reputation was not enough to impress Team Canada head coach Mike Keenan, who cut the Red Wings star from his Canada Cup squads in both 1987 and 1991. Yzerman’s exclusion in 1991 may have been more painful since management took Eric Lindros — even though the 18- year- old had never suited up for a single NHL game.
Patrick Roy — 1996 World Cup of Hockey
Patrick Roy’s omission from Team Canada at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey is baffling when you consider the Hall of Fame netminder was in his prime of his career. But when the team was named in early April, they decided to go with the trio of Bill Ranford, Curtis Joseph and Martin Brodeur. They probably regretted that decision a few weeks later, as Roy guided the Avalanche to their first Stanley Cup championship. Meanwhile, Ranford’s Bruins were bounced in the first round, while Brodeur and Joseph didn’t even make the playoffs. If the selections were made in June, you would imagine that Roy may have been a lock to make the team.
Mark Messier — 1998 Olympics
When NHLers participated in their first Olympic Games in 1998, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Mark Messier would be a part of Team Canada alongside his old teammate Wayne Gretzky. But when Hockey Canada revealed the roster two months before the Games, Gretzky’s name was on the list, while Messier’s was not. The decision was immediately scrutinized because general manager Bobby Clarke had opted to select defensive specialist Rob Zamuner ahead of Messier on the team. Messier’s omission became a bigger source of controversy when Canada failed to come home with a medal.
Sidney Crosby — 2006 Olympics
Sidney Crosby was the hero of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, but the Pittsburgh Penguins star was not part of the roster for Team Canada at the Olympics in Turin. Even though he was only a rookie in that 2005- 06 season, Crosby ended up finishing sixth in league scoring with 102 points and his offensive firepower could have been utilized in that tournament. Canada came home without a medal and was even blanked 2- 0 in a round robin game by a less- talented team from Switzerland.
Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos — 2010 Olympics
It’s ironic that Steve Yzerman is now their general manager in Tampa, but in 2010 he opted to leave both Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos off his roster for Team Canada at the Vancouver Olympics. St. Louis had been one of the most consistent and productive forwards in the five seasons leading up to the 2010 Olympics, while Stamkos ended up scoring 50 goals in that 2009- 10 campaign.