Remember that time Hart Trophy finalist Claude Giroux, one of the best 25 Canadian hockey players currently breathing, had a few bad weeks to start the NHL season, then became a point per game player on the year anyway? You know, because he’s really good?
And remember when that slow stretch basically kept him off of Canada’s gold-medal winning Olympic team?
Giroux was mad, and rightfully so. The Flyers also remember, and since the NHL season ended for them last week, Hockey Canada came begging for Giroux to join their squad at the World Championships, which begin May 9 in Minsk. Guess what the Flyers said?
Holmgren said #Flyers would not allow Claude Giroux to play for Hockey Canada during World Champs. Giroux was awkward when asked about it.
— Frank Seravalli (@DNFlyers) May 2, 2014
Okay, so in reality this could be anything, and since Ron Hextall is an assistant GM for Canada’s World Championship team, I doubt it’s Homer just being a jerk and saying no. Giroux could have an injury or something that’s keeping him from Minsk, or it could be related to the Olympics snub. Who knows?
Anyway, Matt Read and Brayden Schenn are going to the World Championships. They’ll join Team Canada. We’d expect some other Flyers to be named to teams in the next few days as well.
