Claude Giroux has been snubbed. The Flyers forward is shockingly not a member of Team Canada, a silly decision by the Canadian brain trust headed up by Steve Yzerman. In his place on the Canadian roster that will play in Sochi next month are Penguins winger Chris Kunitz and former Flyer Jeff Carter.
Here’s the full Canadian roster:
Canada goalies: Roberto Luongo, Carey Price, Mike Smith. Defense: Bouwmeester, Doughty, Hamhuis, Keith, Pietrangelo, Subban, Vlasic, Weber.
— SB Nation NHL (@SBNationNHL) January 7, 2014
Canada forwards: Toews, Tavares, Stamkos, Sharp, Perry, Nash, Marleau, Kunitz, Getzlaf, Duchene, Crosby, Carter, Bergeron, Benn.
— SB Nation NHL (@SBNationNHL) January 7, 2014
Kunitz instead of Giroux is pretty damn silly, and it’s pretty obvious that Kunitz is on the team solely because he plays well with Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh. I would’ve put Giroux ahead of him, Rick Nash or Jeff Carter. Giroux has scored more points per game in the last two years than any Canadian forward not named Crosby or Stamkos. His being left off the roster is just as silly as Bobby Ryan not being named to Team USA.
Martin St. Louis, Eric Staal and Joe Thornton are some of the other notable snubs on the Canadian roster.
From a Flyers perspective, maybe it’s a good thing. Giroux will have time to rest, and he’l certainly have a chip on his shoulder when the season resumes at the beginning of March — just in time for the stretch run of the Flyers season.
