Top Line: Hurt feelings after Olympic roster rejections; more links
Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson is still smarting after not making Team USA. (Michael Martin/Getty Images)
By Allan Muir
An annotated guide to this morning's must-read hockey stories:
• A week after the announcement of Team USA at the Winter Classic, Jack Johnson is still feeling the sting of being left off the roster ... and it sounds like he harbors a little ill will toward his own coach for not supporting his candidacy. It's a tough spot for Todd Richards to be in, and it illustrates again why we're not likely to get another inside look at the selection process in the future.
• Claude Giroux's Flyers teammates were gutted to learn that their captain had been snubbed by Team Canada.
• Players who failed to make the cut this year may have missed their last Olympic chance. With the 2018 Games set for South Korea, it's a good bet that the NHL will skip the show.
• Luke Fox offers 25 lessons learned from Team Canada's selection process.
• One (usually) elite player understands why he doesn't fit into Team Canada's plans.
• Team Canada GM Steve Yzerman's integrity and courage were on display in his decision not to select Martin St. Louis.
• St. Louis was still too emotional after the Lightning's win last night to talk about being left off Team Canada.
• It's not a matter of whether Yzerman selected the best players for Canada. It's whether he selected the best team. And even if he managed to turn that trick, there are still no guarantees in the unforgiving tournament setting.
• Chris Stevenson writes that Yzerman made the right call in selecting P.K. Subban. The onus now falls on Team Canada coach Mike Babcock to figure out a way to use him. It's tough to see how Subban will crack the top six, but can he be effective in spot duty?
• While all the buzz is centered around the bubble players, Eric Duhatschek reminds us that Canada's Olympic hopes actually depend on such core stars as Carey Price, Duncan Keith and Sidney Crosby, who is more than ready to bear the load.
• You think Canadians have doubts about the ability of Rick Nash to contribute in Sochi? Rangers fans are wondering when he might start chipping in for the Blueshirts, too.
• Daniel Alfredsson was inspired to stick around one more season in part for the chance to play for Sweden in the Olympics. Now that he's made the roster, there's talk that he may have a little more hockey left in him than he thought.
• Gotta love this tweet from Gabriel Landeskog after he learned he'd made Team Sweden.
• After seeing Russia's roster officially unveiled, Matt Larkin explains why the host country is the clear gold medal favorite.
• Olympic dreams spring eternal.
• Did a pair of flukey goals reignite the Maple Leafs' goaltending controversy? Brutal doesn't begin to describe these two miscues by Jonathan Bernier.
• Darren Dreger reports that the Sabresare closing in on their new GM and suggests that the Oilers are very willing to deal forward Sam Gagner ... but he won't be cheap.
• This has to be one of the weirdest injuries you'll ever see.
• Pro tip: Try not to get cut by a skate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXAN3YGMtOc
• The weather-related postponement of last night's game between Buffalo and the Hurricanes could end up having an impact on other teams down the stretch.
• Rotator cuff surgery will sideline Blackhawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin for the rest of the season, and it could put his career in jeopardy.
• I can't stop watching this: