Bobby Ryan wasn’t just excluded from the United States’ Olympic roster, he was the subject of some scathing criticism during the selection process. In particular, Calgary Flames president Brian Burke’s suggestion that Ryan “can’t spell intense” left Ryan feeling “degraded.”
Team USA general manager David Poile has since apologized and pointed to a misunderstanding between USA Hockey and embedded reports Kevin Allenand Scott Burnside as the reason those comments became public. He also specified that the blame shouldn’t be placed on the USA Today and ESPN writers.
Despite the public back-and-forth, Ryan still hasn’t talked directly with anyone on Team USA executive committee, according to the Ottawa Citizen. He’s aware of Poile’s explanation though.
“I guess it’s a nice sentiment,” Ryan said. “To be honest, I would just like it to go away and let’s move forward now.”
This also hasn’t soured him to Team USA in general. If they were to ask him to join the team as an injury replacement, Ryan would say yes without a moment’s thought.