Phil Kessel struck the first blow, and now fellow American Bobby Ryan has added his own two cents.
Following Team USA's 4-2 elimination loss to Team Canada at the World Cup, and a Twitter user's suggestion that he should be more critical after his omission from the roster, Ryan took a shot at the U.S. hockey organization.
@dipduncs nah..kill USA hockey with kindness and maybe they'll let me play over 35 adult worlds if I'm not a defensive liability by then.
— Bobby Ryan (@b_ryan9) September 21, 2016
Ryan, a four-time 30-plus-goal scorer, recorded 56 points with the Ottawa Senators last season, and participated with Team USA on three occasions, most recently the 2012 World Championships. However, he was left off the 2014 Olympics squad, after Brian Burke, now a senior advisor with USA Hockey, criticized his lack of intensity.
Ryan's tweet is the latest backlash against the organization. General manager Dean Lombardi envisioned a roster that could best Team Canada, opting to build for size and grit, and leaving fewer spots for talented goal-scorers like Ryan and Kessel.
Team USA was eliminated after losing its first two games, scoring just twice while allowing a combined seven goals.
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