TheRussianRocket. Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/sens-ryan-upset-with-burkes-gutless-comments/ Bobby Ryan is not happy with Brian Burke or USA Hockey after the Ottawa Senators forward was left off the United States’s Olympic roster Wednesday. Ryan was especially ticked off with Burke’s comments that appeared in an all-access ESPN.com article Wednesday detailing the five-month selection process, one in which the Calgary Flames president of hockey operations and acting general manager questioned the intensity of the 26-year-old. “He is not intense. That word is not in his vocabulary,” Burke said during a USA personnel meeting. “It’s never going to be in his vocabulary. He can’t spell intense.” “He’s a passive guy.” The Senators forward fired back on Thursday, claiming Burke’s comments were “gutless.” Ryan said he received a missed call from Burke when the U.S. team was announced, but learned about his omission from TV. According to ESPN, the USA brass felt that if Ryan was not going to play on the team’s top two lines, he would be a poor fit on the third or fourth line due to his lack of speed and defensive prowess. Burke, the director of player personnel for Team USA, has worked with Ryan extensively throughout his career. He was part of the staff in Anaheim that drafted Ryan with the second overall pick in the 2005 NHL Draft. Also in the ESPN article, Burke said he debated with scouts about whether to draft defenceman Jack Johnson instead of Ryan. “I should have taken Jack,” Burke told ESPN.com. In 42 games this season with Ottawa, Ryan has 18 goals and 18 assists in with a plus-10 rating. ...what classless comments from Burkie. Yea he might be a good GM, but this just adds to his already bad reputation. Especially saying "I should have taken Jack" instead of Ryan in the draft was just overkill. What a prick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xbox Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 I honestly have no idea why both Ryan and Yandle didn't make it. Burke is a complete idiot. Thank god he's not responsible for Canada's team. Enjoy having Faulk over Yandle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboose Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 There has to be more going on between these two than we currently see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etsen3 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Great opportunity for Bobby Ryan to prove Burke wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRussianRocket. Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 There has to be more going on between these two than we currently see. What I'm guessing too. And also, Erik and Jack Johnson not making the team but guys like Faulk made it...such a head scratcher but hey, as long as it doesn't thread Canada I'm fine.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warhippy Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 All I know is that the US is a lot weaker without Ryan and Yandle. As a Canadian I am sending Burke a thank you card. You take out your best pure goal scoring threat that has an actual 2 way game and arguably your best and most mobile D man. And you have the stones to call them Gutless and a disaster while doing it. Ya I am sure that is going to translate into a medal Burkie Again, not sure why they did it but as a hockey fan cheering for my country. I would be equally as happy if the Swedes left out the Sedins and Karlsson and the Russians Ovechkin and Kovalchuk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langdon Algur Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Loved the ESPN article and for fans it's great to hear GM's honest opinions of players, but of course fall out like this had to be expected. You can't fault Burke for sharing his honest opinion in a closed meeting, all others in the room did the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ghost of Tom Joad Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 The strange thing is, Burke was prominently featured in the documentary, "The Secret Life of Bobby Ryan", and he had nothing but good things to say about him on there. Frankly, regardless of what you think of Ryan's work ethic or whatever, it does not change the fact that he is 3rd in goalscoring among American born players in the last 3 years, after only Kessel and Kane. I don't understand how you can leave off a natural goalscorer, or say that he does not fit on the top 2 lines, especially in tournament like the Olympics where it's single elimination and goals matter, not grinding away the opponent as you would in series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chauncey Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 There has to be more going on between these two than we currently see. Typical leafs fan comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KING ALBERTS Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 you guys can critisize burke all you want, but the man knows how to build a winner... and IMO the stanley cup is harder to win than gold - forget ryan, i think burkes going to be the one proving people wrong. and ryan is so over-rated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRussianRocket. Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 and ryan is so over-rated. The strange thing is, Burke was prominently featured in the documentary, "The Secret Life of Bobby Ryan", and he had nothing but good things to say about him on there. Frankly, regardless of what you think of Ryan's work ethic or whatever, it does not change the fact that he is 3rd in goalscoring among American born players in the last 3 years, after only Kessel and Kane. I don't understand how you can leave off a natural goalscorer, or say that he does not fit on the top 2 lines, especially in tournament like the Olympics where it's single elimination and goals matter, not grinding away the opponent as you would in series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ice orca Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Burke didn't build the Ducks, he came in and added a couple of pieces and rode off with all the glory. Can't grasp the context of leaving Yandle off the US team, maybe Poile hates him for playing for the Yote's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tearloch7 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 you guys can critisize burke all you want, but the man knows how to build a winner... and IMO the stanley cup is harder to win than gold - forget ryan, i think burkes going to be the one proving people wrong. and ryan is so over-rated. Just which team did he build into a 'winner'?? .. it can only be the Leafs, and he only partially 'built' them, and all they have won was the worst hockey 'spectacle' I have ever seen .. I would rather watch an All-Star game than that farce called the "Winter Classic" .. classic crap, says I !! .. I would take Yandle ahead of most of the American defensemen chosen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gross-Misconduct Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Like I said before, I don't know why Ryan and Yandle were left off but I'm glad. I want the weakest USA team possible. But Burke once again showed no class what so ever. Typical Burke. He knew he was gonna get flak over the Ryan omission so he decides to go on the offensive. That's always been his MO. Burke making it about Burke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burrows' Breath Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Classless. Absolutely classless. I am a Burke fan, but my opinion of him just fell more than a few notches. Bobby Ryan deserves better than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langdon Algur Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 The strange thing is, Burke was prominently featured in the documentary, "The Secret Life of Bobby Ryan", and he had nothing but good things to say about him on there. Frankly, regardless of what you think of Ryan's work ethic or whatever, it does not change the fact that he is 3rd in goalscoring among American born players in the last 3 years, after only Kessel and Kane. I don't understand how you can leave off a natural goalscorer, or say that he does not fit on the top 2 lines, especially in tournament like the Olympics where it's single elimination and goals matter, not grinding away the opponent as you would in series. The problem is the two guys above him also play RW, which leaves little room for Ryan in the top 6 unless one of those players moves to their off wing. Personally I would have taken Ryan and gone with 3 pure offence lines but I guess team USA wanted more defensive players in their bottom 6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Kane Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Classless. Absolutely classless. I am a Burke fan, but my opinion of him just fell more than a few notches. Bobby Ryan deserves better than that. I agree. Excluding Ryan is one thing, if Burke doesn't want him then don't pick him. But why public make these remarks and embarrass Ryan like that. Ryan has played for team USA on at least 3 previous occasions and performed well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Shotgun Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Burke the buffoon is at it again. Only Theo Fleury could be considered as big a media whore as Burke. Why people consider him a winner amazes me. Hartford notta...Vancouver notta....Anaheim well he really didn't build the team....Toronto notta. Calgary so far is smitten but give it 4/5 years and a sacrificial GM of his choosing and they too will see him as a blowhard and tie the can to him as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langdon Algur Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Like I said before, I don't know why Ryan and Yandle were left off but I'm glad. I want the weakest USA team possible. But Burke once again showed no class what so ever. Typical Burke. He knew he was gonna get flak over the Ryan omission so he decides to go on the offensive. That's always been his MO. Burke making it about Burke. People really need to read the ESPN article this is based on. It wasn't Burke going out and holding a press conference on Ryan it was based on the US selection committee allowing a reporter to listen in on their inner discussions, something they will likely never do again. If a GM can't state his honest opinion of a player when asked during a selection commitee meeting how the heck do you expect them to ever come to an agreement on the team makeup? Not a fan of Burke but I don't think he's to blame at all here given the context of the quotes. Here's the orginal article the quotes are included in: http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/10195703/how-us-hockey-team-bound-sochi-olympics-was-named Edit- Also remember Burke did include Ryan when he was GM in 2010, this year it's Poille whose GM so the ultimate decision to exclude Ryan was Poiles not Burkes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoolander Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Faulk over Yandle Brown/Stepan over Ryan.... Those decisions are awful, and it's gonna make Canada's roster look "really,really,ridiculously, good-looking" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.