Tyler Seguin replaced on Team Canada roster just prior to World Cup of Hockey
Yet another NHL star will miss the World Cup of Hockey, as Tyler Seguin will not compete for Team Canada when the tournament officially begins this Saturday in his hometown of Toronto.
After playing in a few exhibition games with the Canadian squad, it was announced on Tuesday that the 24-year-old Dallas Stars forward will reportedly miss the World Cup due to a minor knee injury. It's unknown when exactly Seguin suffered the injury -- though he did violently slide into the endboards during a pre-tournament game against the USA this week -- but his status is reportedly week-to-week.
Seguin, who would have been competing in his first major international tournament with Team Canada, was quickly replaced on the roster with Buffalo Sabres forward Ryan O'Reilly. He joins Stars teammate Jamie Benn and Kings forward Jeff Carter on the list of offensive threats who were replaced after being named to Canada's initial WCH roster.
"I'm disappointed that I can't represent Team Canada at the World Cup of Hockey," said Seguin in a statement on Tuesday. "Any time your country calls, it's a great honor and is something every kid from Canada dreams about getting the chance to do. While I'm upset that I don't get the opportunity to play, I understand the situation Team Canada is in with a short tournament. I wish all the best for that team and the good news is that I'll get to be with my Stars teammates from day one."
Despite the understandable disappointment, all signs point to this being the cautious play for all parties involved. Team Canada didn't want to gamble on Seguin, who could not have been replaced on the roster once the tournament began, and it wouldn't make sense for Seguin to risk his own health just prior to the start of the NHL regular season. As of right now, he's expected to be ready to go for the start of Stars training camp.
Update: Seguin's injury is reportedly his ankle, not his knee. And Team Canada coach Mike Babcock doesn't seem thrilled about how it all went down.
