Ruutu makes statement regarding WC

[Teemu]

In Urheilulehti, a Finnish sports magazine

"There has been lots of talk about do I play in team Finland. I am not.
Reason is quite simple. I`am not in 100% shape after long season. I didn`t pass my team (Hawks) examination. Desire to play in WC was huge.
Last games of the season I played with fury, cause I had all kind of injuries and more kept coming all the time. I just want to say that I am not the first guy to leave the ice because of injuries. The way I play, knocks just come you want it or not .
Maybe I could been able to play in WC, but I think it`s not worth to play in half condition. I can`t help the team enough.
I am just 21 and I have many hockey years ahed, also in national team. "

Click to read more...

 

[Hawkalyzer]

i feel bad for him

 

[Robertsson 4-ever]

Not any good news. Had been interesting to see would he could achieve in the Worlds.

 

[pihinalle]

That's one of the biggest mysteries. How the players can play in NHL with those injuries but not in Worlds?

 

[ZombieMatt]

That's one of the biggest mysteries. How the players can play in NHL with those injuries but not in Worlds?

Because it is his job to play in the NHL.

I don't particularly like Ruutu for his pre-NHL actions, but I do think he's making the right choice here.

 

[mole]

That's one of the biggest mysteries. How the players can play in NHL with those injuries but not in Worlds?

Because after a long, depressing (as a Hawks player, anyway), season with plenty of injuries, maybe you don't want to make it any longer than it has to be, and instead make sure that you are fit for the next season (except there isn't one, heh) in the leauge you earn your money in.

I'm not saying I agree with the choice, but I can see the reasoning behind it.

 

[Hawkalyzer]

Because it is his job to play in the NHL.

I don't particularly like Ruutu for his pre-NHL actions, but I do think he's making the right choice here.

his agent was the one who said Ruutu was the best player not in the NHL

it got misquoted and put onto TSN as the "best player in the world"

 

[Raimo Sillanpää]

I'd like to have seen Ruutu at the World's. I think he himself wanted to cement himself a top 6 forward spot for the World Cup team.
Now it's a mystery as to weather he'd be the 2nd line left wing or the 3rd line centre. Had Tuomo taken part, that could have been experimented with and answered (ie how well would a Ruutu-Jokinen-whoever line work)

 

[psycho_dad*]

This is very interesting. Finland head coach Summanen said he spoke to Tuomo 3 times on the phone and every time he said "I am healthy and I want to play". I guess blackhawks management just threatened him with something to get that statement. Has happened to players before, but still sucks.

And no, it is not the right choise. There are international agreements on these things. Chicago could not keep him out of the games officially, so they had to do it behind closed doors with Tuomo.

 

[Jacob]

That's one of the biggest mysteries. How the players can play in NHL with those injuries but not in Worlds?

wtf, that's no mystery.

 

[GKJ]

I guess blackhawks management just threatened him with something to get that statement. Has happened to players before, but still sucks.

This is why there is a union. The Worlds have NOTHING to do with the NHL, and the only way the Blackhawks can stop Ruutu from playing against his will is if there is a contractual loophole in Ruutu's agreement.

 

[Pekka Lampinen]

The case has its suspicious sides (what with the evil Hawks brass and all), but whatever discussion can sprawl from this topic is pretty ill-founded. The Hawks did send an account on Ruutu's health, for what it was worth: http://ww2.yle.fi/pls/show/frameUrheilu?id=246141 (in Finnish)

Should this happen again, the federation in question must know which strings to pull. They can gather a group of the country's NHL players (union members) behind a petition to the NHLPA to investigate a case where an NHL organization potentially restricts a player's freedom out of overprotective selfishness.