Samuelsson outraged by Olympic hockey snub

A day after forward Mikael Samuelsson slammed the Swedish national ice hockey team leadership for leaving him off the provisional Olympic roster, coach Bengt-Åke Gustafsson said he had no plans to reach out to the disgruntled right winger.

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The 33-year-old Samuelsson, who was a member of Sweden’s 2006 Olympic gold medal team and currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks, pulled no punches when he was asked about being left off the provisional Olympic roster on Sunday.

“I pretty much have one comment and maybe I'll regret it. But they can go fuck themselves. That's what I really think,” Samuelsson told the Canadian press in a post game interview on Sunday night.

The comments were considerably more pointed than those he initially offered to the Swedish press following his Olympic snub.

“It’s obvious I’m disappointed…but I’m biting my tongue so I don’t say too much,” he told the Aftonbladet newspaper.

While Samuelsson could theoretically still be added to the roster at a later date to accommodate possible injuries to other players, he indicated he wouldn’t be interested if head coach Gustafsson eventually called.

“Not a chance. If he doesn't want me, he doesn't want me,” Samulesson told the Canadian press.

Gustafsson was surprised by Samuelsson’s reaction, calling it “tragic”.

“I think it’s a shame that he expressed himself in that way,” the coach told Aftonbladet.

He added that he has no plans to contact Samuelsson to attempt to clear the air.

“Having made a statement like that, I don’t know if there is anything to clear up. There are 45 other players from the squad who also weren’t chosen, in which case I would have to call all of them,” Gustafsson said.

“I think that everyone should be treated equally; this is after all a team sport we’re dealing with.”

After finishing last season with the Detroit Red Wings, Samuelsson was traded to Vancouver where he has notched 10 goals and 14 assists in 39 games.