Primeau's exclusion was due to injury
By AL STRACHAN -- Toronto Sun
When Team Canada was selected, most of the choices met with the fans' approval.
But it came as a shock to many that Keith Primeau of the Philadelphia Flyers was left off the team, while teammate Simon Gagne was selected.
It appears that there was a reason for Primeau's exclusion, although no one would admit it at the time. Primeau still was feeling the effects of a concussion suffered in February.
"He's just getting over it now," Flyers coach and Team Canada assistant Ken Hitchcock said.
"It's just now that he has no dizziness. At the end of the playoffs, he didn't have any dizziness, but he still had headaches. And it took time for it to heal."
So the concussion was a factor in Primeau's exclusion from the team?
HUGE FACTOR
"It was a huge factor," Hitchcock said. "It was a decision that we talked over with him, but he just felt that he needed to look after himself.
"He talked it over with Clarkie (Flyers general manager Bob Clarke). He talked it over with myself. When it came time to make the decision, he asked me to (remove his name from consideration).
"He said, 'Look, I don't think in fairness to everyone else I can get myself in shape to play.' "
Hitchcock said that Primeau has accepted not being a part of Team Canada and is satisfied with his hockey status.
"He's really happy in his role," Hitchcock said "He's really happy with his image in the city now.
"He's just happy to be one of those top third-line players. I think it has made him a far better player. Some guys fight that their whole career. They don't want to be that player.
"But in the end, he's probably going to get better offensive numbers.
"He's going to play against good players and big players take chances. That's how he got all his scoring chances in the playoffs."
