One of the top defencemen in the NHL won't be donning the red, white and blue in Milan.
New York Rangers blueliner Adam Fox told reporters on Thursday that he received a call from Team USA general manager Bill Guerin, saying that he was not named for the 25-man roster.
"I thought my play this year was worthy of it, and my track record as well," Fox said, per Peter Baugh of The Athletic, "but it's out of my hands at a certain point.
According to a report from ESPN's Emily Kaplan on Wednesday, Rangers personnel involved with the decision-making for Team USA — GM Chris Drury, head coach Mike Sullivan and assistant David Quinn — pushed for Fox to be included but "understood the decision especially given depth USA has on D."
Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan, also head coach for Team USA, told reporters he also spoke with Fox, but wanted to keep those conversations private.
"What I will tell you is these teams that are being picked are the best of the best. And there's so many good players and there are very, very difficult decisions that have to be made. It is a collaborative effort on everybody's part. And that's just the reality of the circumstances," Sullivan said Thursday. "We'll do our very best to be as professional and straightforward as we can be with everyone that's involved. But Foxy and I have had a number of conversations, and I'll keep those between us.“
Fox, 27, was one of the first six players named to the U.S. roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off last February. He was held without a point in four games and averaged 16:51 of ice time a night.
The Jericho, N.Y., native was activated off the long-term injured reserve by the Rangers on Wednesday. He suffered an upper-body injury on Nov. 29 and had missed just over a month. However, it's not clear if his omission from Team USA is partly due to the injury.
In his 28 games this season, the Rangers' alternate captain has four goals and 24 assists and is averaging 23:45 of ice time a night.
Since debuting with the Rangers in 2019, Fox has been selected to three All-Star Games and captured the Norris Trophy as the top defenceman in the NHL in the 2020-21 season. He has finished in the top five for Norris voting three other times in his career.
Team USA is set to reveal its 25-man roster on Friday on Good Morning America.
