http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/hockey/canadiensstory.html?id=66e91eed-6f7b-48ba-a557-b908256257a5&k=99577

Seven Canadiens will head for the World Hockey Championship in Latvia, but several others turned down a chance to play for their countries


Christopher Higgins said the Canadiens' representation at the World Hockey Championship is a reflection of the way outsiders view the team's talent.

"I think people look at this team and see we have talent and a lot of the players are young guys who are going to get better," the rookie forward said.

Higgins could have been going to Riga, Latvia, with Team USA, but he declined an invitation because he is banged up after a difficult season. Now that the Canadiens' season is over, a number of players revealed they were less than 100 per cent during the playoffs.

"I've had my wrist taped all season and I still haven't fully recovered from that groin injury I had,"said Higgins, who joined his teammates at the Bell Centre yesterday for the final team meeting of the season. "The wrist made it difficult to shoot the puck with the strength I'd like to have. At any other time, I'd love to go to the world championship, but it's more important to rest and think about next season."

Higgins's longtime friend and fellow New Yorker Mike Komisarek will be on Team USA.

"I got the call yesterday and I was surprised," said the defenceman, who admitted to some health problems of his own. "I pinched the meniscus (in his knee) in Game 3 and there was some pain, but I was able to play through it. It's nothing serious, nothing that would require surgery."

Komisarek will be joined in Latvia by Alexander Perezhogin (a native of Kazakhstan who will play for Russia), Jan Bulis and Tomas Plekanec (Czech Republic), Mark Streit and David Aebischer (Switzerland) and minor-leaguer Andrei Kostitsyn (Belarus).

The list of Canadiens who declined invitations is almost as long.

Craig Rivet, who won a gold medal with Team Canada in 2003, will stay home to spend some time with his family.

Francis Bouillon, the Quebecer who qualifies for Team USA because he was born in New York, will stay home because his injured left ankle isn't 100 per cent.

Saku Koivu, who is the longtime captain of Team Finland, is on the sidelines with the eye injury he suffered during the playoffs, while Richard Zednik declined an invitation to play for Slovakia.

Russian Olympian Andrei Markov said he didn't receive an invitation to play for Russia. That would seem unusual, but Markov and Alexei Kovalev were probably bypassed because the Russians are looking at a younger team with an eye toward the 2010 Olympics.

Michael Ryder's 30-goal season didn't attract any attention from Team Canada, but he said he probably would have turned down an invite because he has been bothered for most of the season by a herniated disc inf his neck. Ryder said surgery isn't needed, but he's looking forward to some rest.

phickey@thegazette.canwest.com

© The Gazette (Montreal) 2006


Defenceman Mark Streit, who will captain Switzerland at the World Hockey Championship, packs up at the Bell Centre.