After indicating earlier this week that he wouldn’t play in the World Cup of Hockey if he didn’t feel 100 percent recovered from offseason hip surgery, David Krejci was removed from Team Czech Republic's active roster from on Friday, according to Czech TV Nova Sport reporter Zdenek Matejovksy.
“It’s another day closer. I did a little bit more stuff today and I’m obviously already on the ice, so I’m kind of getting there. This injury takes time, but I like where I’m at right now,” said Krejci, who originally hurt the left hip in the final preseason game prior to the 2014-15 seasons. “Every day is a step closer. I’m excited for tomorrow. If you asked me a long time ago [about the World Cup] then I would have said ‘yes’, but right now I just want to get to 100 percent.
“If I’m ready then that would be awesome, but if not then I have to do what I have to do to be 100 percent. I’m in contact with the national team coach, and we talk pretty every week. They’re asking about my updates, so they know what’s going on. I’m sure they have some backup plan if it’s not going to work out. We’ll see what happens.”
Krejci and the Czech team needed to make a decision by this weekend with training camps about to get started for each of the eight teams with the tourney just a couple of weeks away.
Krejci had left hip surgery back in late April, and had just resumed skating two weeks ago while starting to ramp things up with his teammates during captain’s practices this week at Warrior Ice Arena. The 30-year-old playmaking center exited the ice every day this week when his teammates started to get into the more strenuous skating drills.
Skipping the World Cup might be a bitter pill for Krejci given how much he enjoys international competition, but it’s the right move for the player and the team with plenty riding on him returning to full health this season. As it is there are still a large number of Bruins players taking part in the World Cup, including Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Tuukka Rask, David Pastrnak, David Backes, Zdeno Chara and former Bruins D-man Dennis Seidenberg.
The two-week tournament will include eight teams — Team Canada, Team Czech Republic, Team Europe, Team Finland, Team North America, Team Russia, Team Sweden and Team USA — and feature more than 170 of the best players in the NHL, and will get under way Sept. 17 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.