GLENDALE – At the end of the season, goalie Mike Smith wasn't sure if he wanted to play for Team Canada at the 2015 IIHF World Championship.
He was honored to have been invited, of course, but he'd just finished a challenging and frustrating season with the Arizona Coyotes and the annual international tournament was thousands of miles away in the Czech Republic. On top of that, he had just played for Team Canada – and won a gold medal – last year at the Winter Olympics.
Clearly there were plenty of reasons for Smith to say thanks but no thanks to Team Canada and skip the World Championship.