An unfortunate turn of events leaves Bobby Ryan stranded alone in Europe on Christmas
While many of us were able to spend Christmas with our families, friends and loved ones, a rather large contingent of hockey players were gathered in Switzerland, away from those closest to them, to take part in the Spengler Cup.
Free agent forward Bobby Ryan counted himself among those who were sacrificing the chance to be home for the holidays in order to take part in the tournament. Unfortunately for Ryan, the tournament was cancelled on short notice, stranding him in Europe, where he had to spend Christmas alone.
"Wasn't meant to be," Ryan tweeted out on Saturday. "Merry Christmas from Davos. Really gutted I am missing Christmas morning at home for nothing. But thankful I got to see Switzerland for a week. Fingers crossed for negative test and a quick flight back!"
You have to feel for Ryan, who has certainly been through the emotional ringer during his NHL career, dealing with some personal struggles along the way, and overcoming some serious demons in an attempt to keep his dream alive.
Ryan, 34, played 33 games for the Detroit Red Wings in 2020-21, recording 7 goals and 7 assists for 14 points over that span.
The Cherry Hill, NJ native was unable to secure an NHL contract in free agency this season. The Spengler Cup would have provided Ryan with a great opportunity to prove that he still has plenty of hockey left in him with a strong performance on the international stage.
