Kessel: Tweet heard 'round hockey world 'wasn't directed at anyone'

Phil Kessel wasn't trying to call anyone out following Team USA's loss to Canada on Tuesday.

The Pittsburgh Penguins winger appeared to roast the American men's hockey program in the aftermath of a disappointing World Cup performance, tweeting, "Just sitting around the house tonight with my dog. Felt like I should be doing something important, but couldn't put my finger on it."

Several players on the U.S. roster took exception to the barb, leading Kessel to clarify the tweet.

"Of course it wasn't directed at the players," Kessel said in a text exchange with ESPN's Joe McDonald. "I know how tough it is to play the game. It wasn't directed at anyone."

The tweet has drawn almost 70,000 retweets, and clearly many saw it as implicit criticism of Kessel not being named to the roster following impressive showings in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs and the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.