Martin St. Louis was crushed.

Logan Couture was disappointed.

Eric Staal wants to prove Steve Yzerman was wrong.

Claude Giroux watched his dream snatched away from him.

And Brent Seabrook looks forward “to watching, maybe having a few beers and relaxing over the break.”

When you are members of the most famous “Snub Club” in the country, it definitely is a tough pill to swallow.

For players such as St. Louis, Couture, Staal, Giroux and Seabrook, going from strong Olympic roster candidates to mere spectators like the rest of us in Canada, well, for some of hockey’s elite, it will take some getting used to.

These were players who all thought they might make it — and rightly so. In the end, it didn’t work out that way.

“It was a little emotional when he got the news,” Lightning forward Steven Stamkos said of St. Louis, the man he calls his “big brother figure.”

“It’s tough. I don’t know what more you can do or expect from him to be able to make this team.

“For me it’s tough to see Marty as upset as he was. He may not admit it, but he’s worked extremely hard to try to get an opportunity to get himself in the mix.”

St. Louis won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading scorer last season.

Couture was told by Team Canada officials that his impending surgery to repair a reported hand injury had nothing to do with his being passed over. That came as little relief to the San Jose Sharks forward, whose dreams of going to Sochi were steamrolled on Tuesday.

“It’s been tough,” Couture told the Sharks website. “Getting the call that I wasn’t on the team was very difficult.

“Honestly I never thought the injury would affect it, I thought I gave myself the best chance. It doesn’t get any easier being left off this team. The Olympics only come around every four years. It’s tough to take right now.

“They picked a good team. I have a biased opinion, but I thought I deserved to be on that team.”

The Flyers’ Giroux looked to be a lock not so long ago, but has been questioned by critics recently over his perceived lack of consistency. The glut of talent at centre did not help the uber-talented Giroux’s chances either.

“It’s tough today,” Giroux said, nearly coming to tears. “It’s obviously disappointing. It was one of my dreams to be playing for Team Canada. I did the best I could and I didn’t make it.”

Staal has endured his share of bumps and bruises this season but still thinks he should have made it.

“Does it feel good to be left off the team? No,” said the Hurricanes forward, who represented Canada in 2010. “Do I feel I’m good enough to be on the team? Yes. I feel I’ve proven that.

“Do I think they made a mistake? I hope to prove that. They went a different way. That’s life.”

Seabrook, meanwhile, played well at the Vancouver Olympics but questions about his footspeed on the bigger ice in Russia may have cost him a spot.

Of course, give the Hawks defenceman credit — he has the proper attitude.

Anyone need a brew?

Lou’s Crew!

A sharp-tongued Mike Babcock had a message for all those Roberto Luongo bashers out there who claim Team Canada won gold in 2010 despite the veteran goaltender’s play, not because of it.

“When he looks up at his mantle and sees his 2004 world hockey championships medal and his 2010 gold medal from Vancouver, I don’t think he really cares what other people think,” Babcock said Tuesday in defence of Luongo, who went 6-0 with a 1.76 goals-against average at the Winter Games four years ago.

What a difference a year has made for Luongo.

Twelve months ago, he figured he’d be wearing a Maple Leaf on his chest.

A blue-and-white one, not the red crest associated with the Canadian Olympic team.

Back in January 2013, Luongo wasn’t even No. 1 on his NHL team, let alone in the conversation as being the starter in Sochi. Vancouver Canucks management had been vocal in putting their support behind Cory Schneider as being their main man, leaving Luongo believing he was Toronto bound in a deal to the Maple Leafs that would reunite him with former Canucks GM David Nonis.

Instead, Luongo still is a Canuck and is expected to battle Carey Price for Team Canada’s starting job. As for Schneider, well, he’s a New Jersey Devil.

“This is my third time, and it’s just as special as the first two times,” Luongo told reporters. “I’m very excited and looking forward to it. Last time around, it was fun to play in front of (home) fans, but this is a different story.”

In the process, it’s good to see Luongo hasn’t lost his sense of humour.

On his phantom twitter account @strombone1, Luongo posted an item during Team Canada’s roster announcement ceremonies that said “Time Limit!” Most observers felt Luongo was taking a playful shot at Marcel Aubut, who rambled on and on during his introductory speech while an entire country waited for the 25 players to be officially released.

Who Needs A Pair?

While there is no guarantee that picking NHL teammates ensures that they’ll play together in Sochi, Team Canada officials certainly have no shortage of dynamic duos.

The list incudes Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz; Anaheim’s Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf; Chicago’s Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews; and the St. Louis defence tandem of Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Pietrangelo.

Crosby is thrilled that Kunitz will be joining him in Sochi.

“Really happy,” Crosby said. “He’s done a lot of things to earn the right to play on the team.”

Captain’s Log

Babcock said a decision and subsequent announcement regarding Team Canada’s captain and assistants would be coming in about two weeks.

The choice here would be Crosby wearing the “C” with Nashville’s Shea Weber, Chicago’s Jonathan Toews, Blackhawks teammate Duncan Keith and/or Boston’s Patrice Bergeron each getting an “A.” Any combination of those four and you couldn’t go wrong.

There is a feeling among those around Team Canada that if Crosby doesn’t get the “C,” it will go to Toews.

By the way, according to a Team Canada official, the squad’s cap hit is about $144.4 million US. That should buy you a lot of caviar over in Russia.

London Calling

Four years ago, Jeff Carter was the Giroux, the St. Louis, the Joe Thornton.

In other words, the odd man out.

So, when Kings defenceman Drew Doughty found out that Carter, his childhood buddy from London, would be on the 2014 team, he was stoked.

“I was pumped for him — we’re both two London boys,” Doughty told reporters in Los Angeles. “We’ve known each other since we were young. Just grew up around the corner from each other. So for us to be on the team together is really special. A special time for both our families.”

In 2010, Carter was put on call in case a banged up Ryan Getzlaf could not answer the bell in Vancouver. Getzlaf was able to play, however, leaving Carter on the outside looking in.

“Obviously it is exciting,” Carter said. “I missed out on this four years ago. It is something I have been working towards the past four years. It is a huge opportunity for a Canadian kid to go over there and represent your country while playing with and against the best players in the world. “

Quote/Unquote

“You’ve got to keep your head up and keep a smile on your face. It’s tough.”

— Pittsburgh’s James Neal, who was not selected

“Winning is fun and winning again is even funner. And that’s not even a word.”

— Roberto Luongo

“I was trying to hold the tears in this morning. It’s something you dream about as a kid. I’m speechless.”

— Team Canada goalie Mike Smith

“Look at the roster. Canada’s really stacked. I’ve had the privilege of playing in the Olympics and the World Cup.”

— Sharks F Joe Thornton, who understands why he was passed over