Rick Westhead of TSN: The NHL acknowledges there are more players using cocaine. The NHL has begun talking with the NHL Players Association to add cocaine and other drugs to the banned substances list.
The number of positives are more than they were in previous years and they’re going up, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told TSN. I wouldn’t say it’s a crisis in any sense. What I’d say is drugs like cocaine are cyclical and you’ve hit a cycle where it’s an ‘in’ drug again.
I’d be shocked if we’re talking about a couple dozen guys. I don’t want to be naïve here … but if we’re talking more than 20 guys I’d be shocked. Because we don’t test in a comprehensive way, I can’t say.
Players are only tested twice a year under the current terms of the NHL’s drug-testing program for performance enhancing steroids and other drugs.
Under the labour agreement, the league is only allowed to test 60 players during the offseason.
One-third of 2,400 player urine samples are collected and screened more closely for drug abuse, like cocaine.
Daly said drugs will be a focus this season as the NHL wants to educate its players on the dangers of celebrity life.
“One major point of emphasis is party drugs like coke, ecstasy, molly, those types of drugs,” Daly said. “When bad things happen, we try to address the bad things.”
During the 2014-15 season, a Toronto Maple Leafs team executive met with Toronto Police Services officers about concerns that Maple Leafs players were allegedly using or associating themselves around cocaine.
In 2014, Ryan Malone was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine. And this past summer Jarret Stoll was charged with cocaine possession in Las Vegas, but he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
“Jarret pleaded to breach of the peace,” Daly said. “In fairness, we met with Jarret. If we weren’t satisfied with the answers he was giving us, we would have potentially disciplined him. We chose not to.”
Former NHLer Todd Fedoruk on substance issues (via Rick Westhead of TSN):
You hear through the inner circle of players that guys are going through stuff. We have a different lifestyle that enables us, makes these choices easier. We’re protected. People will look out for us because of our status and because at heart we’re pretty good guys. It enables the behaviour that can get out of control. A normal person wouldn’t be able to get away with the stuff we do. I got away with stuff because I was a hockey player.
Like getting pulled over by the cops. You’re drunk, but they’re like, ‘You’re drunk, but get home, take care of yourself.’ For me it happened a few times. Driving around and you had a few drinks, and the cop could tell but he was a season ticket holder. So he’d follow you home. I guess it’s a good thing but it enables bad things down the road. I’m not saying it happened every night.
There’s got to be one or two guys on every team with problems. That’s been my experience.