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The Kerrzy Report: Does the NHL Have Issues?
Blog — By Kerrzy on September 8, 2011 10:05 AM
Are headshots and concussions the biggest issues facing the NHL right now?
Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby met with the media on Wednesday to update his battle with post-concussion symptoms, and pulled no punches when asked if he thinks the expanded Rule 48 goes far enough in the fight against headshots.
Under the new rule, most hits to the head will now result in a minor penalty. The 24-year-old Crosby, who hasn’t played since early January, says though that there’s no reason why there shouldn’t be an all-out ban on headshots in the NHL.
I bet Marc Savard, David Perron and countless others would agree with him there (though Scott Stevens might not), but is player safety as it pertains to headshots and concussions really the biggest problem facing the league right now?
Maybe not.
There were two articles that caught my eye this week, both hinting at a much bigger problem within the ranks of the NHL.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Michael Russo recently spoke with Ryan Boogaard about the life and death of his brother Derek, who spent five years with the Minnesota Wild before moving on to the NY Rangers.
It turns out that Boogaard struggled with an addiction to painkillers and was in and out of rehab twice between 2009 and his death in May of this year, which was caused by an accidental overdose of alcohol and Oxycodone. His other brother is accused of giving him the drugs that day, but Russo says some players have also admitted to sharing prescription drugs like Percocet with teammates as well.
Ryan Boogaard says in the article that there is “a lot of prescription pill drug abuse in the NHL.”
Former Philadelphia Flyers tough guy Riley Cote lends some credibility to that statement in an interview with Men’s Health from earlier this month, entitled “The NHL’s Worst Summer Ever.”
The Adirondack Phantoms assistant coach, who recently retired from the NHL after four seasons, says the life of a hockey enforcer is a struggle, both mentally and physically. For the physical pain, there are pills, which Cote says also end up masking the emotional pain.
He says teams don’t push drugs on players, but it’s easy enough to get them if you want them.
“A lot of these guys are getting them from the black market, not from their doctors. Of course, doctors are over-prescribing them, too. You hear about it all the time – somebody injures a hand and winds up with a prescription for 30 Percocet and two refills.”
Cote says he thinks drugs like Oxycodone should be banned from pro sports, because “those things are designed for emergency cases,” adding that he knows people who are addicted to them and they are “bad news.” At the very least, he says the NHL should closely monitor what trainers have in their stock and if pills go missing, somebody should be in trouble.
Does the NHL have a drug problem?
It’s probably no worse in hockey than it is in any of the other major pro sports, but that doesn’t mean the league shouldn’t give this the same treatment as its battle to reduce concussions.
If we learn anything from the tragic deaths that have rocked the NHL community this summer, it should be that looking out for the mental health of players is just as important as making sure they’re safe on the ice.
What do you think: Should the NHL look into reports of prescription pill drug abuse, or is it probably just a few isolated problems?
101 Comments
head shots are obviously a big problem that needs to be fixed
not much to do even with all the new rules that can be implemented its still a tough thing to stop its hockey its gonna happen
i agree, you cant stop injuries in a contact sport
the only way they’ll stop them is by turning us into a sport like basketball… that’d be the day i die
There isn’t much you can do to prevent certain hits where you lay a guy out open ice and he hits his head off the ice, where you actually hit someone in the head yeah its brutal and should be penalized but I mean a lot of these injuries (not crosby’s mind you) come from guys hitting their head on the ice, not getting hit in the head, even look back to Nick Kypreos… he got the conky from a fight then hitting his head off the ice.
yes
Head shots are a problem, and something needs to be done about it. On the prescription abuse, I think it is absolutely something that should be looked into. They have now heard guys with first hand accounts of these things happening. It won’t hurt to look into it.
I agree
there should be something done about the drugs in the show period, half of the Habs wouldnt be playing anymore
Look into it now before the NHL turns into the MLB steroids chronicles.
headshots are definitely a problem, but they can also be fixed. I absolutely agree with the NHL monitoring the use of perscription drugs
i agree NHL need to monitor perscription drug abuse
Like they say, “it only takes a few bad apples to ruin the bunch”.
head shots really need to be dealt with
Nhl should definitely monitor prescription drugs
the nhl has some work to do.
yes they d0!
its the players fault, you need to be aware at all times, oviously theres gunna be dirty plays, but you need tough guys to police that. get rid of the instigater rule!!
as for the prescription abuse, drs should have tighter regulations on mandating prescription to players. all 3 deaths this summer can be linked to drug abuse
should so something about it
head shots = major problem
head shots are the worse
head shots are scary def a problem
I agree, somethings gotta be done
NHL should definitely look into it
Headshots a problem? yes
Painkiller abuse? after hearing from Ryan Boogaard, clearly yes
But also an alarming trend is depression when faced with the reality of your career ending. Perhaps the NHLPA should re-evaluate their policies on preparing players for life after hockey (yes boys there is life after puck). Better insurance coverage, better education on investing money, life planning, mandatory post career psych evaluations?…the harsh reality that your time as a player is coming to an end, this thing that has defined you since probably you could walk, will be over. Then what will you have? Will people still love you? Will you be able to continue providing for your family? It needs to be addressed so we never have a repeat of this summer.
couldnt agree more
its terrible
Stevens hits were all clean. Leveled dudes with there heads down. First rule in puck
shouldnt have ur head down
This beaut knows the case
sure
keep your head up
Such a great article on Boogy in the star trib.
drug addiction is bigger than most people realize
head shots are awful
Head shots are a problem, NHL needs to monitor the drug usuage better,
head shots are a problem, but in a game like hockey they’re going to happen, but the NHL should do everything it can to help minimize the number of head shots that happen
the hit crosby received wasn’t really that bad. A headshot that deserved a minor yea but when Headshots are given out like the Cooke/Savard hit then suspensions and fines should be put into place.
they definitely need to watch the head shots
Hockeys the best game in the world but headshots need to be out of our game.
headshots are the biggest problem
absolutly agree
All the serious talk about headshots didn’t begin until Crosby got hurt. His injury was the result of a combination of not paying attention himself and an incompetent medical staff–not a dirty play.
hitting is a part of the game, you cant avoid it.
its a part of the game but can and should be prevented
Nhl has some work to do for sure
Headshots are a major issue today, needs to come to an end. Constant head trauma leads to more severe issues..
They need to look in to it. Sure it might not be any worse than in any other leagues. But come on now, how many more beauts have to die for this to end?
i would hate to see a superstar like crosby carrer come to an end to short would be brutal for the game
aside from elbows and hands up the only head shots that are bad are the shoulder to ONLY the head like this one, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z1vJrIAg-0
completely agree. people need to keep their elbows down
Take it easy on the head shots
I’m all for the removal of head shots from the game entirely. It wouldn’t stop physical play, if anything it would show who were truly the best ‘body checkers’ in the game. The Junior leagues no longer have head shots and it hasn’t taken away from the entertainment value at all. And especially now with head shots being taken out of junior hockey, do we want kids coming out of one league with no head shots and into the top mens league with head shots? Can only be problematic.
As for drugs? Painkillers is clearly an issue. Lower line players knowing that any time out of the lineup might cost them their job will pop too many pills to make sure they play on. It’s seen as macho, yet is potentially deadly in the long run and needs looked at. It’s also known that concussions can cause depression. Mix it all together and it’s not pretty.
Great article, apologies for the length of the reply!
yes it take action
The headshots can ruin careers. Gotta cut down on that
the NHL needs to take all of this and do something about it as long as it doesn’t ruin the game of hockey
head shots where the head is diretly targeted is the issue, a blanketed no contact to the head is not going to happen, too fast of a game to stop it
Players have to Have more respect for each other.
i’m not a big fan of the no head rule because it’s hockey not tennis, there is going to be a lot of contact and you know that when you sign your name on registration day
Head shots aren’t needed in the Show in order to keep the contact. Accidents happen, thats understandable, but deliberate attempts to hit someone where the damage can quickly become a life-altering and inhibiting injury needs to be taken out.
i agree with what is said here
They should be monitored but not banned. if someone is in legitimate pain then they should be able to do something about it.
if you can’t handle it don’t play hockey
Monitoring should probably be increased, but they shouldn’t be banned.
Good things
nice
beaut
very good read. Love the Kerzzy report…
We lost a few great enforcers this summer. obviously theres a few problems out there that needs some attention for the NHL
good read
NHL conspiracy, trying to get rid of all the the enforcers?
keep the enforcers
I agree with some of the above comments. We don’t want this to turn into the NBA, a weak game. After the lockout, officials haven’t let a lot of penalties go, the color commentators admit it. A lot of former players say a lot of tripping calls, interference calls, etc, would never have been called ten years ago. But that’s just officiating. In regards to headshots, there’s no room in the sport for that. What Matt Cooke does, elbowing to the head, knee to knee shots, he targets these areas. He should never be allowed to play in the NHL. But that does not mean eliminate enforcers. Fighting is a key identity to the sport of hockey. It’s the only sport where players can settle things like men. I think Shannahan is doing a fairly good job on suspensions and everything, but I just hope he’s not influenced by wimps like Mario Lemieux.
keep the enforcers!
monitor , but don’t ban. if someone is in legitimate pain, they should be able to do something about it
keep the enforcers
It was the saddest summer in the NHL. I forget who hit crosby but i remember watching i think mike rupp beat the shit out of him a few games later.
headshots = scary
Everbody has issues whether you like it or not its true …
Get rid of the instigator rule and make players more accountable. A lot of these head-shots are also cheap shots. Making someone accountable for their actions should put and end to it.
every game has issues
just getting worse
They’ve got some work to do
no
keep the enforcers
Ya
nope
Everyone who says that the NHL has issues with fighting and concussions haven’t ever stepped on the ice they’re a bunch of media conartists who know how to use rhetoric and shape issues to create public appeal…. thats how they sell stories. Lets get real hockey is no more dangerous than football or soccer for that matter they just see an opportunity to make a story so they ride on it and beat the s**t outta it until something happens then they move on to the ‘next big’ issue
nooo
have an issue? grab a tissue, brutal
nah
Just get rid of Matt Cooke, and you’ll see a significant drop in headshots. What a scumbag.
the guy has been a good discplined player this year. the league needs to take a look at the chl head shot rules and go from there
agreed ^
Beauty
everything has issues
every sport has issues
Yee^
yep
pretty sick