Is the NHL as squeaky clean as its drug-testing failures indicate?

As far as major league sports go, the NHL is considered to be pretty clean when it comes to the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). In fact, just five players have been banned under the league and players’ association drug policy in the past 10 years. Two of those suspensions have been handed down this season though as 24-year-old defenceman Jarred Tinordi of the Arizona Coyotes was just hit with a 20-game ban on March 11th after failing a drug test. Shawn Horcoff of the Anaheim Ducks received the same punishment earlier this campaign while other players suspended in the past were Zenon Konopka, Sean Hill and Carter Ashton.

But some people feel the NHL isn’t as clean as its image suggests and the drug-testing system is too lax. There are approximately 800 NHL players on the ice during any given season with the average salary being about U.S. $2.6 million. Major League Baseball has suspended a minimum of 35 players since 2007 and the NFL claims that well over 100 players have failed tests. On the other hand, the NBA is also relatively clean with just eight players being banned. This leads many fans to believe the NHL is more or less squeaky clean in regards to illegal substance use. While MLB has suspended star players over the years such as Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun, those failing drug tests in the NHL have been fringe or journeymen players.

It’s possible that fourth-line NHL players are worried about losing their jobs and are trying to get an edge on their competition by taking PEDs. On the other hand, MLB stars are accused of cheating as a way to earn bigger contracts and get their names in the record books. Most NHL’ers who fail drug tests claim they didn’t knowingly take illegal drugs, but do admit they were given a list of all banned substances and are responsible for what they put into their bodies.

These players then release statements apologizing to their clubs, teammates, families and fans. They sit out 20 games and forfeiting the salary for those contests and then get on with their careers. The mandatory punishment for a first-time offender in the NHL is 20 games, which equates to about a quarter of a season while MLB hands out an 80-game ban, which is close to half a season and the NFL hands out a four-game ban for a first offence, which is also a quarter of a season.

The NHL and the players’ association agreed to a drug-testing program when they signed the last collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Drug tests can take place during the playoffs as well as the offseason to keep players on their toes. But critics point out there isn’t enough overall testing being done. Each team is tested just twice a year with the first test in training camp and the second taking place during the regular season. In addition, an individual player can be asked to take a random test during the regular and post seasons as long as it’s not on a game day.

During the offseason the NHL is allowed to test a maximum of just 60 players, which isn’t many considering the number of players in the league. The NFL performs approximately 14,000 tests per year. Also, NHL players tested in the offseason are given two-week’s notice beforehand. Since it’s not impossible to mask PED use, this gives an individual adequate amount of time to prepare. The actual testing is performed by a committee consisting of NHLPA and league representatives as well as a doctor nominated by each organization. However, under the current CBA, the league doesn’t test for HGH (Human Growth Hormone).

There are numerous hockey insiders and ex-players, such as Georges Laraque, who believe there is much more illegal-substance abuse going on in the NHL and there should be more testing. The NHL will have to wait for the next CBA to introduce more comprehensive tests though and the league recently announced it may consider adding cocaine and other recreational drugs to the banned-substance list. Currently, just one-third of NHL drug samples are tested for drugs such as cocaine. There have been several high-profile incidents of drug possession with NHL players over the past few years and this could be an effective way of reducing them. 

The Beasts Of The West

The NHL playoffs are approaching quickly. With less than 20 games to go until the battle for the Stanley Cup begins, teams are starting to get chimed in and refine their game. We’re going to take a look at a few of those teams, specifically the top contenders in the Western Conference.
There’s five main beasts in the West: Chicago, Dallas, St. Louis, Anaheim, and of course, the Los Angeles Kings. Chicago and LA are the consensus favorites, as per usual, to make it to the West final. That being said, Anaheim, Dallas and St. Louis will all have something to say about that. Let’s take a closer look at all five of these teams and a couple of their strengths and weaknesses.
Chicago Blackhawks
The defending Stanley Cup champions, the Chicago Blackhawks. What’s there to say? They are a very well rounded team that got even more dangerous at the trade deadline. They are the clear cut favorite to come out of the West, and undoubtedly the deepest team in the NHL. The additions of Ladd, Fleischmann and Weise at the deadline pushed this team over the top. I don’t believe there is a weakness on this team. Their third pairing on defense might be a minor concern with Van Riemsdyk and Gustafsson, but the Hawks tend to ride Seabrook and Keith come the playoffs.
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars will go as far as Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn take them. Dallas isn’t a particularly deep team, and they will run into trouble against teams like Chicago and LA that run a four line attack. That being said, Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn have shown they can put up some goals in a hurry. Dallas is a fun team that can score in bunches, but in a playoff series against a grinding team, they will be in some trouble. I don’t like their forward depth, and I am not a huge fan of their defensive core. Hamhuis would have been great shutdown defenseman for them, but they chose to go with Russell.
St. Louis Blues
It seems like we’ve been waiting forever for this team to finally break out and go on a playoff run. Will this year be that year? They have the defensive core to challenge any team in the West on any given night, and they do have the game changers in Tarasenko and Steen. St. Louis is one of those teams that just needs to click at the right time. Jake Allen seems to have cemented himself as the #1 goalie they have always needed. We won’t know till April when it counts. I’m looking at depth on this team, can Jaskin, Lehtera and Fabbri contribute in a tight 1-1 game in the third period?
Anaheim Ducks
They have been the best team in the NHL since Christmas. The Ducks have looked like a team on a mission in 2016, and they’re a scary proposition for any team heading into the playoffs. Getzlaf, Perry and Kesler are all playing their best hockey and if they keep it up, they’re a frightening foe to face in the first round. John Gibson and Frederik Andersen seem to have the net on lockdown, the young defensive core could be the make or break come April.  Lindholm and Vatanen will be key pieces if the Ducks are to go far, are they experienced enough?
Los Angeles Kings
If there’s any team specifically built for the playoffs, it’s the LA Kings. They grind, grind, grind and grind some more. Anytime I want to prove a point when discussing this team, I look at the series with San Jose when they were down 3-0. They grinded the Sharks down and by the time game 4 rolled around, the Sharks were done. They were up 3-0 in the series, but they were exhausted. The Kings rolled through them the next four games onto a series win. This is a very heavy, and deep team, built for a grinding war. They added Lucic in the summer, they also added Luke Schenn and Vinny Lecavalier via. trade during the season. Any team facing them in the playoffs better be ready for a grinded out war. A minor concern of mine would be the fire power against a team like Chicago. Kopitar, Carter and Lucic are very capable of scoring, but the Hawks have a bit more offensive talent deep into the line-up.

I hope you enjoyed the analysis.

The World Cup of Hockey

The World Cup of Hockey, to be played in Sept. 2016 in Toronto, is an eight team tournament showcasing the world’s best hockey players. The eight teams participating include: Canada, United States, North America, Sweden, Russia, Finland, Czech Republic and Europe. Team North America is differentiated from Canada and the U.S. as it will consist strictly of players 23 years and younger. Team Europe will be comprised of players from European nations other than those that have a full squad. Now that initial rosters have been released, here is a look at each team.

            Team Canada: The winner of the last two Olympic gold medals, the Canadian team is the projected favorite for this tournament once again. The team is full of All-Stars including Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos, Duncan Keith and Shea Weber. The only potential weakness is projected starting goalie Carey Price who is dealing with lingering injuries and may be rusty when games start. Even if he can’t play though, backups Braden Holtby and Corey Crawford are more than capable of filling in.

            Team United States: The United States has gotten so close to success in the last two Olympics, but twice had their dreams dashed by Team Canada. This team is a mix of veterans like Patrick Kane, Ryan Kesler and Zach Parise and new blood including Dustin Byfuglien and Justin Abdelkader. General Manager Dean Lombardi did not pick only big name scorers, but looks to have built a more balanced squad to match Canada’s.

            Team North America: This team will likely be the most interesting and fun group to watch. Filled with lesser known but highly talented players like Jack Eichel, Connor McDavid and Aaron Ekblad, this team could surprise in this tournament.

            Team Sweden: Featuring 83 current NHL players and coming off a silver medal in the Sochi Olympics, the Swedes are a potential threat to win it all this time. Led by Henrik Lundqvist in goal and reigning Norris trophy winner Erik Karlsson and his defensive colleagues, it will be extremely difficult to score against them. While their offense isn’t as strong as some other teams’, they should be able to contain their opponents and get some low scoring victories.

            Team Russia: Loaded with scoring potential (Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, etc.), the Russian club will be able to light the lamp as well as anyone. The problem lies in their defense and goaltending. They will likely have to win some high scoring games to advance.

            Team Finland: Finland is lacking offensive firepower, with none of its forwards scoring at least 20 goals this season. To have a chance, they will have to rely on veteran goaltenders Tuukka Rask and Pekka Rinne to carry the load.

            Team Czech Republic: Lacking scoring punch and top tier defensemen, the Czech team will have an uphill battle to compete. The most interesting storyline is a player not on the team, Jaromir Jagr. Jagr stated two years ago he was done with international competition. If he changes his mind though, he would be the player to watch.

            Team Europe: The first 16 players picked for the team come from seven different countries. While they have a balanced roster, the main question is how will total strangers with little practice time play together?

Early Early Playoff Preview

The Stanley Cup playoffs are so close, you can almost smell the hipster playoff beards. No matter how deep your love of vulcanized rubber, this is what we have been waiting for since training camps broke eons ago. There are still several playoff spots up for grabs, and seedings will change, but if the playoffs started now, here are some of the most intriguing matchups of the first round.
Western Conference
Anaheim Ducks vs. San Jose Sharks
Ducks have been nothing short of spectacular.  In February they were practically unbeatable, going 12-1-1, and sit only two points behind the L.A.Kings for the Pacific Division lead after a horrific start to the season.
San Jose has played well, but have had little success this season against the mighty Ducks (see what I did there), posting a 1-3-0 record. The Sharks won’t complain if Anaheim stays hot and gets a higher seed. No team in the league wants the steamrolling Ducks in the first round.
Minnesota Wild vs. Chicago Blackhawks
If you haven’t been paying attention, for some odd reason, the Wild have had Chicago’s number this season. There’s still two games left on the docket between these teams. But right now, Minnesota is 3-0-0 against the defending Stanley Cup champs, including a 6-1 ass-kicking in front of 50,000 in a February 20, 2016 Stadium Series game.
Of course, the Wild actually have to make the playoffs to realize a potential Earth shattering upset. They sit tied for the last spot with the Colorado Avalanche, and had a brutal stretch after the New Year, dropping 13 of 14 while getting coach Mike Yeo fired. But they’ve played better under interim coach John Torchetti and should they sneak in, they could give the Blackhawks a test.
Eastern Conference
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are in total cruise control for the number one seed. Now imagine the tension if the Caps have to face a resurgent Sidney Crosby AND a healthy Evgeni Malkin in the first round.  All those regular season wins would mean nothing if Pittsburgh could push the Capitals to an extended six or seven game series. Washington has to reach the conference finals this postseason, or heads could roll on the National Mall.
New York Islanders vs. New York Rangers
Who doesn’t love it when New Yorkers fight each other? This one is long overdue. The Islanders and Rangers haven’t tussled since 1994 when the Rangers broke through and won the Stanley Cup. 

The Isles have taken the first two contests this season with two to play. Both games were tight, and a playoff series would be no different. Should this series become reality, expect it to go seven, with the edge going to the Rangers, who will be able to lean on their recent playoff experience to pull out a win.

Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel: Believe the Hype

            The 2015 NHL entry draft came with an unusual amount of fanfare, largely because the top two prospects were potential “gamechangers”. Not since the 2005 draft that featured Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin have two players in one draft been considered so special. These two future stars, Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, were selected by the Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres respectively. Centers McDavid and Eichel, both only 19 years old, will forever be linked by their draft status and have already shown they were worthy of the attention. 

            Edmonton’s young gun, McDavid, has had a bit of a rocky rookie season. He was able to play in only 13 games before breaking his left clavicle and missing the next 37. In his limited playing time however, he has been nearly unstoppable. As of February 29, he has 29 points in only 27 games and is scoring on an incredible 18.2% of his shots. The Oilers’ roster is filled with top young talent due to their lottery luck, but McDavid is the true star.

            Eichel has been able to stay healthy the entire season, and is showing he was also worthy of the top pick. On a team lacking many offensive weapons, he has managed 41 points in 63 games. Not to be outdone by McDavid’s success, Eichel has picked up his play significantly recently, scoring 25 points in his last 26 games. The Sabres were one of the worst teams in the NHL the last two years, but Eichel is playing a major role in turning the franchise around.

            Unfortunately for fans, the two play in different conferences and rarely meet head to head. The first such meeting will take place on March 1st in Buffalo. McDavid was injured for the previous matchup between the teams on Dec. 4th. Eichel scored in that game, but his team fell 4-2.

            While we won’t see them facing off a lot, we may see them as teammates soon. No, neither one will be traded, but both could be on the 2016 World Cup of Hockey under 23 team from North America. Taking place later this year, this tournament showcases the best players in the world, and barring injury, it is a sure thing that both McDavid and Eichel will make the squad.

            Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin have been two of the premier hockey players for the last ten years, but it will soon be time for them to step aside. With Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel on the way, the game will be in good hands.