NHL and steroids according to Laraque

[dragonballgtz 273]

NHL has a problem with performance-enhancing drugs.

Quote from Laraque:

"First, you just have to notice how some talented players will experience an efficiency loss as well as a weight loss every four years, those years being the ones the Winter Olympics are held," he wrote.

Anyone know who he could be talking about?

I have no doubt in my mind that some NHL players take performance enhancing drugs. Hell I always thought Lapointe did.

Edited November 6, 2011 by dragonballgtz

[GSBrooks13 204]

NHL has a problem with performance-enhancing drugs.

Quote from Laraque:

Anyone know who he could be talking about?

I have no doubt in my mind that some NHL players take performance enhancing drugs. Hell I always thought Lapointe did.

I think that without a doubt there must be players that do, but I don't think you'd ever be able find enough evidence just looking at the stats for olympic years to say for sure that this player does and this player doesn't.

[dragonballgtz 273]

I think that without a doubt there must be players that do, but I don't think you'd ever be able find enough evidence just looking at the stats for olympic years to say for sure that this player does and this player doesn't.

True, but I am hoping that someone does the research on this to see if anyone good follows this pattern. Good luck to whoever does it though.

[Guest Shoreline]

I won't concern myself with it until he has the balls to come out with names -- I don't do non-specific, cryptic nonsense.

Same deal with the MLB, and once it the names were out, seeing the evidence, seeing player reactions, I never watched it again. I have no issue canning the NHL too due to lack of integrity but until Laraque can come out with names it's a $$$ campaign that stands to benefit him the more attention he gets without divulging.

Edited November 6, 2011 by Shoreline

[wings1110 184]

they might help hudler?

[Guest Shoreline]

Also, to cite the source the OP didn't do:

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=379721

The NHLPA listened, but initially refused to take any action, "for obvious political reasons."

"They wanted to keep drug testing as a card in their negotiations with the league," he wrote. "Plus, since their main goal was to protect the players, to take action against drugs would have harmed some of those players."

Last year, a Virginia chiropractor who treated members of the Washington Capitals pleaded guilty to misdemeanour steroids charges.

Douglas Nagel, who had offices in the same Arlington, Va., mall complex as the Capitals' practice facility, was placed on three years of probation and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.

Capitals players Matt Bradley, Shaone Morrison and Eric Fehr admitted receiving chiropractic treatment from Nagel but denied getting steroids from him.

Nagel denied that he ever distributed steroids and said the drugs he ordered from a Florida supplier were for personal use.

The supplier, Andrew Thomas, had told investigators that Nagel had boasted the steroids were for professional athletes.

When Nagel was arrested in March 2010, the NHL and the Capitals said the league had done a thorough investigation and that there was nothing linking the Nagel case to steroid use by any members of the team.

But Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at the time that the NHL was not co-operative in his investigation of the case.

The start of this story already looks like the MLB.

Now, if only he would actually name names. If the NHL and NHLPA and the player(s) object, they can sue Laraque and we can see if this is just an attention stunt, or if this is a problem that needs to be dragged out much like the colluding MLB and MLBPA (<- probably the only time they were friends), more will be revealed in court. Either way, not to name players/teams does no good for the integrity of his case.

Edited November 6, 2011 by Shoreline

[Nev 1,085]

I don't doubt that many players in the NHL are taking substances they shouldn't. As opposed to say, the NFL, where everyone bar the kicker is on something.

[arag 308]

Hudler needs Viagra !

[Red Wings Addict 787]

Yeah Hudler could use some steroids. On some games Ericsson could definitely use some as well.

[achildr1 255]

I won't concern myself with it until he has the balls to come out with names -- I don't do non-specific, cryptic nonsense.

Same deal with the MLB, and once it the names were out, seeing the evidence, seeing player reactions, I never watched it again. I have no issue canning the NHL too due to lack of integrity but until Laraque can come out with names it's a $$$ campaign that stands to benefit him the more attention he gets without divulging.

I don't get this. It a whole issue with many factors but the bottom line is, they've got steroids far from baseball now and it incredibly obvious in player performance across the board. Id give baseball a chance again if I were you.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

Bettman will say now what he has always said: the League's lack of a serious drug testing policy is not a problem. Phoenix and New Jersey, now those are problems. One fire at a time, please.

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

[dragonballgtz 273]

Also, to cite the source the OP didn't do:

Oops thought I put it in.

Won't lie I don't know the face of that player.

Edited November 6, 2011 by dragonballgtz

[Shaman 713]

Oops thought I put it in.

Won't lie I don't know the face of that player.

The only two players I remember on the Blues that wore 18 are Dvorak and Sillinger...

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

You guys don't know Tony Twist? One of the scariest and strongest enforcers ever to play hockey. You must not have been watching hockey for long. Many consider him the heavyweight champ back in the mid to late 90's.

In fact, several tough guys have been linked to steroids in the past. I'm not surprised Laraque is taking this stance. It's not really a big secret.

It is somewhat surprising to hear about skilled players who may be taking roids. That would be a bigger deal, imo.

Edited November 6, 2011 by GMRwings1983

[Shaman 713]

You guys don't know Tony Twist? One of the scariest and strongest enforcers ever to play hockey. You must not have been watching hockey for long. Many consider him the heavyweight champ back in the mid to late 90's.

In fact, several tough guys have been linked to steroids in the past. I'm not surprised Laraque is taking this stance. It's not really a big secret.

It is somewhat surprising to hear about skilled players who may be taking roids. That would be a bigger deal, imo.

That looked too recent for Twist, but yes, his name crossed my mind.

[Red Wings Addict 787]

It is somewhat surprising to hear about skilled players who may be taking roids. That would be a bigger deal, imo.

Thinking maybe Datsyuk and Ivan Drago use the same "spinach" company?

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

You guys don't know Tony Twist? One of the scariest and strongest enforcers ever to play hockey. You must not have been watching hockey for long. Many consider him the heavyweight champ back in the mid to late 90's.

In fact, several tough guys have been linked to steroids in the past. I'm not surprised Laraque is taking this stance. It's not really a big secret.

It is somewhat surprising to hear about skilled players who may be taking roids. That would be a bigger deal, imo.

It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of guys were taking it more to try and speed up recovery time than get stronger.

It's weird, I didn't recognize twist from that photo, but that name still popped into my head. Somewhere in the deep recesses of my brain I guess I knew who #18 on the blues was. Or maybe I just thought "steroids. Tony Twist." I feel like speculation for him being on roids is not new.

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of guys were taking it more to try and speed up recovery time than get stronger.

It's weird, I didn't recognize twist from that photo, but that name still popped into my head. Somewhere in the deep recesses of my brain I guess I knew who #18 on the blues was. Or maybe I just thought "steroids. Tony Twist." I feel like speculation for him being on roids is not new.

That doesn't seem to be a big secret among fans on fight forums. Most people seem to agree that Twist took steroids. He gained so much mass and strength after he came to St. Louis. Much more than his early days in Quebec.

Other names are John Kordic and Andrew Peters. Although, Kordic had other things he took besides roids.

[Guest Shoreline]

I don't get this. It a whole issue with many factors but the bottom line is, they've got steroids far from baseball now and it incredibly obvious in player performance across the board. Id give baseball a chance again if I were you.

The bridges were already burned. Let's, for fun, say I was suddenly a fan of the MLB again, and oh right, my favourite player, Mark McGwire.. far from baseball now? This presumes I'm an idiot. The only reason the MLB is far less laden with performance enhancing drugs is because they had their pants pulled down, and I still see similar names not only playing in that league, but coaching in it, so their new concessions don't impress me at all. The MLB and their superstars were given a second chance to come clean during the media and Congressional circus, and they decided to plead the fifth. Rather than take the high road they were complicit -- there won't be another chance for the MLB as far as I'm concerned.

If this turns out to be an NHL problem of similar proportions all it takes is following in MLB footsteps to lose my trust and thus interest, but given the NHL's recent safety hysteria and the obvious double standards they would employ (if true) if attempting to conceal it, they are on an even shorter leash, again, as far as I'm concerned. If this is a cloud that hangs over the NHL they should simply come out with what they know.

While I was an ignorant fan, I can't turn a blind eye to this sort of nonsense anymore after having my pants pulled down, being a fan of the MLB and heavily against this sort of element in the league, and being a naive fan who thought this was all conspiracy talk only to find out it was true. Never again. I don't like cheaters, and I have no respect for the leagues and organizations which employ and collude with them to conceal it. I really hope this isn't the case for the NHL.

Edited November 6, 2011 by Shoreline

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

There was a large excerpt from the book featured on the front page of yesterday's "Sports" in the Toronto Star; some other interesting topics were touched on. Bettman will shrug this off, just like he did with Kerry Fraser's book, which is very critical of the way the League does things, basically saying "If I comment on the book, it only helps the goal of selling books". Mr. Laraque isn't a dummy and I'm glad he has taken the time to put his thoughts and observations in print. In case you haven't guessed, I will be buying this book.

[mjlegend 155]

Old number 24 came into mind immediately.

It`s not difficult to make a connection between sudden increase in muscle mass, drug and alcohol problems and on and off-ice discipline problems with a strong suspicion of steroids and HGH abuse. I wish Georges did name names rather than cloud the entire era.

The 13-year pro also said the NHL’s random testing program isn’t as random as it’s supposed to be.

“It was almost a running joke at one time,” said Laraque. “The testing is backward compared to other sports. We knew when the drug testing was going to be. You’re not supposed to know. It’s supposed to be confidential, but we always know when it is. It’s not a really tough thing to counter.

Also, THIS needs to change.

Edited November 7, 2011 by mjlegend

[Echolalia 2,961]

I read a really good article on performance enhancing drugs, and approached it from a standpoint I've never thought of. They talked about how in Juniors you have all these young adults who have put their whole lives into going pro, and they're right on the verge but everyone around them is bigger and stronger, and they know of at least a few folks who are on PED's, so they either join the club, get bigger and stronger to keep up with everyone else and perhaps keep a job, or take the honest route and have your whole life's ambitions die as someone else takes your place.

There's no doubt in my mind there are guys on roids in the NHL right now, and I imagine the largest demographic of those who are under the influence are those who wouldn't be employed without their assistance.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Datsyuk's secret has been revealed.

[Finnish Wing 110]

Why wouldn't you use performance enhancing drugs if there's basically no testing at all? Everyone wants to win, everyone wants to be successful and earn money. Only small percent gets to the big league; the competition is tough. If someone else uses and is getting ahead of you in the competition of course you may start using them as well, whether you're an enforcer or not.