Oxycodone abuse is pretty serious. If he was supposed to be in treatment and got nailed, I'm sure he'd be considered in breach.
I'm not so sure. The NHL and NHLPA have a joint substance abuse program for a reason. The NHLPA is almost certainly going to have an easy time arguing that a substance abuse problem does not create a material breach, and line up guys who were in the program and came out as healthy, useful hockey players. We don't need to look far here in Calgary - Big Ern is living proof of this. As is Ferland, though he wouldn't have gone into the NHL's formal program.
I think I agree with TSN's legal guy. There has to be more we are not aware of, or the Kings are likely in trouble.
And as an added curiousity, the buy-out window is closed, so unless the grievance resolves quickly and the Kings get a bonus buy-out window due to a player-initiated arbitration win, LA's gamble could backfire in a big way.
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Just because there are studies showing Oxy is safe when taken AS PRESCRIBED, doesn't mean it isn't addictive, and all addicts have a first time trying any drug before they become an addict. Doesn't take that much to have a good glow at a party and try a bit of whatever recreational drug is around that night. My condolences to the poster and anyone else affected personally.
As far as Richards, if TMZ is accurate, he might be facing a drug smuggling charge, which may be enough to terminate his contract even if he's in a position to win an appeal on this termination.
Paul Friesen @friesensunmedia
Sources tell Wpg Sun Mike Richards subject of OxyContin investigation. Held at least 4 hrs at Emerson border crossing in Manitoba, June 17.
This is going to look bad for the Kings. They will void a contract because of a prescription drug issue but not because of suspected domestic abuse. I understand how it saves them money on an unwanted player but the peripherals are awful.
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Paul Friesen @friesensunmedia
Richards has not been charged. A person with OxyContin pills and no prescription could face smuggling charge under the Customs Act... 1/2..
Paul Friesen @friesensunmedia
2/2... or possession charges under the Criminal Code's Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. OxyContin is a narcotic pain reliever.
I'm wondering if he had prescriptions in such quantity that would be consistent with intent to distribute.
My other thought was what if this isn't a hair trigger for the Kings. Imagine if the team has been aware of whatever the problems that Mike Richards has been having and this is just the last straw due to attitude, flagrancy or what have you? The possibilities are endless but we will have to wait to see if details come out.
There have been scores of pro sports players in NA busted with illegal drugs (prescription or not). As far as I know, no one has ever had their guaranteed contract terminated. I have to think this doesn't survive the appeal and arbitration processes. I read on another site that if the Kings lose the arbitration, then they still have to pay Richards but aren't on the hook capwise (other than the 1.2/year termination amount). I guess that is a win win for everyone.
If I was wearing a tinfoil hat I might think that all parties planned this out together.
So when Lombardi had his supposed "looked him in the eye" meeting with Richards last year, was he just concerned about him doing some extra cardio, or did it go further than that?
There have been scores of pro sports players in NA busted with illegal drugs (prescription or not). As far as I know, no one has ever had their guaranteed contract terminated. I have to think this doesn't survive the appeal and arbitration processes. I read on another site that if the Kings lose the arbitration, then they still have to pay Richards but aren't on the hook capwise (other than the 1.2/year termination amount). I guess that is a win win for everyone.
If I was wearing a tinfoil hat I might think that all parties planned this out together.
I imagine there may be some owners that take issue with the Kings paying out Richards in FULL, and having the significantly smaller re-capture penalty applied. Basically implying the rich clubs can do whatever they want.
So how do addicts become addicts? Surely not all cases are inherited.
It's not quite as simple as you make it. There is a reason why the US has it in schedule 2 as opposed to 3/4. I can tell you from my personal experience of prescribing opioid meds regularly for the last 12 years, oxys scare me more than any other pill I write because I have had a couple of "normal people, non-addicts" run into some trouble with it.
This...
My best friend in high school went on to have a pro sports career. By the end of career was hooked on oxy to deal with back issues. He eventually died from a blood infection from acquiring and using street level oxy. He never did drugs in any way before. He rarely drank. This #### with all the enforcers in hockey as well as other sports is very real.
So Richards probably is addicted to prescription pills and the Kings want to essentially sewer him from his contract? Stay classy Kings.
Again, I cant see that as being enough.
An OxyContin issue, which I admit I know very little about, should have to go through the Substance Abuse Program.
Heres where the wild conjecture comes in. He could have claimed to be clean and then all of a sudden evidence points to the contrary, who knows? Theres a million things that could have happened.
In the end though, just being on Oxy, or having Oxy on him, or whatever drug it may have been, seems insufficient to validate terminating his contract.
There either has to be more to the story or there are serious extenuating circumstances.
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Paul Friesen @friesensunmedia
Sources tell Wpg Sun Mike Richards subject of OxyContin investigation. Held at least 4 hrs at Emerson border crossing in Manitoba, June 17.
Isn't OxyContin banned in Canada?
I believe some provinces have banned it, but there are other alternatives such as fentanyl and oxyNeo.
Heres where the wild conjecture comes in. He could have claimed to be clean and then all of a sudden evidence points to the contrary, who knows? Theres a million things that could have happened.
I don't see how that creates a "material breach", which some of the apparent lawyers I have seen about suggest is a reasonably high bar to hurdle. If anything, he should have been dumped into the substance abuse program and potentially suspended.
Quote:
There either has to be more to the story or there are serious extenuating circumstances.
Did you just essentially say "there either has to be more to the story or there is more to the story"?
I imagine there may be some owners that take issue with the Kings paying out Richards in FULL, and having the significantly smaller re-capture penalty applied. Basically implying the rich clubs can do whatever they want.
Yeah, but do they air that grievance publicly, or does it end with a few nice hookers at the next BOG meeting and a couple years of free Gulfstream access?
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I don't see how that creates a "material breach", which some of the apparent lawyers I have seen about suggest is a reasonably high bar to hurdle. If anything, he should have been dumped into the substance abuse program and potentially suspended.
Did you just essentially say "there either has to be more to the story or there is more to the story"?
Ya know...I'm getting tired of you telling me what I'm saying! You know what I'm saying?
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Richards could have any clause written into his contract. They quiet easily could have written a zero drug tolerance clause when they agreed not to buy him out.
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Richards could have any clause written into his contract. They quiet easily could have written a zero drug tolerance clause when they agreed not to buy him out.
Well, no. The contract has to be agreed upon by both parties, its why the players want NTCs, they have value, if the owners wanted a clause that allowed them to turf anyone that displeased them for any reason then they'd have to pay for that as well because that type of clause would also have value.
At that point you're in the NFL.
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