Quote:
Originally Posted by Ford Prefect
I’m having a hard time understanding the NHL’s position on this. Back in the ‘80s Ric Nattress was suspended for one year for possession of a “small amount of hash”, and Grant Fuhr was suspended for one year for cocaine possession. But Kusnetsov is suspended for three games, not for possession of an illegal substance but rather for “inappropriate conduct”. I don’t understand why such a big difference. Has the NHL changed its stance on illegal drug use in the interim? If so, why? If not, what’s the rationale? It seems like a wild contradiction to me. Why call it inappropriate conduct? That’s equating illegal drug use to being similar to making a lewd gesture. Seems to me James Wisniewski got more than three games for the lewd gesture he made towards Sean Avery. Weird ruling. Wouldn’t they have been better to just say they don’t have jurisdiction on illegal drug use and not suspend him for any games but help him with rehab instead?
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It is basically because he lied to the NHL and Caps organization when the cocaine video came out. They took him at his word that he left the room and didn't do the drugs in the video and the he would never do drugs. A couple of weeks later he tests positive for cocaine. Made them look like fools.
The NHL can't suspend a player just because he tests positive for cocaine. But they can definitely suspend a player for lying or making the league look bad.