Brendan Leipsic's Instagram

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

I’m sure they’ve asked their “buddies” to delete their copies as well (if I was an agent that’s what I’d me telling my client anyways). Even if there is no intent to extort the player, who knows if they might get “hacked” later.

If it’s something that happened several years ago that might be one thing, but these messages were fairly recent I believe?

For sure.

Hopefully they don't have any questionable chats with scorned ex's though.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

haven't all players received their full pay for the regular season by now? Not much implication of terminating his contract now

NHL told owners to just go out and pay for the last three pay cheques owing. They paid out two, but then the players asked not to receive their last pay cheque due to escrow and revenue sharing and other stuff no one really knows how it works.

The last pay cheque was for the 4 days of the regular season in April. Almost certainly he'll be entitled to the same as his peers in my opinion (i.e. if the rest of the NHL players don't get paid, he won't, if they do, he will). As the contract terminated May 9, and he was owed up to April 4.

But yeah, this is more about optics in my opinion. It's not like they could tell him to go home like under normal circumstances so instead of an apparent empty-gesture, they did pretty much the only thing else they could do.

[MoneyGuy]

I remember this guy from the 2014 WHL final versus my Oil Kings. I hated him back then.

[curves2000]

I am one of the very few younger people in 2020 who doesn't use social media at all. I really don't get some of this obsession we have in today's culture and I, and everyone else has literally seen a million other people's lives destroyed over tweets, instagram, facebook or any of this other garbage that we have created as humans.

I am not defending Leipsic or anything but at what point are the standards we applying today just approaching insanity? Can you literally say nothing to anybody in 2020 without fear of losing jobs, careers, being railroaded by the mob for any reason?

I get that the optics of all this are brutal and being on a team sport probably won't fly for him going forward. But now we have reports his brother has been kicked off his college team.

Every single person who has a private conversation with friends and family on their phones, if they are made public and it's embarrassing, we got to rail road them? I get that a lot of people like to have their own versions of revisionist history of their own actions but I would like to know how many people who are freaking out about this, stayed home every single weekend at 25 drinking tea and reading the bible?

It seems as if adults are all pretending that neither sex has ever talked sex and other people in a sexually charge manner. What's next, if you say something about your boss or employer to your spouse or your mother and someone over hear's it, your employment is done?

This goes all the way up the food and power chain from political players like the announcement of emails found on Hilliary Clinton's assistant's computer , which were the result of her husband to marginal NHL players and no name actors and actresses or entertainment people.

Everybody freaking out about someone else's phone and contacts but I don't know or I haven't heard anybody brave enough to put their phones content's up for all to view and with their employer and contact information.

Seem's like in modern time's we have an issue where everybody has a pitch fork for everybody but it's only a matter of time before the pitch fork is coming for me and coming for you as well.

Just sad all around

[flames_fan_down_under]

Hmm, I don't think this can really be logged under "outrage culture" going for blood again. It's sort of unfortunate that the private conversations got leaked but it is precisely because they were leaked that the NHL, said college and other organizations had no other choice but to act. I think some of what was in Leipsic's messages are fairly typical things said between guys talking about having sex with girls. But there is some irrefutably straight up cruel, vulgar and extremely misogynistic things that these people were saying about the opposite sex. Colleges and Universities are on the front lines of tackling hateful and harmful language towards women and they have a duty to make sure that women feel safe on their campuses and if that kind of language is being perpetuated by one of their students and they have proof of it then I guarantee no College or University wants anything to do with that student, the decision was a no brainer. Same thing with the NHL and the Capitals, they are a massive corporation that supports inclusive safe environments for their employees, some of which are women, also some of them will have to enter the locker room of the Capitals and be around Leipsic, again it's an issue of all of their employees feeling safe in their own skin going to work. The NHL/Capitals simply cannot promote a progressive message of safety, inclusion and tolerance and in the same breathe turn a blind eye to this. I will also add that the NHL has not in fact suspended this player he simply was released by the Capitals.

[Radio]

Times are changing. you either change with them or die with the old ways.

The account wasn't hacked, that's asinine to think that. Someone got a hold of the texts and was outraged and rather than having it die on the vine by calling them on it they leaked the chat. Now there's real consequences.

That goes to advancing the change.

I don't know about anybody else but my life is full of females. I have a daughter, a wife, 4 sisters, a mother, nieces, aunts, cousins, friends and I don't want them subjected to that crap.

Of course I am not without sin, I have done and said some stupid #### when I was younger. But like I said times are changing and I am changing with them. What was "acceptable" 30 years ago is not today. When the pitch forks come for me I'll answer the bell, own what I've done, and apologize.

[FlamesAddiction]

As gross as many of things he said were, I think the open talk of illicit drug use is probably the driving factor for the Caps and NHL. We all know it happens with some players, but having it on display for everyone to see is damaging for a league that partly markets itself to families and children.

He mentioned Vrana at one point. I can't figure out the context though. The question he asked was not shown, but his response was; "I won't but already asked Vrana I gonna need some schnip."

The response after that was, "But you're going to get drunk still?"

I never heard schnip before, but sounds like drug reference in that context. But it can also be a derogatory word for an Eastern European.

Given all his messages, it could be either. Let's hope for Vrana, it is the latter.

[TheScorpion]

I think the poster Radio nailed it.

None of us are perfect but living in fear of the "inevitable" doesn't do anybody good. Sitting idly by while waiting for cancel culture to "claim you" is pointless, it doesn't help you or anybody else. But there are ways towards redemption, absolutely. Reach out to people who you feel you may have wronged. Take a second to stop and think before you do or say something. Embody the good you want to see in the world.

I think the reaction to Leipsic's behaviour would have been very different if he had realized the error of his ways months or years before the texts were leaked and had left the group and had committed himself to initiatives in support of inclusivity in hockey. Nothing is stopping any of us, if we feel we are at risk of being "exposed" in such a way, from changing for the better starting now. Obviously you can't change what you've done in the past but you can distance yourself from it and change for the better without first having to be publicly shamed for it. The world is here for you if you want to take the initiative. Leipsic could have learned the lesson from people who fell on the axe before him — if you're afraid of cancel culture, now is your chance to learn and change.

[flames_fan_down_under]

As gross as many of things he said were, I think the open talk of illicit drug use is probably the driving factor for the Caps and NHL. We all know it happens with some players, but having it on display for everyone to see is damaging for a league that partly markets itself to families and children.

He mentioned Vrana at one point. I can't figure out the context though. The question he asked was not shown, but his response was; "I won't but already asked Vrana I gonna need some schnip."

The response after that was, "But you're going to get drunk still?"

I never heard schnip before, but sounds like drug reference in that context. But it can also be a derogatory word for an Eastern European.

Given all his messages, it could be either. Let's hope for Vrana, it is the latter.

Players admitting to drug use usually get sent to a substance abuse program by their employer. I actually think employers have a duty to accommodate their employee if thats the case.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under

Players admitting to drug use usually get sent to a substance abuse program by their employer. I actually think employers have a duty to accommodate their employee if thats the case.

Maybe that's an avenue he takes.

He makes a few statements about using coke and molly. If he has any chance to salvage his career, he will claim to have a problem and enter a program.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Radio

Times are changing. you either change with them or die with the old ways.

The account wasn't hacked, that's asinine to think that. Someone got a hold of the texts and was outraged and rather than having it die on the vine by calling them on it they leaked the chat. Now there's real consequences.

That goes to advancing the change.

I don't know about anybody else but my life is full of females. I have a daughter, a wife, 4 sisters, a mother, nieces, aunts, cousins, friends and I don't want them subjected to that crap.

Of course I am not without sin, I have done and said some stupid #### when I was younger. But like I said times are changing and I am changing with them. What was "acceptable" 30 years ago is not today. When the pitch forks come for me I'll answer the bell, own what I've done, and apologize.

I don’t think whoever leaked it was “outraged” haha that’s pretty naive. Obviously someone with an axe to grind on someone involved.

[sempuki]

Originally Posted by curves2000

Seem's like in modern time's we have an issue where everybody has a pitch fork for everybody but it's only a matter of time before the pitch fork is coming for me and coming for you as well.

Just sad all around

There has *never* been a time in civilization where you are free from consequence from the things you say. In feudal times you could be killed for not saying "m'lord" the right way. In more recent times, you can't threaten to murder someone or shout fire in a theater. Today you can still get beat up for saying the wrong thing to the wrong person.


Standards are different for public figures, especially ones that are expected to be role models. In order to be fired from playing hockey, or have my TV show taken away from me, or lose my elected office, I have to be a hockey player, TV star, or politician in the first place. Where can I sign up?

People have a reasonable expectation of privacy on their pocket-based information devices. But anyone with a camera can take a forever-photo over your shoulder -- just as they could have overheard you talking on the street, or listened to you at a pay phone. Not to mention false witness during Witch Trials. The game is *exactly the same*, just with some fancy new rules.

And is it really absurd to ask people not to be sexist or racist #######s? If you're degrading people in private, are you not sill degrading people? Aren't you an ####### whether anyone knows it or not? Are the mobs really going to come after me next because I like bread with the butter side down?

Seems like a lot of outrage on your part for the softest "pitch fork" mob in existence -- he got fired, not jailed. And that's some absurd redirection to pretend this is about "sexually charged" comments versus "tea and bibles". Aside from it not being a good look -- no one's complaining about his obvious references to drug use. No one gives two flying ####s about swearing. Everybody enjoys sex, and it's sure nice to know young people are having a healthy sex life -- but that's just it! It's *not* healthy to treat half the population as soulless #### bags. He's sexist racist degrading ####head. Do you honestly see yourself in him?

I can be certain for *all* the things on my phone, none of them are about sexual abuse of women. When you get older, perhaps when you have a daughter, you will see it the same way.

[Radio]

Originally Posted by Weitz

I don’t think whoever leaked it was “outraged” haha that’s pretty naive. Obviously someone with an axe to grind on someone involved.

You're right, that's probably closer to the truth. But it's not naive or out of the realm of possibility that someone can be outraged by it either.

However a guy wants to see it we can all agree the account wasn't hacked.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by sempuki

There has *never* been a time in civilization where you are free from consequence from the things you say. In feudal times you could be killed for not saying "m'lord" the right way. In more recent times, you can't threaten to murder someone or shout fire in a theater. Today you can still get beat up for saying the wrong thing to the wrong person.


Standards are different for public figures, especially ones that are expected to be role models. In order to be fired from playing hockey, or have my TV show taken away from me, or lose my elected office, I have to be a hockey player, TV star, or politician in the first place. Where can I sign up?

People have a reasonable expectation of privacy on their pocket-based information devices. But anyone with a camera can take a forever-photo over your shoulder -- just as they could have overheard you talking on the street, or listened to you at a pay phone. Not to mention false witness during Witch Trials. The game is *exactly the same*, just with some fancy new rules.

And is it really absurd to ask people not to be sexist or racist #######s? If you're degrading people in private, are you not sill degrading people? Aren't you an ####### whether anyone knows it or not? Are the mobs really going to come after me next because I like bread with the butter side down?

Seems like a lot of outrage on your part for the softest "pitch fork" mob in existence -- he got fired, not jailed. And that's some absurd redirection to pretend this is about "sexually charged" comments versus "tea and bibles". Aside from it not being a good look -- no one's complaining about his obvious references to drug use. No one gives two flying ####s about swearing. Everybody enjoys sex, and it's sure nice to know young people are having a healthy sex life -- but that's just it! It's *not* healthy to treat half the population as soulless #### bags. He's sexist racist degrading ####head. Do you honestly see yourself in him?

I can be certain for *all* the things on my phone, none of them are about sexual abuse of women. When you get older, perhaps when you have a daughter, you will see it the same way.

Dang, great post. Hit the nail absolutely on the head. I especially agreed with your descriptor of just how unhealthy Leipsic's behaviour has been.... IMO that is the perfect word to use. Toxicity not only poisons other people, it poisons the person spreading it around. There have to be consequences for spreading toxicity especially if it is harmful to another person's way of being.

[GreenLantern2814]

I don’t see how something that’s barely more offensive than a random clip from Spittin Chiclets gets your contract terminated.

Was anyone raped? Assaulted? Blackmailed? R Kelly’d? Is there any evidence that any of the wronged parties had any knowledge of this prior to the messages becoming public?

Being rude in private communications, that’s the charge. Not demeaning a black player in front of his team mates by dropping N-bombs, not psychologically torturing another human being for professional gain, being a ######bag jock in an Instagram chat.

The moral isn’t even “don’t do that”, it’s “don’t do that when you’re expendable”, because we all know this would not end with a contract termination for Ovi or Backstrom.

And this is in no way me defending anything that was said, there’s a lot a gross, reprehensible, indefensible verbiage to contend with.

But let’s not act like damaging discussions don’t exist in every one of our pockets.

[Yoho]

You are defending it.

He rolled the dice on social media and caught.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Yoho

You are defending it.

He’s not defending the action he’s disagreeing with the consequence of the action.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Yoho

You are defending it.

He rolled the dice on social media and caught.

Am I now?

There’s nothing in your entire library of personal communications that might be considered off side by some segment of the population? It doesn’t have to be as obvious and crass as this, clearly Leipsic is no Marcus Aurelius.

But you’re sure that if we invaded your privacy, we’d find nothing ruinous? I suspect you’re not as willing to roll those dice as you’re acting.

[Yoho]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Am I now?

There’s nothing in your entire library of personal communications that might be considered off side by some segment of the population? It doesn’t have to be as obvious and crass as this, clearly Leipsic is no Marcus Aurelius.

But you’re sure that if we invaded your privacy, we’d find nothing ruinous? I suspect you’re not as willing to roll those dice as you’re acting.

No nothing as stupid or as inflammatory as that on social media and if I was that dumb I would prob have to answer for it.

This wasn’t a recording when he was 13 years old.

It’s a different world now you can stomp your feet and suffer the consequences, or you can adjust to it.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Yoho

No nothing as stupid or as inflammatory as that on social media and if I was that dumb I would prob have to answer for it.

This wasn’t a recording when he was 13 years old.

It’s a different world now you can stomp your feet and suffer the consequences, or you can adjust to it.

You’ve qualified your statement, “on social media”. Does this mean your SMS folder does contain something inflammatory?

Does that make it better, if it’s not on a piece of IP owned by Facebook?

Let’s remove the hockey player from the equation entirely, because I’m not on his side.

Nobody wants their private communications read. And people Have the right to say things others might not like. For starters, they have that right anyway, and they especially have it in private settings.

If you resent people stomping their feet about that, put your information on the internet for us all to view and judge.

Or is that a supremely unreasonable ask? And if so, why?