Just over a year ago, hockey superstar and two-time Stanley Cup winner Jarret Stoll was arrested in Las Vegas for felony possession of MDMA and cocaine. While many on the sidelines and outside the hockey industry viewed this as just another wealthy champion caught doing what many in his position may do, it was actually symptomatic of a far larger and much more frightening issue.
Jarret Stoll was far from the first to bring attention to the cocaine epidemic in the NHL. A year earlier, Olympic silver medalist and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Malone was arrested and charged with cocaine possession and driving under the influence. Both arrests were then followed by much criticism and speculation from around the NHL, including prospect Viktor Loov, who now famously stated “In the NHL, there is a lot of cocaine…I am certain it’s not just talk. There are players everywhere who do it. If you have money you probably have access to it.” The comments, uncharacteristically open and candid for an NHL player, sparked a firestorm over the amount of drug abuse in the NHL. It didn’t take long for them to respond.
The NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, when asked about cocaine use in the NHL, stated “I don’t want to be naive here, but if we’re talking more than 20 guys, I’d be shocked. Because we don’t test in a comprehensive way, I can’t say.” Most shocking about this statement is the fact that Daly, the voice and face of a great deal of the NHL, stated openly that the NHL does not test in a meaningful manner. Daly also stated that drugs will be an upcoming point of contention for the NHL, and that they will be striving to improve their drug treatment and testing programs, but is it enough?
Cocaine is used by NHL players primarily due to its stimulant effects. The drug, when used in small amounts, stimulates the central nervous system without causing an immediate heavy crash or significant withdrawal, making the drug seem appealing for those required to play as much as NHL players do. Compared to football, basketball, or other popular sports, hockey players exert themselves much more during the 60 minutes of game time. The constant amount of movement and physical stress makes a stimulating drug seem extremely appealing, despite the negative side effects.
The stimulating effects of cocaine aren’t the biggest reason NHL stars use it, however. Many use the drug because the current NHL drug testing program doesn’t screen for drugs like marijuana, cocaine, or other recreational drugs. Instead, they focus mainly on steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. The reason cocaine use is on the rise in the NHL is because it’s extremely simple to avoid detection or punishment. Despite their previous failures, the NHL has promised action, and moved to place cocaine on the list of controlled substances that are tested for, and with these tests come treatment programs rather than heavy suspensions and fines. If executed correctly, the NHL could end up leading the way for transforming the stigma of substance use disorder in professional sports.
https://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/cocaine-testing-could-be-coming-to-nhl-by-end-of-2015-16/
