Valeri Nichushkin placed in NHLPA assistance program stage 3 - suspended without pay for min. 6 months

[vanarchy]

I feel for him and his family. Addiction is a monster, whatever it may be.

 

[KovalchukFistPump]

Look I don't know what exactly it was, if it was just cocaine...or pills....or cocaine and combination of pills. There is the whole 'if he's playing well, who cares?' aspect. Problem is that letting this stuff run rampant in the culture makes people who abstain think about whether they are missing out. Any young person who works in stressful jobs in the cities probably knows someone who works 80+ hours a week and loves to do coke recreationally, as well as other drugs. It sucks when you're trying to do things the right way and your compeition is out there doing uppers and then depending on sleeping pills, while you're stuck getting 8 hours a night otherwise you are useless.

Over and over and over we have heard stories about how rampant coke use is in the NHL. It makes sense as it's kind of an alcohol substitute as a party drug since alcohol is pretty bad for your fitness while cocaine might even help sometimes. It's coincided with the public getting pretty liberal about drug use. That being said, we are seeing the public attitude shift. And I wouldn't be surprised if there was some type of retroactive controversy/scandal, the way there was about cocaine and amphetamine use in baseball in the 70s and 80s.

Like I want to try to be mindful of the disease aspect of addiction, but if the guy started using these known addictive substances on his own and can't stop....then he bears at least some responsibility.

 

[Turin]

He’s got an addiction clearly, it’s a disease, you can’t just stop on a dime. Even if you want to stop it can just consume you

Some people can, some can't - most can't obviously. People and environments are different and the scholarship on the addiction as disease model is pretty bunk after over a decade of research. Science is ready to jettison it because there are too many factors for it to be put into the category of disease - it is popular because it makes people feel more empathetic but you can be sympathetic to a person struggling without making silly excuses for them.

Look I don't know what exactly it was, if it was just cocaine...or pills....or cocaine and combination of pills. There is the whole 'if he's playing well, who cares?' aspect. Problem is that letting this stuff run rampant in the culture makes people who abstain think about whether they are missing out. Any young person who works in stressful jobs in the cities probably knows someone who works 80+ hours a week and loves to do coke recreationally, as well as other drugs. It sucks when you're trying to do things the right way and your compeition is out there doing uppers and then depending on sleeping pills, while you're stuck getting 8 hours a night otherwise you are useless.

Over and over and over we have heard stories about how rampant coke use is in the NHL. It makes sense as it's kind of an alcohol substitute as a party drug since alcohol is pretty bad for your fitness while cocaine might even help sometimes. It's coincided with the public getting pretty liberal about drug use. That being said, we are seeing the public attitude shift. And I wouldn't be surprised if there was some type of retroactive controversy/scandal, the way there was about cocaine and amphetamine use in baseball in the 70s and 80s.

Like I want to try to be mindful of the disease aspect of addiction, but if the guy started using these known addictive substances on his own and can't stop....then he bears at least some responsibility.

Right, the idea that the NHL should incentivize a workplace culture where 18 year old kids who barely finished high school are encouraged to use hard drugs to keep up with the demands of the job is blatantly insane.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

I don’t understand this at all.

Do you consent to and sign off on this as part of your care in the Assistance Program.

What if a player with no history with assistance program tests positive for a rec drug? Are they even tested…

 

[FoxYou727]

Have to think he's done in Colorado and probably in the NHL. Can't see teams taking anymore of a risk in offering him anything. I was always hopeful he'd worked out in Dallas and was glad to see he was performing in Colorado but man this has got to sting for everyone involved. I hope he buries his demons and can come out of this far better.

Nah he will get another shot. If Evander Kane and to a certain extent Mitchell Miller so will Nuke

 

[Filthy Dangles]

What's wrong with it if he's a cocaine user and plays the NHL?

Remember last year he missed that game in Seattle because he was high/hungover/coming down/whatever.

 

[These Are The Days]

As someone who had to help rescue the love of my life from a pretty bad methamphetamine addiction, there is hope for Nuke when she makes 4 years sober on the 31st. Don't even worry about hockey and make getting well your only job.

Also, a few of you guys criticizing Nuke gotta take it easy on him and understand that the disease of drug addiction *IS* when you're crazy enough to choose the drugs over your career or even your own children because its that bad. The whole "what kind of jerk does that?" thing is a paradox because they KNOW they are doing it and physically can't stop. It is an utterly incomprehensible insanity until you see it first hand. Again. That IS the disease. No rational person partakes in such a self imposed slavery your choose yourself

Get well my guy

 

[SoupNazi]

As someone who had to help rescue the love of my life from a pretty bad methamphetamine addiction, there is hope for Nuke when she makes 4 years sober on the 31st. Don't even worry about hockey and make getting well your only job.

Also, a few of you guys criticizing Nuke gotta take it easy on him and understand that the disease of drug addiction *IS* when you're crazy enough to choose the drugs over your career or even your own children because its that bad. The whole "what kind of jerk does that?" thing is a paradox because they KNOW they are doing it and physically can't stop. It is an utterly incomprehensible insanity until you see it first hand

Get well my guy

Very well said.

 

[dasaybz]

I'm sure this dude is feeling horrible right now. Damn. This whole thing sucks.

 

[Xirik]

Look I don't know what exactly it was, if it was just cocaine...or pills....or cocaine and combination of pills. There is the whole 'if he's playing well, who cares?' aspect. Problem is that letting this stuff run rampant in the culture makes people who abstain think about whether they are missing out. Any young person who works in stressful jobs in the cities probably knows someone who works 80+ hours a week and loves to do coke recreationally, as well as other drugs. It sucks when you're trying to do things the right way and your compeition is out there doing uppers and then depending on sleeping pills, while you're stuck getting 8 hours a night otherwise you are useless.

Over and over and over we have heard stories about how rampant coke use is in the NHL. It makes sense as it's kind of an alcohol substitute as a party drug since alcohol is pretty bad for your fitness while cocaine might even help sometimes. It's coincided with the public getting pretty liberal about drug use. That being said, we are seeing the public attitude shift. And I wouldn't be surprised if there was some type of retroactive controversy/scandal, the way there was about cocaine and amphetamine use in baseball in the 70s and 80s.

Like I want to try to be mindful of the disease aspect of addiction, but if the guy started using these known addictive substances on his own and can't stop....then he bears at least some responsibility.

The NHL also has to do this for PR. If a player while on drugs kills someone in a car accident the NHL doesn't want to it to be seen like they did nothing. Something like that happening would cost them a ton of financial damages from lost advertisements and devaluation of the broadcasting rights.

The Heatley/Snyder crash hurt the NHL's reputation a lot and that situation didn't even involve drugs or alchohol. A situation like that involving drugs would be 10x worse.

With that out of the way I do hope Nuke gets the help he needs.

 

[logan5]

Amazing that he could still play at such a high level with his addiction.

Yeah, a drug addict does not function very well, let alone be one of the best players in the play-offs. I take it he was celebrating one night and had a moment of weakness and got caught.

 

[OKR]

What's wrong with it if he's a cocaine user and plays the NHL?

What’s wrong with it if he’s a cocaine user and works at a post office?

You’ve signed a contract that prohibites you from doing so, and you’ve violated that agreement.

 

[CraigBillington]

lol getting caught once makes you innocent, twice of the same issue just makes you stupid

Someone has zero understanding of addiction

 

[Nyr88nyg]

wtf. Just lay off the crank during the playoffs. So selfish

 

[Filthy Dangles]

What’s wrong with it if he’s a cocaine user and works at a post office?

You’ve signed a contract that prohibites you from doing so, and you’ve violated that agreement.

Lots of jobs don’t test.

This is akin to failing a test while on probation or court ordered rehab.

Does the NHL even test non-assistance players during the playoffs for rec drugs? Are there consequences for a failed test if they do?

 

[SoupNazi]

wtf. Just lay off the crank during the playoffs. So selfish

It isn't that easy for someone who's addicted.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Some people really have no idea about addiction. Hopefully Nuke bottoms out this time.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Lots of jobs don’t test.

This is akin to failing a test while on probation or court ordered rehab.

Does the NHL even test non-assistance players during the playoffs for rec drugs? Are there consequences for a failed test if they do?

I don't know if it's changed but they used to test for recreational drug use but they just give the league the number of players using what not names. There's no consequences unless you sign up for treatment or are forced into treatment.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

wtf. Just lay off the crank during the playoffs. So selfish

It's like telling somebody who's suicidal to just not be sad. Not how this works my guy.

 

[OKR]

Lots of jobs don’t test.

This is akin to failing a test while on probation or court ordered rehab.

Does the NHL even test non-assistance players during the playoffs for rec drugs? Are there consequences for a failed test if they do?

Obviously there are jobs that don’t test, but that doesn’t matter because they don’t have you sign a contract where you agree to get tested.

 

[Canadienna]

I feel like the Avs are sort of forced to move on from him here.

The fact he's done this two straight years in the playoffs makes it hard to trust him going forward.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

I feel like the Avs are sort of forced to move on from him here.

The fact he's done this two straight years in the playoffs makes it hard to trust him going forward.

How? He's got like six years left and nobody is trading for the guy. I'd be astonished if he agreed to mutual termination.

 

[Soul Assumption]

How? He's got like six years left and nobody is trading for the guy. I'd be astonished if he agreed to mutual termination.

Colorado can't terminate his contract without a penalty?

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Colorado can't terminate his contract without a penalty?

I'd be very, very surprised. And the NHLPA would rightfully go absolutely ballistic.

 

[francis246]

While I agree it can get out of control and control you, it still can’t just be dismissed. Hasn’t he had multiple chances already?

Like I mentioned before if you’re addicted to something, even if you want to stop, it’s incredibly hard. Even having every resource available to you may not be enough in stopping the addiction. That’s why it’s now viewed as a disease. It’s incredibly insensitive to assume that he doesn’t want to get better. He very well could want to get better but has relapsed which is very common for those with additictions