Contract Termination: [WSH] Capitals terminate contract of Brendan Leipsic

[Captain Mountain]

wish they had just paid him out after sending him home... I cant possibly support someone being fired for freedom of speech issues.

if I know him im advising him to take this to court now... its a fight that needs to be fought.

hate if he becomes a poster child for freedom of speech since he seems to be a total douchbag… but if he gets fired for some drug talk and making fun of peoples appearance or whatever... then god help the rest of us.

hope to hell no player I ever care about does anything remotely close to this... I never cared about this guy at all. dont care about him now either. but I do care about freedom of speech

This isn't a "fired for freedom of speech" issue.

He's free to say what he wants and his employer is free to react as they want (provided it complies with the terms of his employment and the CBA). If his contract is being terminated, then its because the Capitals believe that there is cause.

Leipsic BTW is also free to dispute the termination of his agreement, but it would be heard by an arbitrator first, not a court.

This is also less likely to happen with a guy you care about, since valuable players would likely get more leeway. Leipsic's issue is he was being a dick on the internet and isn't valuable enough.

 

[Ryan Michaels]

Sticks and stones maybe we should go back to that. Yes he comes across as a douchebag but who cares what he says if you frame it as he just being and insecure idiot. If you do that then his words have no power. I’m just saying talk like this isn’t an anomaly and I never will be. That’s just how it is. People can continually be offended by shit like this or just ignore it and realize that everything isn’t PC.

Of course it goes on and it happens I know that it happens, I don't think Leipsic is the only one but that isn't a defence that is so much worse. It's not about being PC, if this was an off-colour joke I wouldn't care, its being malicious and cruel. If you ignore it you may as well be condoning it. I know Connor McDavid's career doesn't end tomorrow if he did this and by those standards Leipsic's career ending isn't strictly speaking "right." I get all of that but we can still call out bad behaviour as bad behaviour, if you want to defend his right to speak it you are defending too our right to bury him.

 

[lordstanley91]

Of course it goes on and it happens I know that it happens, I don't think Leipsic is the only one but that isn't a defence that is so much worse. It's not about being PC, if this was an off-colour joke I wouldn't care, its being malicious and cruel. If you ignore it you may as well be condoning it. I know Connor McDavid's career doesn't end tomorrow if he did this and by those standards Leipsic's career ending isn't strictly speaking "right." I get all of that but we can still call out bad behaviour as bad behaviour, if you want to defend his right to speak it you are defending too our right to bury him.

Fair.

 

[DanM]

Of course it goes on and it happens I know that it happens, I don't think Leipsic is the only one but that isn't a defence that is so much worse. It's not about being PC, if this was an off-colour joke I wouldn't care, its being malicious and cruel. If you ignore it you may as well be condoning it. I know Connor McDavid's career doesn't end tomorrow if he did this and by those standards Leipsic's career ending isn't strictly speaking "right." I get all of that but we can still call out bad behaviour as bad behaviour, if you want to defend his right to speak it you are defending too our right to bury him.

Well said also.

 

[57special]

It's amazing how many younger people use digital media, but don't seem to understand it.

 

[Ryan Michaels]

Fair.

I'm happy we can come to an understanding. I apologize for being worked up, it's a heated subject of course. All the best.

 

[lordstanley91]

I'm happy we can come to an understanding. I apologize for being worked up, it's a heated subject of course. All the best.

It’s all good. I wasn’t worked up. Civil discourse and debate is healthy and essential. Be safe.

 

[nbwingsfan]

He was replaced by Ilya Kovalchuk anyway.

Never getting a hockey contract again. His next stop is cleaning toilets at Burger King.

He’ll get a gig in Europe no problem I assume. I wish he wouldn’t though.

 

[Unbiased Fan]

Of course it goes on and it happens I know that it happens, I don't think Leipsic is the only one but that isn't a defence that is so much worse. It's not about being PC, if this was an off-colour joke I wouldn't care, its being malicious and cruel. If you ignore it you may as well be condoning it. I know Connor McDavid's career doesn't end tomorrow if he did this and by those standards Leipsic's career ending isn't strictly speaking "right." I get all of that but we can still call out bad behaviour as bad behaviour, if you want to defend his right to speak it you are defending too our right to bury him.

His career isn’t ending he’s just getting a transfer to Russia.

 

[nbwingsfan]

wish they had just paid him out after sending him home... I cant possibly support someone being fired for freedom of speech issues.

if I know him im advising him to take this to court now... its a fight that needs to be fought.

hate if he becomes a poster child for freedom of speech since he seems to be a total douchbag… but if he gets fired for some drug talk and making fun of peoples appearance or whatever... then god help the rest of us.

hope to hell no player I ever care about does anything remotely close to this... I never cared about this guy at all. dont care about him now either. but I do care about freedom of speech

This is not a new thing. People have been fired for saying moronic things all over the world for years, in every industry.

Companies can fire you for not wanting to be associated with you and often have morality clauses.

Freedom of Speech does not give you the go ahead to say whatever you want without consequences.

 

[Ziggdiezan]

I imagine the comment 'I love Coke' was at the center of this contract termination. Hockey players have done a lot worse to each others wives than making fun of their weight....

 

[nbwingsfan]

How did Leipsic breach? Is there a clause in the contract that says you can’t be a jerk?

Probably, yes.

 

[Crosscrease14]

He’ll get a gig in Europe no problem I assume. I wish he wouldn’t though.

Maybe in the KHL but he's not Russian so we'll see

 

[Subway Schenn]

If brings to mind Garrett Sparks, who was disciplined for homophobic remarks, but was banished to the minors and traded for a bag of pucks when he cut up his teammates in the press.

Whoa, can't drag someone's name in the mud like that. When did Garrett Sparks make homophobic remarks?

 

[joe dirte]

From what i saw it was all private converations. He may be an idiot but i think its a little unfair. If we saw the conversations other NHL players had, we would likely be kicking out a lot more players. As much as i think hes an immature moron i think this goes too far. Especially when you consider the antics that other pro sports players have gotten second chances after. Mike vick? Or in hockey dany heatley? How many players have domestic abuse charges? Voynov? Didnt both parrick roy and martin brodeur have charges? Bobby hull is a wife beater isnt he?

I mean im not saying the guy isnt a moron. I justvthink the punishment is a little much all things considered.

 

[nbwingsfan]

From what i saw it was all private converations. He may be an idiot but i think its a little unfair. If we saw the conversations other NHL players had, we would likely be kicking out a lot more players. As much as i think hes an immature moron i think this goes too far. Especially when you consider the antics that other pro sports players have gotten second chances after. Mike vick? Or in hockey dany heatley? How many players have domestic abuse charges? Voynov? Didnt both parrick roy and martin brodeur have charges? Bobby hull is a wife beater isnt he?

I mean im not saying the guy isnt a moron. I justvthink the punishment is a little much all things considered.

You also just named a whole bunch of star players. These guys are worth rehabilitations and the PR nightmares for their teams. Leipsic is barely an NHL player and interchangeable with a whole bunch of 13th forwards/AHL guys so Washington, and I’m assuming all NHL teams, don’t think he’s worth going through all of that for it risking it being a locker room distraction.

It may be “un fair” but if somehow Crosby had the same comments leaked then this goes a whole different way.

 

[JetsHomer]

wish they had just paid him out after sending him home... I cant possibly support someone being fired for freedom of speech issues.

if I know him im advising him to take this to court now... its a fight that needs to be fought.

hate if he becomes a poster child for freedom of speech since he seems to be a total douchbag… but if he gets fired for some drug talk and making fun of peoples appearance or whatever... then god help the rest of us.

hope to hell no player I ever care about does anything remotely close to this... I never cared about this guy at all. dont care about him now either. but I do care about freedom of speech

It's shocking how many people seem to think 'freedom of speech' means 'I can say absolutely anything i want and if I ever suffer consequences for my own actions that's ILLEGAL!!'

 

[MessierII]

It’s 2020. Every pro athletes contract states that they cannot make racist, bigoted or sexist comments. This is a breach of contract for sure.

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

Dude didn’t belong in the NHL anyways

good riddance

 

[93LEAFS]

I imagine the comment 'I love Coke' was at the center of this contract termination. Hockey players have done a lot worse to each others wives than making fun of their weight....

I doubt that. It would most likely be in violation of the NHL's substance abuse program to fire someone for that.

Pretty sure he's been paid out on the year, so this may be more of a statement than something that financially effects Leipsic. If money is involved, expect the PA to fight it hard. I mean, his comments are on the same level as what Panarin said in a public interview while in Russia, and he's now a top 5 paid player in the league. And, as for drugs, they still proudly employ Kuznetsov.

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

Freedom of speech is probably something you should learn about since it does not mean that you can say whatever you want, whenever you want, about whomever you want, without consequence.

Uhhhh it kinda does?

Did he break any laws? Nope

Did he harm anyone? Nope

it was a private conversation that someone leaked

It doesn’t matter anyways he probably wouldn’t have gotten another NHL contract anyways

 

[Ciao]

Whoa, can't drag someone's name in the mud like that. When did Garrett Sparks make homophobic remarks?

You're quite right. My recollection was faulty.

Sparks was suspended for sexist remarks and did not make any homophobic remarks: Sparks suspended indefinitely by Leafs - TSN.ca

I was mistaken, and sincerely apologize for my error.

 

[Leafs87]

If he said it publically I would understand, but he said this in confidence and privacy. I am convinced all players and people posting here has said much worse

 

[Horse McHindu]

Do you know what's kinda sad? If Leipsic was an actually good NHL player, he would have gotten a slap on the wrist and had to take PR courses, like Seguin did when he tweeted out "nothing but steers and queers in Texas" after being traded to Dallas.

This post wins the thread in my opinion. Absolutely 100% true about Seguin. Seguin and Jamie Benn also attacked the “Sedin sisters” in an equally vile manner on one of the local radio stations.

I don’t agree with Leipsic’s comments, but why was his private chat made public? Isn’t that a violation of his freedom of speech and rights to privacy? The person who made Leipsic’s comments public.........isn’t that kind of action libel? (If I’m using the correct legal term here).

 

[Spargon]

Uhhhh it kinda does?

Did he break any laws? Nope

Did he harm anyone? Nope

it was a private conversation that someone leaked

It doesn’t matter anyways he probably wouldn’t have gotten another NHL contract anyways

Freedom of speech allows US citizens to criticize their government without being sent to jail for doing it.
As pointed out above it does NOT mean you get to say whatever you want without any consequence.

Canada doesn't have freedom of speech we have freedom of expression which are reasonable limits the government can place on topics allowed to be discussed. No hate speech etc.