Around the League | Reckoning

[Mr. Canucklehead]

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[LemonSauceD]

This will definitely be hard on Adam Foote. Poor guy.

 

[MS]

I wonder who the 5 players are. Hart, Dube and Formenton seem like obvious guess. I also think it's curious Max Comtois never got an NHL deal after going unqualified by Anaheim.

Comtois issued one of the strongest denials of any player on that team. Highly doubt he was involved.

He's actually having a pretty solid season in Chicago (AHL) and you wonder if he'd be a decent 'free' deadline acquisition for bottom-6 depth.

Both Hart and Dube previously released statements saying they weren’t involved and neither were in the alleged photo taken at the hotel the night of. So it comes as a surprise to most in the public.

Hart's statement was more of an 'I can't comment' than any sort of denial. I linked an article a page or two back from September that made it pretty clear that he was involved but it seems to have slipped past the public consciousness. I certainly missed it at the time.

Seravalli was saying yesterday that Dube's situation might not be connected. Not sure if that's now confirmed to be incorrect.

 

[krutovsdonut]

i think we need to hold off on assuming everyone taking a leave of absence is getting charged.

according to briere the nhl is centrally fielding questions. they are going to want anyone involved in this to be away from reporters for a while.

 

[Zombotron]

HF Flyers is certainly a Read™ right now

(me, trying not to laugh seeing someone with a deep-fried Alain Vigneault user icon)

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

i think we need to hold off on assuming everyone taking a leave of absence is getting charged.

according to briere the nhl is centrally fielding questions. they are going to want anyone involved in this to be away from reporters for a while.

This - at this point, even though players are being granted leaves, we shouldn't be speculating here on HF (for legal reasons).

If/when more information comes out, discussion will be able to flow a bit more freely.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Seravalli was saying yesterday that Dube's situation might not be connected. Not sure if that's now confirmed to be incorrect.

It's absolutely irresponsible by Seravalli to make such a statement.

One thing I learned is Rick Westhead is probably the best Canadian sports journalist of our generation right now. He really exposes the dark side of hockey and soccer, and does it while remaining factual.

 

[timw33]

Comtois issued one of the strongest denials of any player on that team. Highly doubt he was involved.

He's actually having a pretty solid season in Chicago (AHL) and you wonder if he'd be a decent 'free' deadline acquisition for bottom-6 depth.



Hart's statement was more of an 'I can't comment' than any sort of denial. I linked an article a page or two back from September that made it pretty clear that he was involved but it seems to have slipped past the public consciousness. I certainly missed it at the time.

Seravalli was saying yesterday that Dube's situation might not be connected. Not sure if that's now confirmed to be incorrect.

Flames statement on Dube was all about mental health and that he was "being attended to by mental health professionals" so yeah it's going to look not great for them if he's one of the guys surrendering to the London Police.

 

[MS]

It's absolutely irresponsible by Seravalli to make such a statement.

One thing I learned is Rick Westhead is probably the best Canadian sports journalist of our generation right now. He really exposes the dark side of hockey and soccer, and does it while remaining factual.

He said he had a source tell him that Dube wasn't connected.

If he believes that source and a player with legitimate unconnected mental health issues is now being dragged through the mud for something he didn't do ... fair enough to put it out there.

Looks very bad if that source was wrong, though.

Flames statement on Dube was all about mental health and that he was "being attended to by mental health professionals" so yeah it's going to look not great for them if he's one of the guys surrendering to the London Police.

Absolutely.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

One thing I learned is Rick Westhead is probably the best Canadian sports journalist of our generation right now. He really exposes the dark side of hockey and soccer, and does it while remaining factual.

Rick Westhead is indeed the best reporter - and the gutsiest one, by far - currently in the business. He is constantly bringing to light shady, horrible stories that large hockey organizations try to sweep under the rug.

The relative silence of insiders on fiascos such as this and, going back a bit, the Chicago/Beach situation, is utterly horrible. Lost all respect for the credibility of the likes of those guys when that happened.

 

[StreetHawk]

It's absolutely irresponsible by Seravalli to make such a statement.

One thing I learned is Rick Westhead is probably the best Canadian sports journalist of our generation right now. He really exposes the dark side of hockey and soccer, and does it while remaining factual.

Key words.... Sports Journalists. His area isn't finding out trade discussions or coaching hirings. He does a lot of grunt work and fact checking. He's not someone who is producing an article every couple of dates to post online.

Just important to have what I would call "Sports Media" to never call themselves Journalists. Major difference between what they do vs what Rick Westhead does.

 

[Szechwan]

Man the Oilers are going to get some amazing depth once this is all sorted out

 

[Vector]

It's absolutely irresponsible by Seravalli to make such a statement.

One thing I learned is Rick Westhead is probably the best Canadian sports journalist of our generation right now. He really exposes the dark side of hockey and soccer, and does it while remaining factual.

Everyone who cares even a little bit about the sport should be following Westhead’s work. Not only to see what he’s reporting on but also who he’s pointing you to.

 

[Bobby9]

Chevy Knew

 

[bossram]

Comtois issued one of the strongest denials of any player on that team. Highly doubt he was involved.

He's actually having a pretty solid season in Chicago (AHL) and you wonder if he'd be a decent 'free' deadline acquisition for bottom-6 depth.



Hart's statement was more of an 'I can't comment' than any sort of denial. I linked an article a page or two back from September that made it pretty clear that he was involved but it seems to have slipped past the public consciousness. I certainly missed it at the time.

Seravalli was saying yesterday that Dube's situation might not be connected. Not sure if that's now confirmed to be incorrect.

Apparently CGY noted that Dube's leave was related to mental health and wished him well/hoped he will get better. With Hart, the Flyers didn't say anything besides "no comment". Dube might not be involved.

Hart, Formenton, Mcleod, and Foote appear to be four of the five, almost certainly.

 

[timw33]

Rick Westhead is indeed the best reporter - and the gutsiest one, by far - currently in the business. He is constantly bringing to light shady, horrible stories that large hockey organizations try to sweep under the rug.

The relative silence of insiders on fiascos such as this and, going back a bit, the Chicago/Beach situation, is utterly horrible. Lost all respect for the credibility of the likes of those guys when that happened.

It just speaks to a culture throughout the game, including journalism, where you are not encouraged to speak up or look into these darker issues otherwise you'll be blackballed.

The only reason something happened with the Beach situation or the 2018 WJC is that a journalist who is not entrenched in the NHL circles was able to dig deep and shine a light into areas none of the hockey reporters would even think about touching. He didn't have to burn any bridges since he was already an outside entity.

Like, you're not going to see Elliotte Friedman chasing down leads and rustling up all sorts of stuff the NHL doesn't want to come to light. Most of the hockey insider reporters are only going to be reactive in their reporting to this kind of subject matter, not proactive.

 

[Hollywood Burrows]

Most contemporary NHL players give me a rapey vibe, I can't lie. It's the culture of rich american prep school kids, the type of kids who comprise a bigger and bigger slice of the NHL population each year. It really makes the sport unpleasant to follow!

 

[LemonSauceD]

Found this on Cal Foote’s Instagram posted on the same day of the alleged incident.

From left to right: Cal Foote, Dillon Dube, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Micheal McLeod

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Most contemporary NHL players give me a rapey vibe, I can't lie. It's the culture of rich american prep school kids, the type of kids who comprise a bigger and bigger slice of the NHL population each year. It really makes the sport unpleasant to follow!

 

[bandwagonesque]

He said he had a source tell him that Dube wasn't connected.

If he believes that source and a player with legitimate unconnected mental health issues is now being dragged through the mud for something he didn't do ... fair enough to put it out there.

Looks very bad if that source was wrong, though.



Absolutely.

It's not out of the question that some players not necessarily suspected of directly participating are being brought in to be interviewed in a different landscape where the police have far more leverage. I'm not sure how many of these guys were actually interviewed by the police initially, all of them would have been within their rights to decline and that may no longer be the case based on what police have learned in the meantime.

 

[StreetHawk]

It just speaks to a culture throughout the game, including journalism, where you are not encouraged to speak up or look into these darker issues otherwise you'll be blackballed.

The only reason something happened with the Beach situation or the 2018 WJC is that a journalist who is not entrenched in the NHL circles was able to dig deep and shine a light into areas none of the hockey reporters would even think about touching. He didn't have to burn any bridges since he was already an outside entity.

Like, you're not going to see Elliotte Friedman chasing down leads and rustling up all sorts of stuff the NHL doesn't want to come to light. Most of the hockey insider reporters are only going to be reactive in their reporting to this kind of subject matter, not proactive.

Each has their role. Thus good on TSN to have a Rick Westhead on board, to counter what the likes of a Bob McKenzie/Dreger/LeBrun etc. does.

I don't expect the latter to dig into the stuff Westhead does. But, when it comes to light, just shows how "surface" their reporting truly is. They are reporters/media, not journalists..... So long as they keep that distinction that they don't have the same title as Westhead, that's fine....

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Most contemporary NHL players give me a rapey vibe, I can't lie. It's the culture of rich american prep school kids, the type of kids who comprise a bigger and bigger slice of the NHL population each year. It really makes the sport unpleasant to follow!

I think it’s time to acknowledge that this is a Canadian culture issue within our sport. It’s not just rich American prep school kids.

It’s our hockey players being alpha boy kings wherever they go and being told they can do and say whatever they want because they play a sport well. And a huge infrastructure and apparatus that enables it, riddled with people who have come through that same system themselves.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Most contemporary NHL players give me a rapey vibe, I can't lie. It's the culture of rich american prep school kids, the type of kids who comprise a bigger and bigger slice of the NHL population each year. It really makes the sport unpleasant to follow!

It's the culture of sports, and big time money along with a judicial system that can get swayed by dollars and fame. Look at the insane double standards, Dany Heatley got away with second-degree vehicular homicide. I remember reading a similar case in the same state where a guy got 13 years in jail.

I have heard stories of players from the 90's and before that were accused of doing some disgusting stuff (some which involved pre-teen minors).

 

[StreetHawk]

Look at the Canadian hockey system. Asking 15/16 year olds to move away from home to another province in the West, or another city out east and live with Billets. How much authority are the billet families given to ensure that the kid remains on the straight and narrow? Even in the US, kids can go play in the USHL in another state too.

If there is bad behaviour around them from older kids, going to copy what they do or feel pressured to do it.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Look at the Canadian hockey system. Asking 15/16 year olds to move away from home to another province in the West, or another city out east and live with Billets. How much authority are the billet families given to ensure that the kid remains on the straight and narrow? Even in the US, kids can go play in the USHL in another state too.

If there is bad behaviour around them from older kids, going to copy what they do or feel pressured to do it.

It’s not even 15/16. They are recruited and move away from their communities as young as 12. Uprooted from their families and support systems at a crucial time of their mental growth and maturation, and inserted into a culture that celebrates this sort of shit. It’s gross.