Drug Policy in CBA (big suspensions!)

[Tekneek]

If a drug is illegal in the US, you can bet it will be illegal according to the CBA's testing policy and subject to the 20, 60, and then you're done punishment policy. I can't say I have the slightest problem with that either. Better yet, make the policy standardized in major juniors to snuff it out there as well... might take a few years, but you would think that the NHL's policy will eventually filter down.

Any reasonable person should have a problem with it because federal drug law in the US is overly broad, as well as not matching up 100% with Canadian law.

 

[Burberry Manning]

This is obviously a terrific move by the NHL. They avoid any chance of controversy by implementing strict punishments before an issue arises, and they also have taken a measure to ensure the validity of the game. I also would be interested to see the list of drugs they are testing for. Hopefully they would be stringent enough to use blood testing to completely erase any doubts of roiding, unlike baseball. Maybe people might not realize this but even with MLB's current enhanced testing policy, most high profile players can still pass these tests with the most current designer drugs. Human growth hormone, what most elite athletes are accused of taking, would not be detected by these urine tests. And not only does HGH grow muscle at an incredible rate, but it's been proven to increase hand/eye coordination. I'd love to see the NHL take steps to prevent these types of drugs as well

 

[HockeyCritter]

Source: NHL CBA has drug policy


Canadian Press



7/14/2005 8:28:54 PM

TORONTO (CP) - The NHL's new collective bargaining agreement will include a stiff drug-testing policy, a league source told The Canadian Press on Tuesday.

The policy would see players subject to a minimum of two drug tests a year with no advance warning. A player would earn a 20-game suspension for a first-time offence, a 60-game ban for a second offence and a permanent suspension from the NHL after a third violation.

Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow suggested the league and union would introduce such a policy after the two appeared before a U.S. congressional hearing on steroid use last May.

The sounds like it could be the most aggressive drug policy in sports . . . good for the NHL.

 

[HockeyCritter]

Another thing ppl have to realize is that steriod use is not huge in the NHL because of the on going international tournements that players participate in. Lots of ppl are not aware that the IIHF has very similar doping rules to the olympics so itd be silly for a high-calibre player to dope because he would get caught in international tournements. Ive played hockey with a couple guys who have been on world jr. teams in the past years and they said that their junior teams told em to stay squeaky clean (dont smoke pot...which in the dub im sure lots of u know is easier said then done) for a while or get suspended at the world jr. tournies.

That's very true ---- I remember one Olympic year Peter Bondra was sick as a dog and refused to take cold medicine because he didn’t want to fail the IIHF drug tests.

 

[HockeyCritter]

Deleted the dang double post.

 

[Rakiet*]

The following is bang on with drug-policy, MLB take note!:

Source: NHL CBA has drug policy


Canadian Press



7/14/2005 8:28:54 PM

TORONTO (CP) - The NHL's new collective bargaining agreement will include a stiff drug-testing policy, a league source told The Canadian Press on Tuesday.

The policy would see players subject to a minimum of two drug tests a year with no advance warning. A player would earn a 20-game suspension for a first-time offence, a 60-game ban for a second offence and a permanent suspension from the NHL after a third violation.

Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow suggested the league and union would introduce such a policy after the two appeared before a U.S. congressional hearing on steroid use last May.

 

[blitzkriegs]

Gee, I wonder why? It's not like the union would make him say that he was misquoted or something like that, would they?

Gee, I wonder why?

``This was not an area of contention between the parties,'' players' association senior director Ted Saskin told The Associated Press on Friday in an e-mail. ``We have never had problems in this area in our sport.''

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ap-nhldrugpolicy&prov=ap&type=lgns

IF it was an ISSUE, the level of suspensions would have been a contentious issue.

 

[Steve L*]

The sounds like it could be the most aggressive drug policy in sports . . . good for the NHL.

Rubbish, its toothless compared to other sports.

Rio Ferdinand was banned for 8 months because he missed a test but took it the next day and was clean.

They are not suspending players for recreational drugs which is stupid.

 

[Steve L*]

Gee, I wonder why?

``This was not an area of contention between the parties,'' players' association senior director Ted Saskin told The Associated Press on Friday in an e-mail. ``We have never had problems in this area in our sport.''

Of they havent, how does anyone get caught if they dont test anyone?

Thats like giving cops the day off then pointing out there wasnt a problem with crime because a single arrest wasnt made that day.

 

[helicecopter]

The sounds like it could be the most aggressive drug policy in sports . . . good for the NHL.

Note: USA is not THE WORLD.