Kevin Stevens arrested on drug distribution charges

[Ziggy Stardust]

So how many players associated with the Kings have been arrested on a drug related offense?

Clearly the 89 games he appeared in with the Kings was enough to lead the man into drug abuse. Grant Fuhr was quite fond of nose candy as well. Must've been a result of his brief stint in LA as well. Those pesky Kings harboring junkies.

 

[Gator Mike]

Tremendous article from Kevin Paul Dupont on Stevens' legal issues.

Kevin Stevens Still has Many Rooting for Him

Worth noting...

According to Kelly, Stevens was in possession of 100 pills, presumably oxycodone, when arrested. Such a small number, Kelly noted prior to Stevens’s detention hearing, would not typically trigger an indictment or for the feds to hold the accused in jail. A former federal prosecutor himself, Kelly conjectured at the time that the government might only be attempting to send his client a message, but also noted that the charges leave Stevens “with some sentencing exposure.’’

 

[Fanned On It]

Was lucky enough that my wisdoms were never impacted much, but friend of the family in his 40s got them done and they gave him oxy too, he was basically high as a kite and couldn't remember anything after the surgery, they needed a guardian for him basically. But there was no addiction so not sure how strong the stuff athletes get is.

Hope Stevens can get the help though.

You guys aren't serious with this "I was given oxycontin and I didn't get addicted to them" comments, right? That's not how it works. In order to get addicted to something, one has to expose themselves to said thing for a prolonged period of time. The amount of medication a doctor/dentist will prescribe for you after a wisdom-teeth extraction isn't nearly enough to become physically addicted. It is the patients who are prescribed opiates for CHRONIC conditions or LONG-TERM injury-rehab that are at risk of addiction.

Another group of people who are highly at-risk are people with emotional distress in their lives who use these pills to self-medicate and "mask" their distress.

A "normal" person without a severe need to mask their emotional or physical pain is not really at-risk of becoming addicted to the amount of opiates prescribed for a dental-surgery.

Bringing this conversation back to the NHL, it is plain as day to see why some NHL'ers get addicted to pain-killers. The sport hurts to play. There are a lot of minor, nagging injuries that build up over the course of any given season and a steady regimen of opioid-based pain-killer treatment (IMO the most dangerous kind) can be used to MASK the pain from these injuries, allowing said player to "play through the pain" much more effectively.

 

[LV*]

Prescription pain meds are scary stuff. I'm a big guy (6'6" 230) and when I had my wisdom teeth out two years ago, the surgeon wrote me a prescription for Percocet, because he wasn't sure if just Advil and Tylenol would cut it for someone of my size.

I filled the prescription, but wound up not taking a single one, because of the addiction horror stories I had heard of. Pain was surprisingly not even that bad anyway.

The only reason I survived my wisdom teeth removal (4) was the percocet...

 

[Fenway]

Former NHL star Kevin Stevens sentenced to probation on drug dealing conviction

In a dramatic hearing that underscored the scourge of the state’s opioid epidemic, former professional hockey player Kevin Stevens, who was raised in Massachusetts and twice won the Stanley Cup, was sentenced to probation for conspiring to sell oxycodone.

Prosecutors had asked that Stevens, 52, of Weymouth, serve a year in prison, less than what he faced under sentencing guidelines.

But US District Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. said he was caught between a need to punish Stevens and a desire to support the rehabilitation of a man whose addiction began after one of the National Hockey League’s worst on-ice injuries.

“The risk of interrupting the progress that has been made is perhaps an unwise risk to take,â€O’Toole told a courtroom crowded with Stevens’ supporters.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

That's fair. Much more money should be spent in rehabilitation and much less in incarceration.

 

[tony d]

My best to Stevens. Hoping he turns his life around.

 

[Kurt Cobain]

Oxycotins and percocets are given out to millions of americans each year. Its the few thousand cases that people with addictive personalities makes this a story and make a bad name for these opiates or synthetic opiates. I have an addictive personality and even percocets (wisdom teeth pulled) weren't giving me cravings like the horror stories you famously hear. Its the few and far between stories that reach public because a select few names. There are many more alcoholics than opiate abusers and we all know alcohol isnt some huge drug crisis.

Alcohol isn't a huge crisis? You don't know a "real alcoholic" if you're ignorant enough to make that statement. Besides that you know how many people are killed in drunk driving accidents? How many alcohol induced fights start at bars, clubs and parties. Alcohol is actually the worst of all drugs in your actually organs as well.

 

[Not Sure]

Depends how much they were trying to move. Plus it's just conspiring. If it's a first offense it could just be small charges.

This is Federal though. They are cracking down on the opiate distribution hard and have minimum mandatory sentencing for drug crimes. Depending on ammount I could see at least a 5 year term being minimum. If it was enough quantity to get the feds involved and building a case for years he's not going to get a slap on the wrist unless he sits down and provides some serious evidence against his co-conspirators.

 

[FrozenJagrt]

Alcohol isn't a huge crisis? You don't know a "real alcoholic" if you're ignorant enough to make that statement. Besides that you know how many people are killed in drunk driving accidents? How many alcohol induced fights start at bars, clubs and parties. Alcohol is actually the worst of all drugs in your actually organs as well.

I believe the comment was suggesting that no one was freaking out over the dangers of alcohol despite it being more of a problem for addiction than oxycontin and similar drugs.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Alcohol isn't a huge crisis? You don't know a "real alcoholic" if you're ignorant enough to make that statement. Besides that you know how many people are killed in drunk driving accidents? How many alcohol induced fights start at bars, clubs and parties. Alcohol is actually the worst of all drugs in your actually organs as well.

Is there any actual evidence that supports this statement? I hear it all the time but can never seem to find a source.

And for the record, no, alcohol isn't a societal crisis. It can absolutely be and has and will continue to be the cause of many personal ones though.

As per the fights argument, that one is pretty silly. Fights happen on black Friday every year, is shopping a crisis?

Driving drunk is inexcusable. Alcoholism and overconsumption is a major issue. Alcohol itself is not.

 

[Kurt Cobain]

Seems there's a lot of ignorance in this thread. Oxycodone is Percocet it just also has acetaminophen in it. OxyContin is also oxycodone. It's just that OxyContin has a coating that releases it slowly into the the body, thus the name "oxycodone continuous". Because of the coating it can come in higher doses but people by pass the coating which is abuse. By doing that they can release 30, 40, 60, 80 or even 160mg into their body all at once which can be done in matter of ways. Percocet only comes in 5mg and 10mg of opiates. If you ever see oxycodone never assume they mean OxyContin. Also OxyContin is pure it doesn't have acetaminophen or aspirin in it. It's pure opiate.

I know my stuff I'm a former addict who now works with people in trying to get them sober. Yes I also realize what my username is, but Kurt Cobain is just my favorite musician and he's not a man to aspire to be like beyond that.

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

Alcohol is actually the worst of all drugs in your actually organs as well.

yeah, liquor stores should really switch to krokodil

 

[Kurt Cobain]

Is there any actual evidence that supports this statement? I hear it all the time but can never seem to find a source.

And for the record, no, alcohol isn't a societal crisis. It can absolutely be and has and will continue to be the cause of many personal ones though.

As per the fights argument, that one is pretty silly. Fights happen on black Friday every year, is shopping a crisis?

Driving drunk is inexcusable. Alcoholism and overconsumption is a major issue. Alcohol itself is not.

I do this for living the only one that may come close is crystal meth because it can turn your brain to an actual liquid but that takes a long time. You can literally die from alcohol withdrawal. Cocaine, opiates, meth etc. will not take your life if it's taken from you arubtly. I've worked with people like this for a long time, a full blown alcoholic who needs alcohol just to stop shaking and get through the day is far worse than an opiate addict. We have to strap them down and that's the only drug where we have to do that. Opiates dont really effect the organs by themselves, it's the fact people use needles which transmits hep C, Hiv and even merca. Or id your addicted to Percocet that has 325mg of tylenol in it,band you're taking 10 a day trust me the 3000mg plus of Tylenol is hurting your liver more than the 100mg of opiates.
High use of cocaine can cause your heart to beat out of place and you can actually cook yourself from the inside. However it's hard to get pure cocaine and people usually know to when to stop. These are more acute effects on the body. However when it comes to long term abuse alcohol is far and away the worst I've seen. People turn yellow, their stomachs become pertruded to the point I've seen them burst. Let's not even start with what it does to the liver, kidneys, linings of the esophagus, stomach and intestines. It also causes massive amount of vomiting which causes tooth decay and can lead to septicemia and all types of problems

Alcoholism at it's worst is the last addiction id wish on anyone. I work in this field but even people in my own field will disagree with me. This isn't a black and white thing they're are many shades of grey

Don't get me twisted all these things are bad for you. I just want people to understand that alcohol is a drug, it does incredible damage to the body and families. People that think it's more beinign because it's legal are wrong and if you've seen the things I've seen you would understand.

 

[Kurt Cobain]

yeah, liquor stores should really switch to krokodil

Oh yeah I know that krokodil use is insane in America. You can go do some inhalants that will kill you faster too but let's be real people arent sniffing gasoline like they're doing alcohol, opiates and cocaine.

What do I know though. I expected ignorance when I made my statement put myself out there cause people who don't know what it's like being or working with addicts have never been in that world. When it comes to the drug world your either in or out. Just because you watched viceland or that intervention show doesn't mean you know a god damn thing.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

His story is sad, I don't hate him for all of that stuff either, it really would never have happened if the incident in 1993 didn't occur. I remember seeing that and I just stood there stunned, it was hard to see.

He was on his way to becoming one of the best power forwards in the history of the league with 195 goals and 217 assists in 348 games (412pts) before his injury happened. Then he came back, did ok but he was never the same, he just looked off. Hopefully he gets back to being better and gets his life sorted out. I believe he still holds the record for most goals+points+hits in a regular season. The guy was super nice, very well liked...people can poke fun but addiction is terrible and his stems from something so damn fluky.

Stay strong #25.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Must be nice to be rich and famous. Probation for conspiring to sell?

Truth be told, I'm all for giving addicts medical treatment over jail time, but methinks if Stevens came from a different background, he wouldn't be getting the benefit of the doubt.

 

[BraveCanadian]

Pretty sad how things derailed for him in hockey and in life.

He was a heck of a player before it started to fall apart.

 

[Kurt Cobain]

I hope he gets the help he needs. I'm against locking up addicts but it looks like he was selling them and that's a whole new ball game, especially if he was selling to kids or young people. I'll wait longer for more info before I decide how I feel about Kevin Stevens and his situation. I personally think we all should.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Is there no control system with what doctors prescribe in america

There is and doctors get busted for it a lot. Having that control doesn't stop crooked doctors from becoming dealers though.

 

[covfefe]

Must be nice to be rich and famous. Probation for conspiring to sell?

Truth be told, I'm all for giving addicts medical treatment over jail time, but methinks if Stevens came from a different background, he wouldn't be getting the benefit of the doubt.

Not much of a hot take, everything you said here is largely agreed upon in western society..

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Must be nice to be rich and famous. Probation for conspiring to sell?

Truth be told, I'm all for giving addicts medical treatment over jail time, but methinks if Stevens came from a different background, he wouldn't be getting the benefit of the doubt.

Highly doubt Kevin Stevens is rich.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

There is and doctors get busted for it a lot. Having that control doesn't stop crooked doctors from becoming dealers though.

Dr feelgood's have been cracked down on big time. It is much harder to get prescriptions painkillers now. Most doctors require actual objective proof, instead of subjective symptoms like before. They also drug test prescription pill receivers now making sure the prescription is in their system, and other drugs aren't.

Only issue is now people are resorting to making their own forms of these opiates and are using lethal doses and highly toxic mixes (fetanlyl, carfentinil, and heroin makes 'grey death' which can kill from simple touch or inhalation).

More funds need to be pumped into rehab, because it seems like the concern is more that people are selling the drugs and making untaxed dollars than the thousands of lives being lost and destroyed.

 

[FrozenJagrt]

Must be nice to be rich and famous. Probation for conspiring to sell?

Truth be told, I'm all for giving addicts medical treatment over jail time, but methinks if Stevens came from a different background, he wouldn't be getting the benefit of the doubt.

It is, and always has been, case by case. I've been in courtrooms where people of all walks of life were involved. Some did some pretty nasty things and got a slap on the wrist.

In one case, a guy from a lower income background with a history of semi-violent crimes (if one can call it that) caved a man's face in with a beer mug at a bar during an altercation. Aggravated assault with a weapon. Sentenced to less than two months intermittent (served his time on weekends). He could have been given 15 years. Worst crime he ever committed, lightest sentence he ever got. Definitely wasn't rich and famous. And really, how rich or famous is Kevin Stevens? Sure, he was in the public eye 30 years ago, be this isn't exactly Michael Jordan or anything.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Dr feelgood's have been cracked down on big time. It is much harder to get prescriptions painkillers now. Most doctors require actual objective proof, instead of subjective symptoms like before. They also drug test prescription pill receivers now making sure the prescription is in their system, and other drugs aren't.

Only issue is now people are resorting to making their own forms of these opiates and are using lethal doses and highly toxic mixes (fetanlyl, carfentinil, and heroin makes 'grey death' which can kill from simple touch or inhalation).

More funds need to be pumped into rehab, because it seems like the concern is more that people are selling the drugs and making untaxed dollars than the thousands of lives being lost and destroyed.

There's only so much you can do with rehabilitation because it requires an addict to stay committed for life. Addiction cannot be cured. It can be managed but only if a user is willing. You can detox people, you can get them clean, but that addiction remains. It's not an easy problem to resolve no matter how much cash you throw at it. Though I do favor rehab over incarceration. I just don't know where you go from there really.