NHL investigating Coyotes over physical testing of CHL players

[Lilhoody]

Sounds like there's some nepotism involved in the scandal and a large number of players tested.

 

[TheLegend]

Sounds like there's some nepotism involved in the scandal and a large number of players tested.

Source?

 

[Lilhoody]

Source?

League

 

[TheLegend]

That can mean anything.

Teams were instructed to notify the CHL about any possible violations and there's nothing that indicates who has done it or what's been reported.

 

[Lilhoody]

OK

 

[mouser]

Did the Coyotes violate Combine Testing Policy? A ruling may...

The NHL is investigating whether the Coyotes violated league rules by fitness-testing draft-eligible players before the 2019 scouting combine. ... Per the NHL's Combine Testing Policy, no physical testing is permitted for prospects on the invite list before the combine, but a source told The Athletic that the Coyotes do not believe they violated that rule. While the Coyotes did interview numerous draft-eligible prospects on that list, which is permitted, the source said they did not run any of those prospects through physical testing. Instead, they simply asked questions regarding such topics as eating habits, supplement use and workout regimens.

So apparently the team asked verboten questions like: "do you lift weights, or can you do a pullup?"

 

[BUX7PHX]

Fire Chaka, any executive that has his hands in his pockets while being interviewed should be gone,

So the measurement was actually Chayka measuring his erection size in front of certain players? NHL has some crazy rules interpretation...

 

[Imaravencawcaw]

Did the Coyotes violate Combine Testing Policy? A ruling may...



So apparently the team asked verboten questions like: "do you lift weights, or can you do a pullup?"

I giggled at the part about asking prospects to show up to interviews in shorts and a t-shirt. Those are the kind of analytics that separate the wheat from the chaff right there. Chayka is a f***ing genius!

 

[Jamieh]

Uses illegal methods to find out about strength and workout routines, steps up to podium and chooses Clayton Keller. Something doesnt add up??

 

[BUX7PHX]

I giggled at the part about asking prospects to show up to interviews in shorts and a t-shirt. Those are the kind of analytics that separate the wheat from the chaff right there. Chayka is a ****ing genius!

It is smart. I mean, the player is going into the interview to get asked questions. We'll see what they look like in a suit at the draft. To me, there is nothing against using the eye test to validate whether or not the player's frame would support 10 lbs. of extra muscle or not.

Obviously, not all information is public, but this seems closer to a non-issue if that is the furthest depth of this testing is. If it involves more than this behind the scenes, then we are in a really bad scenario.

 

[hbk]

It is smart. I mean, the player is going into the interview to get asked questions. We'll see what they look like in a suit at the draft. To me, there is nothing against using the eye test to validate whether or not the player's frame would support 10 lbs. of extra muscle or not.

Obviously, not all information is public, but this seems closer to a non-issue if that is the furthest depth of this testing is. If it involves more than this behind the scenes, then we are in a really bad scenario.

If all they did was being an athletic trainer to eyeball a prospect to gauge physical development then I suspect there is no issue for AZ here. In fact I actually wonder why this isn’t already common practice.

 

[hbk]

Uses illegal methods to find out about strength and workout routines, steps up to podium and chooses Clayton Keller. Something doesnt add up??

You can interview. Asking questions isn’t an issue.

Can’t learn skill in a gym.

 

[Jamieh]

You can interview. Asking questions isn’t an issue.

Sarcasm

 

[TheLegend]

Look for the league to redefine this grey area the Coyotes apparently discovered.

 

[_Del_]

Did the Coyotes violate Combine Testing Policy? A ruling may...

So apparently the team asked verboten questions like: "do you lift weights, or can you do a pullup?"

If that is all it was, then this is a tempest in a teapot. I'm not sure I trust Morgan or his source.

Also, I can see someone in the old boy's club reporting this simply because of Chayka's glowing personality. I'd be surprised if we're the only team asking about fitness questions in interviews.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Also, I can see someone in the old boy's club reporting this simply because of Chayka's glowing personality. I'd be surprised if we're the only team asking about fitness questions in interviews.

I have no doubt that whatever the Coyotes are supposed to have done has been done - more egregiously and more often, in fact - by other teams. It's just that it's the safest choice to make the Coyotes the cautionary tale.

 

[Canis Latrans]

I like it, haha. Find some murky rule and exploit it. Even if it's punished later, seems doubtful that they'll accrue a ton of these $250k fines realistically, and the resulting developmental data on how players on different training and nutrition regiments tracks could be invaluable. Could be useful to discern why a player has sprung up the rankings or not improved when you take in other context, not just in this specific upcoming draft, but also as a general trend analysis in the future. Plus, now they'll close the loop and the Coyotes are presumably the only team with that kind of data.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

I have no doubt that whatever the Coyotes are supposed to have done has been done - more egregiously and more often, in fact - by other teams. It's just that it's the safest choice to make the Coyotes the cautionary tale.

Taking a page out of the Trump victimization handbook, are we?

 

[TheLegend]

Let’s not get political here....

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Taking a page out of the Trump victimization handbook, are we?

You mean 1984? Nah, no Orwell involved. Just an acquaintance with the Old Boys' Network and people with connections and friends in high places ensuring that the PTB look the other way. So... yeah, that's pretty Trumpish.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Some more detail from Friedge in 31 Thoughts:

As I write this, it is difficult to pin down how long this investigation is going to take as the league is not commenting. The NHL sent a note to all clubs, trying to determine how widespread a problem this could be — asking if they had anything similar to confess. The teams pointed back at Arizona. According to multiple sources, the Coyotes have not denied that, in their interviews, the subject matter of certain questions were physical or medical in nature. (A strength and conditioning consultant, Tommy Powers, attended some of these meetings, and, in certain cases, players were asked to be in workout gear.) Their argument is that any violation is a matter of interpretation.

Opponents have reacted angrily to this claim.

CHL organizations were asked to inform the league if they had any complaints about the Coyotes — that deadline was last Friday. One of the initial flashpoints came from a CHL club upset about a player being worked out after a road trip that included lengthy travel, although, when I looked into it, I was told that accusation may have been revoked. Another alleged incident involved a USHL team. (I did hear from others who denied any issues.)

 

[TheLegend]

Dreger was suggesting in the latest Insider Trading that "some form of physical fitness testing" was done. But he couldn't elaborate on what that was.

 

[CNYCrunchfan1]

Usually you win a cup, world series or super bowl before getting snagged on stuff like this...backwards yotes.

 

[hbk]

Dreger was suggesting in the latest Insider Trading that "some form of physical fitness testing" was done. But he couldn't elaborate on what that was.

I think he said one team expressed concern but then may have pulled that concern.

the concern stems from the Yotes asking the player to come to the interview in exercise clothes. Based on that request one would assume that AZ was physically testing the prospects. AZ says they just wanted to eyeball the body/physical structure as that is part of their process for determining player potential.

this is all sounding like a Three’s Company episode with Bettman playing Mr Roper.

 

[Neighborhood Coyote]

Definitely sounds like a mess so far and not much to go on. Hopefully the Yotes can come out relatively unscathed.... I assume that after this investigation is done there might be some wording change on the rule (depending on what actually happened) or harsher punishments written in.

Also, I'd be shocked if no other teams were doing the same thing or at least trying to.

Part of me doesn't mind that the Yotes are seemingly trying to push the envelope a little bit and actually be competitive. However, definitely don't want them to straight up break any rules/mess with the integrity of the game/ get fined.