Players who were alcoholics...

[TANK200]

Reggie Leach

 

[Puck Dogg]

Devin Setoguchi was advised to keep drinking until he got to the rehab due otherwise withdrawal symptoms would kill him.

Mike Ribeiro's career ended after he relapsed off-season and per his agent, "didn't put on his skates once".

 

[DannyGallivan]

Bobby Clarke told the story of Reggie Leach being late for a playoff game in '76. Shero sent Clarkie to Leach's house to find him passed out drunk on the floor. Clarke managed to get him mobile, and Leach scored 5 goals that night against Boston.

 

[DannyGallivan]

Bob probert
Theon fleury
Derek Sanderson

I still remember a article from SI when I was a kid about Derek. Something about having to sh** in a paper bag

I read Sanderson's book, amazing stuff. A girl stole his last few dollars one night drinking at a bar, so he was homeless for a couple of weeks in New York. I think he still had his fur coat. He even stole a bottle of vodka from another homeless guy.

 

[Whaleafs]

Rich Clune

 

[tony d]

I'd say it was more prevalent than we know. Was Sheldon Kennedy an alcoholic I wonder?

 

[Nick Hansen]

I'd say it was more prevalent than we know. Was Sheldon Kennedy an alcoholic I wonder?

Dealt with cocaine addiction according to Wiki. But that usually comes with an alcohol problem as well, no?

Sheldon Kennedy - Wikipedia

 

[Vanzig]

GEEZ from the 1950’s to early 1990s their were tons but it took its toll on a few guys who could have had even BETTER Numbers/Stats in their Careers had it NOT be for the Bottle,

Allegedly these guys I have heard/read stories about but remember ALCOHOL is Legal.

DOUG HARVEY
BOBBY HULL
REGGIE LEACH
DALE McCOURT
MIKE BULLARD
WARREN YOUNG
PETER KLIMA
MICHEL LAROUQUE
PIERRE LAROUCHE
GILLES MELOCHE
PETE PEETERS
DON MURDOCH
MIKE PALMATEER
BOB PROBERT
JOE MURPHY
DAVE SEMENKO
JARI KURRI
BRYAN FOGARTY
GUY LAFLEUR
DAVE HUNTER
RICK VAIVE
THEO FLEURY

I know Alcohol is NOT considered as dangerous as Narcotic’s but it can hurt your Career/Stat’s. Over the years I have read & heard of these alleged stories of abuse and a few of those players listed above have either acknowledged and/or have been caught with a D.U.I. And/Or I have heard of stories from people that these alleged actions have happened. I hope that all of these players are doin well today.

 

[Tarantula]

I'd say it was more prevalent than we know.

Back in the day it was for sure, a lot of people were tipping the bottle on the sly, a spare bottle kept for medicinal purposes of course, hidden around the barn, garage, shop what have you. Back then there were dry counties in Ontario, the liquor stores closed up at 6 on the spot on a Saturday, no Sunday taps open, earlier closing times. A heavier proportion of the population was rural as well. A different time where lights were dimmer and whispers rode in the wind.

 

[ChiTownPhilly]

DOUG HARVEY†
BOBBY HULL
REGGIE LEACH
DALE McCOURT
MIKE BULLARD
WARREN YOUNG
PETER KLIMA
MICHEL LAROUQUE†
PIERRE LAROUCHE
GILLES MELOCHE
PETE PEETERS
DON MURDOCH
MIKE PALMATEER
BOB PROBERT†
JOE MURPHY
DAVE SEMENKO†
JARI KURRI
BRYAN FOGARTY†
GUY LAFLEUR
DAVE HUNTER
RICK VAIVE
THEO FLEURY

I hope that all of these players are doin well today.

For nearly half-a-dozen of these guys, their worries are over...

 

[scott clam]

The Oiler dynasty was notorious for it's "party culture".

 

[BruinsFan37]

Too many to count.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Cheechoo and Tootoo had some problems with alcohol/narcotics, if I recall correctly.

i’ve never heard this about cheechoo. i did, however, read about him being a model citizen when he played and doing a lot of outreach to help first nations youth stay on the straight and narrow.

maybe you’re thinking about his teammate setoguchi?

 

[Howie Hodge]

Howie Young

Howie is a legend in minor league hockey folklore!

It's said he had women in every Western Hockey minor league town that he would hook up with when his team played on the road.

Shagodelic Hall Of Famer!!

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

for those of you in canada, this piece about jeff friesen is worth a watch—

https://www.tsn.ca/tsn-originals/video/tsn-original-legalized-part-2~1515635

 

[Kevs Security]

i’ve never heard this about cheechoo. i did, however, read about him being a model citizen when he played and doing a lot of outreach to help first nations youth stay on the straight and narrow.

maybe you’re thinking about his teammate setoguchi?

Seriously, did I suffer a stroke or something yesterday? Yes, obviously I was thinking about Setoguchi. Thanks man.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

for those of you in canada, this piece about jeff friesen is worth a watch—

https://www.tsn.ca/tsn-originals/video/tsn-original-legalized-part-2~1515635

a synopsis, for those of you who can't watch this (and a teaser for those who can)—jeff friesen was drowning in pills, then discovered weed and ended up retiring early (he was 30) because he thought he was going to die from what the team doctors were giving him to manage his pain. says weed saved his life.

 

[ICM1970]

I too recall reading about Derek Sanderson and his stint being homeless in New York City. Apparently, when he went to sleep on some park bench where some of the homeless men tended to congregate, some fellow recognized him from his being a famous NHL player. This guy really got angry with him, telling Derek that many of the homeless men he knew really had had a cruel hand dealt to them early in life, therefore, an important reason why they roamed homeless, whereas Derek had all of that money and fame from hockey and basically pissed a great deal of it away with the booze and drugs and women and other bad behaviour.

 

[pbgoalie]

So many rumors I heard growing up around the 70s and early 80s in NY

But the culture seemed to be play hard drink hard too

 

[Troubadour]

a synopsis, for those of you who can't watch this (and a teaser for those who can)—jeff friesen was drowning in pills, then discovered weed and ended up retiring early (he was 30) because he thought he was going to die from what the team doctors were giving him to manage his pain. says weed saved his life.

I bet he's been listening to music a lot since he retired.

 

[billybudd]

I believe Ken Daneyko won a Masterton award for successfully completing an NHL season without being charged with DUI, so I assume his drinking must have been bad enough that it was known to be an unlikely accomplishment on a league-wide basis.

Morenz was a big enough drinker that he had guys bringing bottles of liquor to him in the hospital.

 

[Theokritos]

There are some crazy stories about Jan Suchý. From his autobiography, provided by DN28:

"At the World Championship in a year 1971, we arrived pretty confident to Bern and Geneve because we played well in international games that season. The beginning of the championship sucked though. We blew up 4:5 to Sweden and then even with America 1:5. The team management had to react to this and coach Kostka called a meeting of elders. We went one by one on individual interviews, as it used to be when team was failing. 'What can you say about your performance,' Kostka asked me. 'I play ****, I suck, I know that myself,' I´m telling him. 'But you can´t ask of me any achievement when I don´t have cigarettes nor beer! I can´t play hockey on coca-cola,' I lashed out. Kostka paused: 'If you can´t perform without it the way we are used to, we have to do something about it.' Truthfully: I brought cigarettes with myself but I didn´t really have any beer. They conserved the beer from us and one or two after the dinner couldn´t satisfy me. We had free time the next day and things started to happening: from our ambassy they imported four cartons of Astor and several boxes of Pilsen. Then I could drink beer any time when I needed and I didn´t have to wait for dinner for some pathetic one-third beer. Eventually we were the European Champions and I became the best defenseman of championship without any problems.."

(Link)

"In the season 1968-69, I won scoring of the whole league as a defenseman. I confirmed that in game against České Budějovice where we won 13:4 and I scored 5 goals and had 4 assists. Although my preparation for this game wasn´t exactly 'by the book'. Day before Budějovice, I darkened in the Pub 'U Lyžaře', I took of it a little more than usual and eventually I slept there on the chair. Šmíďák [Ladislav Šmíd, his defensive partner - DN] had left little earlier, other guys allegedly couldn´t wake me up and left home by taxi without me. It was a big irresponsibility from them to let me there like that. Finally, even innkeeper went to bed and I spent the whole night on the table.
Next day, during the departure of Dukla to Budějovice I was logically missing. Immediately they started looking for me, called home but I wasn´t there also. Then Šmíďák confessed that we were in the pub yesterday. If they wouldn´t know about me at 'U Lyžaře'. They knew: indeed I was still snoring there. They sent a car for me, woke me up and brought me to the rink. When I recovered a bit, I told myself that I should perhaps pack my stuff in Dukla because this is going to be a bummer as hell. I assumed that Píťa [Jaroslav Pitner - DN] would send me home which I would obviously deserved. But coach only sniffed, snorted and told: 'You have it for 2 and half thousand of fine. Take your stuff and we´re going.' At the same time, he threatened me that if it will be repeated one more time, he will send me to Košice right away. It was clear that I had to take care of this game in particular.
I took my equipment, lied down in the bus and snored the whole trip to České Budějovice. I left out lunch because it didn´t taste well yet. I slept through even the rest of afternoon and then I went on the ice. On the ice I was alread OK, I was rested and alcohol faded away. Teammates had obviously a good fun of me, especially the Old [Jaroslav Holík - DN] did not forgive himself to tease me. Everyone knew well that I´d like to take a beer. I commanded calmly fifteen sixteen of them and I didn´t have any big hangover because I stayed away from the liquor. But this time I really crossed the line. Thus the better I had to play. Five goals and assists on top are the proof of that."

(Link)

 

[billybudd]

That reminds me. Dave King had some whoppers in King of Hockey about coaching Mettalurg Magnitogorsk but I can't remember the specifics. I do remember there was one guy with a real problem he used as a cautionary tale. He didn't name the player, but I think he gave enough clues to figure out it was Stan Chistov.

 

[The Panther]

...Derek had all of that money and fame from hockey and basically pissed a great deal of it away with the booze and drugs and women and other bad behaviour.

As George Best said: "I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered."

 

[Pominville Knows]

There are more than 100 players with DUI and other alcohol related scandals over the years.
Just from the top of my head. Here are some guys who really battled with severe alcoholism (aside from the mentioned ones). Some Betty Ford visitors among them.

Paul Holmgren
John Kordic
Tom McCarthy
Bob Probert
Clint Malarchuk
Denis Tsygurov
Ken Daneyko
Derek Sanderson
Real Chevrefils
Dan Lacouture
Stephen Peat
Dave Hunter

I met Daneyko very recently during the NHL Global thing here in Sweden.
He does kinda look like it a bit but does anyone know if he still drinks? Pretty accomodating guy, although a man of few words probably.