News Article: Rich Clune

[BigBrown]

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/9045231/nhl-nashville-predators-rich-clune-long-road-recovery

Clune and his struggles with alcoholism and being miserable when called up to play for the Kings in the playoffs. It's an interesting read that touches on his time in LA, Manchester and management.

Click to read more...

 

[kingsfan]

Great read, and it sure gives the other side to the story on why he was less than impressive during his time in LA for the most part. I love the quote from Bernier too, lol.

 

[Nashville Transplant]

Gives a lot of insight into what Ron Hextall's makeup is as a human being.

Great article. Nashville is a much better hockey team with Clune in the lineup, and Clune is a much better hockey player than he was before sobriety.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Wow. I had no idea. Always a fan of Clune. But this answers a lot of questions in his time here.

 

[YP44]

I wonder how Bernier and him feel about each other now.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Very interesting, indeed. Lombardi is such a huge GM on "character" and "attitude" it's shocking he even brought Clune on board in the first place.

Three years ago, Doughty, Simmonds, and Clune were all living together and there were unsubstantiated reports of reckless partying and drug use. Three years later, Simmonds has been traded and Clune waived. Now that doesn't surprise me.

 

[kilowatt]

Very interesting, indeed. Lombardi is such a huge GM on "character" and "attitude" it's shocking he even brought Clune on board in the first place.

Three years ago, Doughty, Simmonds, and Clune were all living together and there were unsubstantiated reports of reckless partying and drug use. Three years later, Simmonds has been traded and Clune waived. Now that doesn't surprise me.

Agreed. I think Doughty has grown a lot since last year's contract debacle, for what it's worth.

 

[Shootmaster_44]

I had no idea. Granted, I'd gather that these sort of demons are rampant in many NHL teams. Though with his role as a tough guy in when he was with the Kings, it doesn't surprise me. No matter what I was being paid, if my role was to get punched in the face every night, I took might look for something to take off the edge.

I realize that it takes someone to what to help themselves before this can ever end, but the NHL needs to come up with a way to help players. I am not sure what could be done exactly, but this is becoming far too common. Then again even the best intentions don't work if you don't help yourself. Many former WWE wrestlers prove this. For those who don't know the WWE will pay for their former employees to go to rehab and attempt to get clean. The worst example is Scott Hall where I believe the WWE has paid for him to enter rehab at least 5 times now. But the NHL, the NHLPA or the teams themselves need to make the same offer to all players.

I am glad to hear that Rich Clune is getting his life sorted out. I always enjoyed the Clunatic during his days with the Kings. I wonder due to his alcohol problems whether the Kings kept him off the Black Aces during last year's Cup run simply so he wouldn't end up at the endless partying when they won? I can't imagine what it must be like to be an alcoholic in a situation like that. I have this suspicion that in a situation like that most alcoholics would fall off the wagon, even just briefly with all the alcohol flying around the dressing room. In all the pictures of the Kings dressing room before the end of Game 6 and post-Game 6, I never did see a ice bucket full of pop of any kind. I don't even remember seeing bottles of water. It surprises me considering that beyond the players that might not wish to drink, there are families in the locker room and little kids who might want to have a pop.

As a kid I always thought if I ever won a championship as a team, we needed to have bottles of Ginger Ale to spray over each other. If I were the NHL, I'd make sure to have a few bottles of Ginger Ale in Champagne bottles for this very reason. You may not want your problems broadcast worldwide, but you may still not want to drink. This allows you to spray your teammates, drink from the Cup etc. etc. and no one but you and perhaps your teammates would know you are drinking Ginger Ale and not Champagne.

 

[Nashville Transplant]

Three years later, Simmonds has been traded and Clune waived. Now that doesn't surprise me.

Here's where you're wrong on Clune. They didn't have to offer him a new contract this season, but they did, because they loved his turnaround and work ethic, and so, as the article alludes, the Kings REWARDED him with a chance to play in the National Hockey League. He would have been a good asset in Manchester for the remainder of this season, but the opportunity for him to play in Nashville presented itself, and so the Kings graciously cut bait, knowing that if he didn't make his mark on the Preds, he'd potentially be returned to the Monarchs.

Class move by the Kings organization.

 

[BigBrown]

The Kings had to waive Clune in order to assign him to Manchester, I wouldn't look into any deeper meanings than that. I don't think it was a reflection of him as a player or person, only that he couldn't beat out any of the current bottom six players on the Kings for a spot.

 

[tigermask48]

I realize that it takes someone to what to help themselves before this can ever end, but the NHL needs to come up with a way to help players. I am not sure what could be done exactly, but this is becoming far too common. Then again even the best intentions don't work if you don't help yourself. Many former WWE wrestlers prove this. For those who don't know the WWE will pay for their former employees to go to rehab and attempt to get clean. The worst example is Scott Hall where I believe the WWE has paid for him to enter rehab at least 5 times now. But the NHL, the NHLPA or the teams themselves need to make the same offer to all players.

The NHL already has a substance abuse program in place and has for years. Theo Fleury was in and out of it for most of his career. Allegedly that was part of why the first Smyth trade to the Oilers fell through, as Brule was currently in the substance abuse program and couldn't have his contract bought out because he was. The problem is often not that the program isn't in place or available to the players, it's typically a case of the player not realizing or being able to accept help and enter the program which sounds like what it was in Clune's case.

Also the WWE is a pretty poor example as their program is very spotty at best. Sure they bend over backwards for a guy like Scott Hall, but they turn around and fire Joey Mercury for his drug problems and leave him jobless with no help with his addictions. Chris Masters was another one they pretty much threw under the bus when he was having issues with alleged steroid and HGH use. There's a story that other wrestlers were way more helpful than the WWE was when he was trying to get his life on back on track (CM Punk bought his home for him, when he was in jepardy of losing it a few years ago.)

 

[AKAY47]

Very interesting, indeed. Lombardi is such a huge GM on "character" and "attitude" it's shocking he even brought Clune on board in the first place.

Three years ago, Doughty, Simmonds, and Clune were all living together and there were unsubstantiated reports of reckless partying and drug use. Three years later, Simmonds has been traded and Clune waived. Now that doesn't surprise me.

And now Doughty sucks........ loljk

 

[Razputyn]

Very interesting, indeed. Lombardi is such a huge GM on "character" and "attitude" it's shocking he even brought Clune on board in the first place.

Three years ago, Doughty, Simmonds, and Clune were all living together and there were unsubstantiated reports of reckless partying and drug use. Three years later, Simmonds has been traded and Clune waived. Now that doesn't surprise me.

Drug addiction isn't something that precludes someone from having a solid character.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Drug addiction isn't something that precludes someone from having a solid character.

Sure it is. It means they lack will power and self control. It also means they have poor decision making skills.