Zack Kassian - Hatred and Redemption
- Thread starter ChaoticOrange
- Start date
Excellent article, and I'm actually in a sort of similar situation with a close family member of mine.
When we acquired Kassian, I wasn't sure how I felt, because I absolutely hated him for so long... but after hearing him talk about trying to put everything behind him, it really hit home.
My family member is currently battling a fentanyl addiction, and stories like your friend you mentioned, and Kassians story really give me hope that he can get through it as well.
After experiencing it on a personal level, people are far too quick to pass off addicts as nothing but weak people with no motivation to become any better, when in reality, they want nothing more than to be strong enough to stop.
ElFossum
Registered User
McPuritania
LucicDestroyedHaley
Good article, CO. 
People are quick to attack the character of those dealing with addictions, but it's a lot more complex than the one liners people make it out to be.
People are quick to attack the character of those dealing with addictions, but it's a lot more complex than the one liners people make it out to be.
Wretched Oil
Right out of 'er
- Feb 19, 2008
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*gulp* great read.
I'll lay it down, I'm a recovered alcoholic. Drank nearly every day for 15 years then messed up and broke my own heart. Thats what got me sober.
During the Gagner incident I thought he was nasty.
When the Oil picked him up after what had happened with him I got emotional. Now here is a player I can relate to, and the tender feelings I have towards his situation make my gut ache.
Now I cheer like hell for him and feel great with every success he has with the hugs, smiles and jeers he puts out on the ice.
Go Kass!!
I'll be 5 yrs old this summer
I'll lay it down, I'm a recovered alcoholic. Drank nearly every day for 15 years then messed up and broke my own heart. Thats what got me sober.
During the Gagner incident I thought he was nasty.
When the Oil picked him up after what had happened with him I got emotional. Now here is a player I can relate to, and the tender feelings I have towards his situation make my gut ache.
Now I cheer like hell for him and feel great with every success he has with the hugs, smiles and jeers he puts out on the ice.
Go Kass!!
I'll be 5 yrs old this summer
Wretched Oil
Right out of 'er
- Feb 19, 2008
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Thanks, I don't want to hijack the thread tho.
I truly believe Kass knows what is at stake in his life and knows it is all up to him.
I also think he's extremely smart and rather charming in his own way.
Beyond all that he seems to be putting it together on the ice as well. He walks the line with agitating and has a fairly high level of skill to go with his frame.
Easily my favourite oiler right now.
He'll have to play more than 19 games and keep his nose clean on the ice to prove anything to me. Give it a couple seasons and I'll be a believer.
Evilsports
Registered User
- Aug 18, 2015
- 913
- 799
February 27th 2001, for me.I find that if anything, I hold addicts more accountable and to harsher standards than other people. Probably because I've seen first hand the destruction of it and the amount of **** that needs to be eaten to turn it around.
Stoneman89
Registered User
- Feb 8, 2008
- 27,455
- 21,894
ChaoticOrange
Registered User
Thanks for the kind words everyone. Zack's been a fantastic add so far. I'll be cheering like hell for him to keep both his play and his life trending upward.
the part
"How after ten years sober he still doesn’t dare to have even a sip of wine or a drink of beer for fear it will send him down a road he wants no part of being on"
makes no sense to me. 10 years ago Zack was 15.
I think it sucks people writing about someone's personal issues. Leave it alone, don't you have something better to write about.
It is time that public persons, actors, politicians, sports people should write about the media peoples personal life. Do it in reverse. Go all out and embarrass the heck out of em just as they do. Make it VERY public as well.
"How after ten years sober he still doesn’t dare to have even a sip of wine or a drink of beer for fear it will send him down a road he wants no part of being on"
makes no sense to me. 10 years ago Zack was 15.
I think it sucks people writing about someone's personal issues. Leave it alone, don't you have something better to write about.
It is time that public persons, actors, politicians, sports people should write about the media peoples personal life. Do it in reverse. Go all out and embarrass the heck out of em just as they do. Make it VERY public as well.
ChaoticOrange
Registered User
Clearly you didn't read the article carefully enough, my friend. Go back and try again.
ChaoticOrange
Registered User
Thank you both. I definitely appreciate any constructive feedback but mostly I just appreciate the reads.
Stoneman89
Registered User
- Feb 8, 2008
- 27,455
- 21,894
The article really didn't have anything in it that I hadn't read or heard about Kassian already from Gregor, etc.., but it was okay from another perspective.
Replacement*
Checked out
Good read Chaotic. You are one partner here that I click on the links for.
Well written, evocative.
For me I didn't hate Kass in the same way, I felt conflicted. I was a huge Gagner fan and as much as the play disgusted me at the time I got over it.
Kassian to me is a throwback, in hockey and way back. His missing tooth grin and his antics reminds me of a Mongol. Not as in Mongoloid but as in club carrying Mongol horde. He's a warrior, got warrior blood pulsing through his veins. A guy that takes this perennial aspect of hockey and cherishes and enjoys it.
years ago, as a child, I loved Spinner Spencers game because he as this madcap, hard scrabble type of guy with a perennial chip on his shoulder well learned. Who had more Demons than Kassian and had those at the hands of his father who would beat him to make him tough and who, in Kass's first game with the leafs went to the local CBC station in a small town in BC armed and DEMANDING that they put the leafs game on so he could watch. Tne Nucks were on. The RCMP could not calms Spinner Spencers father down and ended up having to shoot him dead in the armed standoff. The Young Spinner Spencer found out about this after the game, a game he played well in, because nobody had the heart to tell him his father was shot dead during the game.
Spinner spun out of control at times and inevitably into early drug induced retirement and hanging with the very wrong crowd in Florida and getting shot dead himself.
Now we all want a much different future for Kass, obviously, but theres something about the on edge personality type that can get and stay too close to the flame.
heres the Spencer story for those that don't know it. Whether Kass knows it or not he's part of that hockey lineage, he's one of those trained warriors. For the sake of Kass, and the Oilers I hope and believe it will end better for the young Kass.
http://thehockeywriters.com/spinning-out-of-control-the-short-violent-life-of-spinner-spencer/
Well written, evocative.
For me I didn't hate Kass in the same way, I felt conflicted. I was a huge Gagner fan and as much as the play disgusted me at the time I got over it.
Kassian to me is a throwback, in hockey and way back. His missing tooth grin and his antics reminds me of a Mongol. Not as in Mongoloid but as in club carrying Mongol horde. He's a warrior, got warrior blood pulsing through his veins. A guy that takes this perennial aspect of hockey and cherishes and enjoys it.
years ago, as a child, I loved Spinner Spencers game because he as this madcap, hard scrabble type of guy with a perennial chip on his shoulder well learned. Who had more Demons than Kassian and had those at the hands of his father who would beat him to make him tough and who, in Kass's first game with the leafs went to the local CBC station in a small town in BC armed and DEMANDING that they put the leafs game on so he could watch. Tne Nucks were on. The RCMP could not calms Spinner Spencers father down and ended up having to shoot him dead in the armed standoff. The Young Spinner Spencer found out about this after the game, a game he played well in, because nobody had the heart to tell him his father was shot dead during the game.
Spinner spun out of control at times and inevitably into early drug induced retirement and hanging with the very wrong crowd in Florida and getting shot dead himself.
Now we all want a much different future for Kass, obviously, but theres something about the on edge personality type that can get and stay too close to the flame.
heres the Spencer story for those that don't know it. Whether Kass knows it or not he's part of that hockey lineage, he's one of those trained warriors. For the sake of Kass, and the Oilers I hope and believe it will end better for the young Kass.
http://thehockeywriters.com/spinning-out-of-control-the-short-violent-life-of-spinner-spencer/
ChaoticOrange
Registered User
Thanks Replacement. You're a grump sometimes (just like me) but you're fun to debate with when the team isn't playing like ass.
That's a good read too. Usually I don't bother with much hockeywriters stuff, but that's an excellently written article. Wasn't the first time I've heard of the Spencers, and I do vaguely remember his dad losing his mind over the fact the game he wanted to see wasn't aired. Thank goodness for the Internet.
Replacement*
Checked out
Its a riveting experience I'll never forget. I was a kid when Spencers father was shot. Surrounded in a hard scrabble neighborhood where most kids were getting beat up at home and with the visible scars and emotional ones to show in the school yard. So as the story unravelled on what had occurred, and in Spencers life and the book and movie came out it defined for a lot of us what was a pretty unfortunate part of Canadiana at the time. But theres a saying that whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger..
Back to Kass. Not sure if many people know that Kass's father died of a heart attack when Kass was 8. Kass's dad was a work with his hands mans man and the young Kass was at his dads side all the time. It was absolutely heart breaking for Kass when his father died and something changed in him. Kass went through life livng days as if its his last and like many with similar experiences probably believed it at times. His Bro had a large part in raising the hard to handle Young Kass who always had that wild do anything spirit. We've all met that kid in the playground. The kid who would do anything and like it. With zero fear.
Like a lot of kids who tragically lose their father young in life it leaves a scar, that's always there, physical and emotional, and in that way Kass is a throwback to the many kids post WWII around the world who lost their father tragically and have only the memories. A lot of how that impacts, people, themselves, don't even realize.
Kass will always have this crazy streak. But important for him to manage the mercurial flame. hate and pain is never too far away.
Aerrol
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- Sep 18, 2014
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Great article CO. I have to say, I was firmly in the 'ugh, I can't believe we traded for him camp', and I still don't think I'll ever be a big fan. I didn't have as much of an issue with the injury to Gagner so much as I did with the mocking of it. That's what pushed it from 'reckless move' to 'malicious, lying ********' for me.
I am, however, beginning to really appreciate what he brings to the team, and I definitely respect someone who seems to be turning the corner on some real demons. And I think you're probably a bigger person than me for being able to become a fan
.
I am, however, beginning to really appreciate what he brings to the team, and I definitely respect someone who seems to be turning the corner on some real demons. And I think you're probably a bigger person than me for being able to become a fan
.
Honest question....
Wasn't everyone more pissed off with his on ice actions more so than his addiction issues?
I don't think anyone knew about his issues prior to the Gagner incident. He was just viewed as a huge ****** bag, and rightfully so. It wasn't until after his issues became public that fans started rallying around the cause.
The fact is he is still a ****** bag on the ice.....the only difference is that he is your ****** bag now.
How many here would be so quick to forgive and embrace his on ice actions if he was still with Vancouver?
For me the addiction issues have nothing to do with his on ice play. I can feel sympathy towards him as a human being, being an addict myself, but it will never change how I feel about him as a hockey player. Just because your'e an addict doesn't mean you have to be an ******* on the ice. It would be no difference than finding out that Sean Avery struggled with addiction issues during his career......he's still an *******.
I'm sure there are many NHL players out there with dependency issues, yet they aren't complete asshats on the ice.
Wasn't everyone more pissed off with his on ice actions more so than his addiction issues?
I don't think anyone knew about his issues prior to the Gagner incident. He was just viewed as a huge ****** bag, and rightfully so. It wasn't until after his issues became public that fans started rallying around the cause.
The fact is he is still a ****** bag on the ice.....the only difference is that he is your ****** bag now.
How many here would be so quick to forgive and embrace his on ice actions if he was still with Vancouver?
For me the addiction issues have nothing to do with his on ice play. I can feel sympathy towards him as a human being, being an addict myself, but it will never change how I feel about him as a hockey player. Just because your'e an addict doesn't mean you have to be an ******* on the ice. It would be no difference than finding out that Sean Avery struggled with addiction issues during his career......he's still an *******.
I'm sure there are many NHL players out there with dependency issues, yet they aren't complete asshats on the ice.
Beerfish
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- Apr 14, 2007
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