Insider gambling.
A troubling denial of science.
Racism.
And why was Evander Kane under three separate investigations in a two-month period?
Here are some seriously shady secrets that put the NHL on thin ice.
While other major sports leagues have been rocked by doping scandals, the NHL has seemed
to avoid any such major controversies.
While some may take this to mean professional hockey players don't use as many drugs as
other sports stars, that may not actually be the case.
The truth is, the NHL may just be turning a blind eye to the issue.
One requirement of the league is that — in the five month period between the start of
the postseason and the start of next season's training camp — players could not be drug
tested, and they could only be subjected to, at most, two random drug tests from the start
of training camp through the end of the regular season.
According to the National Hockey League Players' Association, testing is limited so players
could avoid "potential distraction," via Bleacher Report.
NHL players have a mix of opinions about these drugs.
Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid told ESPN:
"I think there probably was a time where it was being used a lot, but it's never really
talked about."
The NHL ultimately changed its policies, conducting tests in the postseason and offseason.
However, even this new rule was limited, as only a maximum of 60 players would be randomly
selected for testing.
Professional hockey has a complicated relationship with on-ice fights.
The International Ice Hockey Federation forbids fighting in games, including the Olympics,
via USA Today.
As for the NHL, fighting has long been an accepted part of the game, like when all-time
great Gordie Howe spawned the "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" — when a player scores a goal,
gives an assist, and gets in a fight all in one game.
Another example is the "Broad Street Bullies," the nickname of the Philadelphia Flyers from
1974 to 1976.
The team was known as much for its offensive prowess as it was for its willingness to fight,
even if it meant minutes in the penalty box.
In the next decade, enforcers started to become a regular part of the NHL.
These players were known for their aggressive styles and would rarely back down from a fight,
USA Today reported.
Though some efforts have been implemented to reduce fighting in the league, the NHL
commissioner, Gary Bettman, never banned the practice as of 2022.
He considered fighting a necessary "thermostat," per The New York Times.
"They had words at the end of the first period."
The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the original six franchises in the NHL and have a long
history of winning.
This was especially true in the first half of the 2010s, when the franchise won three
championships in six years, hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015, per The New York
Times.
Behind the victories, sadly, was a much darker tale.
In 2010, minor league player Kyle Beach accused the Blackhawks' video coach Brad Aldrich of
sexually assaulting him.
However, franchise executives didn't fully investigate the claims because they were concerned
any negative press would distract the team from their championship season, The New York
Times reported.
Aldrich resigned after the season and continued on to work for high school and college hockey
programs.
The franchise came under scrutiny for its misdeeds in 2021 when Beach filed a lawsuit
against the Blackhawks for his encounter with Aldrich.
Initially, the franchise dismissed Beach's story and claimed that it had no merit, though
they did conduct an independent investigation.
As a result, the NHL fined the Blackhawks $2 million for "inadequate internal procedures
and insufficient and untimely response."
"After being informed of Aldrich's alleged sexual harassment and misconduct with a player,
no action was taken for three weeks."
In December 2021, the Blackhawks and Beach reached a settlement on the lawsuit between
the two parties.
The NHL is known for hazing its rookies with bad haircuts and other traditions to introduce
new players to the league.
Despite some players thinking these pranks were good, clean fun, the scenarios could
easily get out of hand — and sometimes did.
In 1988, The Los Angeles Times even wrote a piece highlighting that the league's hazing
was, quote "an embarrassment."
"When you're singularly focused on a goal, it's kind of scary what you'll accept to try
and achieve that goal."
Unfortunately, it's an issue that goes well outside the NHL.
The University of Vermont suspended four of its players in 2016 for a hazing incident,
The Burlington Free Press reported.
This was the second hazing controversy in the school's hockey history.
In the 1999-2000 season, the university canceled all remaining games after another hazing scandal.
A former player filed a lawsuit against the school, claiming he was forced into, quote,
"degrading activities" as a member of the men's hockey team.
Toxic viewpoints and beliefs aren't exactly rare these days, unfortunately, and the NHL
has had to quietly deal with a few instances of that
In 2020, several players were caught sending inappropriate comments about women to one
another.
The discussion was revealed when someone hacked an Instagram group chat featuring Brendan
Leipsic of the Washington Capitals and former Ottawa Senators’ prospect Jack Rodewald,
then posted the discourse online.
In the exchange, Leipsic made some shockingly insensitive comments on the physical appearances
of several wives and girlfriends of other NHL players.
"Oink oink.
She's getting way bigger.
No, you're too fat, Nicole.
Joints can't take it."
In addition to alluding that he enjoyed using cocaine, Leipsic referred to women as "animals"
and a "thing" meant to be conquered, The Washington Post reported.
Leipsic apologized on Twitter for what he called offensive and inappropriate remarks.
The Capitals said it would handle the matter internally and the league released a statement
that said:
"There is no place in our league for such statements, attitudes and behavior, no matter
the form.
We will address this inexcusable conduct with the clubs and players involved."
Following the scandal, the Capitals released Leipsic from the team.
He went on to play hockey in Russia, the CBC reported.
Hockey has long been a melting pot of cultures, but despite the wide range of player nationalities,
this didn't always mean players had positive experiences.
For example, former NHL player Akim Aliu wrote a 2020 article in The Players' Tribune about
his experiences as a minority in the league.
Aliu's father was Nigerian and his mother Ukrainian.
He described how — starting with his teenage years in a junior hockey league with the Windsor
Spitfires — some teammates treated him differently for the way he talked and dressed.
In one incident, he refused to participate in a hazing ritual.
As a result, his older teammate and future NHL player Steve Downie, attacked him.
"I turned, and he shoved his fiberglass [hockey] stick through my mouth.
I lost seven teeth in half a second."
Aliu further referred to Downie as a "racist sociopath."
Details of the situation made the news and, according to Aliu, many in hockey condemned
his decision to discuss the issue.
His troubling experiences as a professional hockey player also made him question the NHL's
diversity campaign, "Hockey is For Everyone."
In his article in The Players' Tribune, Aliu called for changes to the NHL and an end to,
quote, "the racism, misogyny, bullying and homophobia that permeates the culture of hockey."
In response, the NHL posted a promise on Twitter to look into the behavior that Aliu described,
and in 2020, they announced different initiatives to combat racism.
In 2005, Ted Saskin became the executive director of the National Hockey League's Players' Association,
or the NHLPA, to represent the league's players.
Yet, only two years into his contract, he was fired.
The NHLPA executive board voted Saskin out after he and Ken Kim, the NHLPA's senior director,
were accused of monitoring player emails, per The Hockey News.
Popular player Chris Chelios from the Detroit Red Wings was on the NHLPA committee and reportedly
led the charge to get rid of Saskin.
Originally, Chelios and other players filed a lawsuit against Saskin, claiming that he
lied in contract discussions and misappropriated funds.
The lawsuit stated:
"[Saskin] misrepresented salary figures during negotiations and he illegally diverted tens
of millions of dollars in union funds for his own benefit."
The lawsuit was rejected, but prompted a further look into Saskin and Kim.
After an investigation, Saskin was found to be surveilling players through email "for
an extended period of time" for his personal interests.
Following Saskin, the player's union had a tough time keeping a leader.
In 2009, the NHLPA once again dismissed its executive director, Paul Kelly.
According to The New York Times, Kelly's unexpected departure marked the fourth time the NHLPA's
top spot was empty in as many years.
Bobby Hull was one of the all-time greats in the NHL, having made a dozen All-Star appearances.
He also had a cool nickname, "The Golden Jet."
The Hull name continued in the NHL when his son, Brett Hull, joined the league and showed
his equally impressive skills.
"His father's a hockey legend: the famous Golden Jet.
And now Brett Hull skates out of his father's shadow to become a hockey hero."
Even though Brett became a star on his own merit, he may be most remembered for a critical
and controversial NHL call.
In the 1999 Stanley Cup, Brett scored a triple overtime goal to give his team, the Dallas
Stars, its first championship.
Only, the final goal should not have counted — at least according to certain NHL fans
and historians.
The call is still hotly debated to this day.
When Brett shot the winning goal, his foot had crossed into the goalie crease, while
the puck was outside of it.
According to the NHL rules, which had recently changed, the goal should have been waved off.
The new rule stated:
"If a player has entered the crease prior to the puck, and subsequently the puck should
enter the net while such conditions prevail, the apparent goal shall not be allowed."
According to Bleacher Report, the league had overturned similar goals throughout the season
in accordance with the rule.
However, after the game, the NHL reviewed the goal and concluded it counted, since Brett
had possession of the puck.
Fans of hockey love the lightning fast action.
However, the intense pace and hard hits can have a lasting toll on players, resulting
in both physical and emotional damage.
For example, Bob Probert was a notoriously tough enforcer in the NHL, known to get into
fights during matches.
In 2010, when he was only 45 years old, he died from a heart attack.
Though he admitted to heavy drinking and previously using cocaine, his time in the NHL may have
cost Probert his life.
"I try to do the best I can, and like I said, no one's perfect."
Looking into his death, Boston University researchers found that Probert had severe
damage to his brain.
Fighting and hits to the head potentially contributed to brain trauma and ultimately
his death, per The New York Times.
Another tragic death in the NHL occurred one year later with Derek Boogaard, a popular
player for the New York Rangers.
He accidentally overdosed from a combination of painkillers and alcohol in 2011.
Later, doctors discovered that he had suffered from a "chronic traumatic encephalopathy,
or C.T.E.," The New York Times reported.
Tragically, history repeated itself with the 2015 death of Steve Montador, which researchers
again attributed to C.T.E.
"What brought him down was concussions, and the fact that he had too many, and he came
back and played and got more."
In response, the NHL released a statement that they didn't agree that there was any
link to his hockey career.
In America, the National Hockey Association was founded in 1909, but stopped operations
by 1917.
As a result, four Canadian teams joined together to form the NHL.
And though the league owes its history to Canada, some feel the NHL is pushing out its
Canadian teams.
Many point their fingers at NHL chairman Gary Bettman for this development.
Since he became commissioner in 1993, no Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup, according to
the CBC.
One reason is that many players from Canada go stateside to play.
Almost 43% of players in the NHL are Canadian but play for American franchises, who offer
tempting perks for players beyond the clearly warmer weather.
Bettman also made it a point to discourage NHL teams from relocating to Canada, per Bleacher
Report.
Superstar Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins is already considered one of the
ten best NHL players ever, according to Bleacher Report.
The young prodigy entered the league in 2005 as the top overall pick, earning himself the
nickname "Sid the Kid."
In addition to numerous awards, he had over 1,300 career points and won the Stanley Cup
three times by 2021.
While his influence in the NHL is undeniable, Crosby has endured his share of controversies,
like when he upset many people after it appeared he received preferential treatment at the
DMV.
When Crosby skipped the line to renew his driver's license, he bypassed many others
who were facing the stereotypical long wait times at the center.
Though the DMV has policies in place for celebrities to avoid disruptions, some fans still felt
Crosby should have waited like everyone else, per The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
But his controversies carry over onto the ice, too.
In 2016, Crosby was accused of skipping the rules by opponents when it came to face-offs.
After he won 71% of his face-offs in a Stanley Cup final game, Logan Couture from the San
Jose Sharks claimed Crosby was playing dirty.
Couture told Mercury News:
"He cheats.
He gets away with that.
He's Sidney Crosby.
He times them, and yet they don't kick him out for some reason; probably because of who
he is."
The Ottawa Citizen wrote that the 1927 season was, quote, "the greatest [...] in the history
of hockey."
That year, the Ottawa Senators clinched the Stanley cup, defeating the Boston Bruins in
four games.
What happened after that final game, however, would overshadow the Senators' win.
When referee Jerry Laflamme was walking toward his office, the Bruins' manager grabbed him,
leading to several players assaulting the official.
One of the culprits was player Billy Coutu.
In addition to attacking Laflamme, he also reportedly tackled referee Billy Bell, who
had attempted to stop the assault.
After the incident, NHL president Frank Calder said in a statement:
"For striking Referees Bell and Dr. Laflamme, player Coutu is expelled from the National
Hockey League and is fined $100."
While the life-time ban — the longest in league history — was harsh, it was less
surprising given Coutu's history of aggression.
He was previously fined and suspended for fighting during the 1923 playoffs.
Coutu also once received a lengthy in-game penalty for using his stick to grab another
player's neck and throw him to the ice.
Though gambling has long been a part of professional sports, sometimes it can lead to the downfall
of those who become involved in illegal practices, like we recently saw with NBA referee Tim
Donaghy.
The first big gambling scandal for the NHL was in 1948, when a Detroit gangster was caught
placing illegal bets on games.
A wiretap found that he was working with NHL players to fix games, which launched an investigation
that led to one player getting expelled for life and another getting suspended.
The NHL president at the time, Clarence Campbell, condemned the whole ordeal.
Decades later, another scandal involving gambling on hockey games rocked the NHL.
In 2021, the wife of San Jose Sharks player Evander Kane alleged that he bet on games
and even altered his performance on ice to change their outcomes.
"Short of murder, this is about the worst thing a pro athlete can do, betting against
your own team."
Kane said he never bet on hockey and denied purposefully contributing to a loss for gambling
purposes, per ESPN.
The NHL launched an investigation into the claims and in September 2021 stated that the
allegations had no proof.
Unfortunately, it was a short-lived victory for Kane.
The same day the NHL cleared him of the gambling allegations, they launched another investigation
into allegations that he had assaulted his estranged wife.
"The most salacious and dangerous allegation for Evander Kane is these claims of forced
sexual assault."
The NHL probe also found that those claims were unsubstantiated…and yet Kane was still
suspended for 21 games for yet another controversy.
"Suspended San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane for 21 games for submitting a fake COVID-19
vaccination card."
For much of its early history, the NHL lacked diversity.
In fact, the league didn't have its first Black player until 1958, when Willie O'Ree
joined the NHL, CBS reported.
O'Ree was later inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and received a Congressional Gold
Medal in 2022.
He was also a diversity ambassador for the NHL's inclusivity program, "Hockey is for
Everyone."
Yet the NHL appeared slow to adapt a diverse makeup of players.
The Seattle Times reported that by 2021, "only 6% of players are Black, Indigenous or people
of color."
To try and improve, the NHL announced it would dedicate increased resources to create a more
diverse landscape in hockey.
In 2021, the league invested an additional $5 million to its "Hockey is for Everyone"
program to strengthen diversity and inclusion.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available.
Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline
at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).