Well, well. Here we are after quite a busy week in the NHL. This week we’ve seen crosschecks to the head, new records set and Alexander Ovechkin carrying…Alexander Ovechkin? Quite an interesting week indeed. Let’s get into it.
Headline of the week
It’s been known for quite a while that some NHL stars like to spend their million dollar contracts on some of the good stuff…You know, powdered snow. This was brought into the spotlight even more when Leafs prospect Viktor Loov told a Swedish Media Outlet that there is “a lot of cocaine” circulating around the NHL.” And you cant forget Jarret Stoll’s “antics” in Vegas over the summer.
These events, plus a handful of other events, have led to the NHL begin the implementation of cocaine testing for players. This was brought to light by TVN’s Renault Lavoie on Twitter.
Lavoie also went on to outline the possible repurcussions for players who get caught with the substance in their system, saying “If a player test positive to cocaine, they’ll be no suspension, but help will be given with the substance abuse program of the NHL and PA.”
Here’s my take on the situation:
Cocaine is a drug that stays in the system for a short time. It is also a drug that gives a short and cheerful high. This makes it a perfect drug for a professional athlete with money to spend. However, it is also an illegal substance that a professional athlete (someone with a butt-load of public attention) should avoid like the plague.
I say this because at the end of the day it reflects badly on the league and it looks terrible for aspiring hockey players, who are mostly made up of young children.
I’m glad to see that the NHL is offering help to players rather than straight up suspending players. This gives off a positive image for the league and may even help more players to come forward about their usage of the drug. One can only hope.
Player of the week
Another week has passed and Patrick Kane is still proving to be dominant throughout the league. Kane has posted 7 points in his last 5 games, as well as posting a point in the past 19 games, which is now an NHL record.
Honestly, it’s good to see Kane perform so well after everything that has occured during the summer, and for this, he gets my vote for player of the week.
Team of the week
If the Dallas Stars don’t make it to at LEAST the Conference Finals this year I will eat my shorts. This is a team that has all the right tools to get the job done. They have an explosive offensive lead by captain Jamie Benn and chum Tyler Seguin, an okay defense, lead by John Klingberg, and an impressive but unlikely goalie tandem in Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen. The Stars are now 8-2-0 in their last 10 games, and after a shaky start to the week against Ottawa, the Stars righted the ship and put up two convincing wins against the Canucks and the Wild.
Highlight of the week
My choice for highlight of the week comes from none other than Niklas Kronwall. Check out this bone crunching hit:
Well, that’s it for this week. I’ll be here every Sunday from now on! See you next week.
