Ovechkin Snows a Kid

Two nights ago I was drinking with an OHL prospect who will most likely make the show. I can’t say names or team names, but he has an older brother that’s already playing in the NHL.

Anyways, nice kid but near the end of the night, he’s hammered drunk and stammering to me about how popular cocaine is amongst NHL players. He tells me with conviction that Federov left the NHL for the KHL because he was doing steroids, and suggests that Ovi has done them as well.

I scoffed at the kid, and asked him how he could possibly have such intel. He riffs a few names which I recognize, kids he plays/played puck with that have fathers that are coaches in the NHL, assistant GM’s, etc. He insists that he knows two people so well connected in the East that he didn’t doubt the rumors the first time he heard them. I thought about it, and indeed the names checked out.

He stammers that Pronger went to Philadelphia because he has a coke problem, that Chara loves blow as well. He insisted most of the most skilled guys in the league didn’t have problems. Finally he mentioned something about our golden child, Nazem Kadri that put me over the edge and I told him I’d had enough.

I know it’s probably just rumours, and probably not true. But the next day I thought about how Philadelphia had that big college party scandal the year before Pronger came, and today I read about a steroid dealer in Washington and I’m starting to think there might be some more truth to what he said then I had initially thought.

Take from this what you will, I don’t care if you believe me, I’m not sure I believe the kid. But with his name, and who he’s connected with, it’s getting harder not to believe some of the things he said.

So when I saw this, the first thing I thought was “roid rage”.

@ DionforCaptain:

Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too…as long as it doesn’t affect their play on ice. I thought about Theo Fleury who drank wine with bums and hookers in NYC the nights before big games and still dominated. I just felt frustrated knowing that some of these guys are good but could be a lot better.

As for the Ovi thing, I’m not saying it was legitimate hypomania (roid rage), clearly. I’m just thinking he’s got a bit too much aggression. Who snows in a kid with cancer?

I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that these athletes do steroids and have coke addictions. Upon seeing my doubt, the prospect telling me all of this said to me “look how drunk I am, if I were in the NHL there would be the next kid in line telling you I was an alcoholic…and I probably am.”

As for Kadri, I live in London and am friends with some guys who play for the Knights. So I figured I’d just ask them if there is any truth to what this kid told me before I go spreading it around.

@ Julie Sucks:
Yeah! That’s what he told me. The cat is out of the bag, nice work, asshole.