Hockey Trash Talk & BS thread

Cool. Perhaps he has the genetics to keep him vital and relevant after the age of 45. A few of those guys do exist in the league

Funny to hear the human body is talked about like it's a truck...

 

It'll be Mason Raymond 2.0. Low risk, low payment.

 

http://thehockeywriters.com/30-in-30-stanley-cup-or-bust-for-the-anaheim-ducks/

 

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/rcmp-charge-mike-richards-with-possesion-of-controlled-substance/

Seriously cannot understand how these fuck-tards keep getting caught with drugs.

 

Probably to deal with his depression from the Kings treating him like ass because of their self inflicted cap issues.

 

Read that this morning

 

That's Los Angeles for you.

Are there reports showing it was for medical use now?

 

I know that many world class hockey players, along with athletes all over the world, partake in such things. A lot!!! But it just drives me nuts. I work my ass off - training daily - doing everything humanly possible - just to maintain a decent level in my chosen sports. Except for hockey. I play a fair bit, but I will never suddenly wake up with the talent it takes to play it at any higher level than 'drop-in'. I go crazy when I see people with enormous talent, getting showered in money to play their sport, and they're nothing but a worthless waste of skin - because they piss it all away on drugs and shit!!!

 

What I am about to say is not an excuse, but as someone who played the sport as a kid, watched someone make the show, and then watched that person flounder it is what happens. Imagine you did have that talent in hockey. I'm not even talking talent, I'm talking about that gift. I mean you play your first year of hockey and you have to pass because you are only allowed 7 goals a game. You get to 7 usually mid way through the first period. You're so good that not only do you make Peewee AA on the first try, but you lead the league in points and single handily take a shitty team deep into the provincial playoffs. This whole time, no matter how grounded your parents are, you are showered with praise on your natural skill and intelligence on the ice. You train hard both on and off the ice. No matter how hard other kids around you try, they aren't your equal. You get a call one night to pay Under 15 AAA. You go a year early up and you find yourself outpaced. Everyone is bigger so you train even harder. Eventually your natural skill plus your increasing strength overcome your smaller stature. At first you score a goal, then two, and then ten... in four games. A few years pass. You get drafted into the WHL. Whenever adversity due to your younger age hits, the same pattern repeats itself. You train, you gain, and you win.

Then you hit the big show. This is it. Drafted 7th overall. Everything that drove you to get here has paid off. You sign a 3 year ~3 million dollar entry deal. You make the team in your rookie season. You score double digit goals. Suddenly you find yourself at 21 with a 4 million dollar a year deal. You're there. Then somethings different. You've reached your goals. Your in the show making real money on a one way deal. Your natural talent is taxed out and your at your peak. What should drive you to be more than this, which is really your pinnacle. Somethings not right. You look to older team mates to figure it out.

This is where some players go wrong.

When you spend your while life training, gaining, and winning you don't know what to do when you hit your peak. Why? Because the kids that make it to that level aren't just naturally talented. Ask Deagle about how far just natural talent will get you. It doesn't get you into the show and in this league where you have to prove it before you get paid for it it won't get you the big bucks. You get to the big show because you know how to pursue a goal with every bit of your body. You know how to balance distractions like school, friends, and women to allow you to prioritize hockey. The problem is that lack of failure those zoned in young athletes experience leads to a lack of ability to function without that next inevitable platform to hit. For some the game and their team mates are enough. For some it's to easy to slip into partying, drugs, or crime because everything has been too easy. For some they really can't help themselves as easy as it might look from the outside.

When you can't reach another goal through training and gaining you get depressed. The same way anyone who is failing gets depressed. I know it sounds crazy but it's one hundred percent real depression and it is just as serious as it is for someone who makes minimum wage. Anyways if you get to that point and you don't have the right support structure drugs are just one thing that can happen like I mentioned. Domestic abuse is another. It happens to tons of players. This is one of the reasons why sports psychology exists. Even great people tend to fail themselves when you think they should be the happiest when they don't know what to do next to feel rewarded in life.

 

Yeah. I completely get what you're saying. I know it's not a simple case of, great talent should get you paid big bucks......and life is sweet candy farts.....the end. I've read a few books about some of the guys who have flown off the rails, in a huge way. Even after things were handed to them on silver platters.
My main sport is endurance racing. Specifically Triathlons (and some obstacle course racing). But I play hockey all winter - and branch out to many other sports throughout the year. I'm that guy that doesn't have the main talent - or a gift, by any stretch. I have to work twice as hard as the next guy, only to do marginally better. And I totally understand the mindset of pushing to the next level. It can be extremely tough when there isn't a next level!!
But on the surface of it......it still makes me crazy to see the way several of them act out. I've never done a drug in my life - and I'll never have a fraction of their talent, or gifts. But I'll always be extremely upset to hear of this kind of thing.

 

This is the truth of it.

It is easy to sit back and judge another, but much more rewarding to get to know them.

 

St. Louis Blues offer Scott Gomez a tryout

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/free-agent-scott-gomez-accepts-tryout-offer-with-st-louis-blues/

 

Pens sign Sestito to a PTO

http://i.tsn.ca/story/?id=557230

 

Apparently the lawyers for Richards are looking into why Richards was searched immediately and extensively. I wonder if it was a dog that got him or if this could be something sinister. Who knows.

 

Can we get a shorter version bud?

 

The King's doctors

Sinister? How about this. The LA Kings doctors likely supplied the painkillers that he got busted for.

 

I'm thinking the same thing or at the least the Kings knew they could cancel his contract for a such an offense and alerted the RCMP before Richards crossed the border that Richards had Oxy. Something smells fishy and it's not the Sharks.

This whole thing is BS anyways. If the Kings cared about criminal proceedings or charges they would of cancelled Voynovs contract too, which they didn't do because they actually want him. The Kings just needed a way to get rid of Richards for free and decided to go out on a limb with this sort of legal nightmare.

 

From an Anaheim fan I know I'll be looked at being biased but any team that intentionally does something like this to avoid a contract is disgusting. I'm supposed to hate the Kings for no real reason. That's how it's supposed to be. I don't want to have a reason but now I do. For the players who I enjoy watching on the team I find it sad that Lombardi is using a loophole to get out of the contract while still entertaining Voynov.

 

More on Richards /Kings:
http://www.tsn.ca/richards-case-against-kings-after-being-charged-1.353065

 

Bang on analysis i'd say. They have likely created themselves a legal mess.