Former NHL great believes some players deserve lifetime bans.

Some strong words from a well respected former player.

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HockeyFeed
Published 8 years ago
Former NHL great believes some players deserve lifetime bans.

A lifetime of punishment is a very very serious thing, and it is never to be taken lightly, but one former National Hockey League great is making the case that the League should consider imposing lifetime bans, and in this case I find it hard to disagree.

It's no surprise that when a veteran of over 20 years the level of a Teemu Selanne speaks, people around the hockey world listen, and when Selanne published his first English-language blog to his website, we were listening. As part of that blog Selanne called for a lifetime ban on player's who are caught using performance enhancing drugs, he called the lifetime bans the only way to make players seriously consider the consequences of such drugs.

A segment of Selanne's blog from Selanne.com:

Another big topic in the news has been the doping control of NHLers. In the NHL, a player gets tested 4-6 times a season, albeit by the league itself. Now the NHL has blocked Wada from testing players during the World Cup training camps which leads to unnecessary speculation.

Rigorous testing is the only way to keep sport clean, regardless of the league the players play. Wada should have the right to test any athlete at any given time.

Recent doping news have been depressing, when the athletes testing positive are big names and have used the same drug, which was baned a couple of months ago. Every failed doping test has to be taken seriously and it should be remembered that it’s the athlete him or herself who’s responsible for everything they eat, drink or inject into their bodies. Blaming others or claiming ignorance doesn’t help.

The battle against doping is long and hard. You have to wonder whether using illegal drugs is a threat or an oppornity for the athlete. I think the only way that would make athletes think long and hard about using banned substances is an automatic life-time ban for serious doping offences. I’m sure that would at least make a person stop and think whether it’s a chance worth taking.

It's hard to disagree with him, serious punishments have existed in all major North American pro sports for some time now, but players still routinely get busted every year. In a world where the cheaters are always ahead of the tests, it makes you wonder how many go undetected. It's also no surprise that this goes on when you consider the fact that literally millions of dollars are on the line, for a lot of athletes it's a business decision.

I believe what Selanne believes, that if you truly want to put an end to this kind of abuse far harsher penalties are required, the NHL's current 20 game policy is a slap on the wrist when you consider it's a contact sport. Using these kinds of drugs can directly impact the health of an athlete being hit, or fighting a player who's on performance enhancers.

Do you agree? Does the NHL need more severe punishment for performance enhancing drugs? And if so does Selanne's proposal of a lifetime ban go to far?

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