Shocking details of the biggest doping scandal in hockey history revealed.

I have to admit as more and more information has come out surrounding this story, it has had a tremendous impact on the way I view this story, and now I find myself having made a complete shift in perspective, and I genuinely feel sorry for the young men involved in this scandal.

As many of you will know, yesterday we reported on what is likely the biggest doping scandal to ever hit hockey, resulting in Russian's Under 18 team being entirely scrapped, including both the coaching staff and the players. The initial reaction was harsh criticism of the team, and rightfully so, performance enhancing drugs in a contact sport can have an impact on the health of the players not taking them, and should be harshly punished.

After the initial story broke, the information that came out only made the young men seem more guilty, reports began to leak out suggesting that at a minimum, half the Under 18 Russian team had tested positive for the banned substance Meldonium. Russian sports reporter Slava Malamud went so far to describe it as the "overwhelming majority of U18 team failed Meldonium test." Again it made the players look terrible, and clearly with such a large number of positive tests there was no longer any doubt about their guilt.

However on Thursday morning Malamud revealed what has to be considered by far the most disturbing part of this story, worse than the positive tests themselves, the fact that the coaching staff knowingly and deliberately administered the banned substance to the players as part of their daily routine.

"Meldonium was given to U18 players systematically throughout the season as a part of the day-to-day maintenance routine," said Malamud.

This would explain the decision to terminate the coaching staff following the positive tests from the players, and given how young and likely impressionable these young men are, it's a unimaginable violation of their trust, of their parents trust, by the coaching staff. That the coaching staff would jeopardize the careers of these young men by feeding them a diet of performance enhancers is almost unimaginable.

Hockey Fed president Alexander Steblin has made a very bold statement, and we support him 100%.

"I'd give life bans to those who gave meldonium to the kids."

The Under 18 Russian team will not play at Worlds, and they shouldn't, but it's hard not to feel for these young boys who were betrayed by their coaching staff.

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