Accusations of medical malpractice, mistreatment among NHL teams not surprising to former player
CTV
A former Canucks coach vehemently denies a player's accusations that he mistreated players.
The regular season has not yet started, but one National Hockey League player is already making waves.
Robin Lehner, goaltender for the Las Vegas Golden Knights claims some NHL teams are giving their players prescription drugs, without the need for a prescription.
Lehner, 30, made the accusation in a series of tweets on October 2. In them, he asks whether it’s common for employers to hand out benzodiazepines, a highly addictive psychoactive drug, often prescribed to treat anxiety and insomnia. He goes on to say the Golden Knights does not offer players the drug, but alleges other teams do.
It’s a striking accusation that does not come as a surprise to one former NHL player. Retired goaltender Eddie Lack recalls seeing teammates receive pills from team doctors on numerous occasions. Sometimes, Lack says, it would be for pain relief during the gruelling 82-game NHL season, and other times, it would be for help falling asleep on late night flights.
“Do I have the proof that Robin (Lehner) says he has? No,” Lack told CTV News. “But, do I think things like that go on with teams? Yeah. 100 per cent.”
In his tweets, Lehner, a 12-year veteran in the NHL, mentioned Alain Vigneault, the former coach of the Vancouver Canucks and current coach of the Philadelphia Flyer. In an ominous tweet, Lehner said “I got proof. Try to shake your way out of this one.”
During a press conference in Philadelphia on Monday, Vigneault was asked about Lehner’s accusations, which he vehemently denied.
