New York Islander defender Sean Hill will be icing himself for 20 games as the result of a violation of the NHL steroid policy. Report here at Metro.Canada and the Winnipeg Free Press. The suspension occured hours before the Islanders face Buffalo, down in the series 1-3.
Islanders defenceman Sean Hill was hit with a 20-game suspension by the NHL on Friday - just hours before New York faced elimination from the playoffs - for violating the league's performance-enhancing substances program...
He is the first player to be suspended under this program.
First player suspended under the NHL program, and our first hockey player featured here at Steroid Nation. With this first case, the NHL is proclaiming success, which seems a but premature to us.
The nature of Hill's infraction was not immediately clear.
"It's unfortunate it happened, and we certainly hope that we won't have many more violations of our policy as we move forward with the program," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Canadian Press. "But this result shows that our program is working as it was designed and intended to work."
Great write-upon Hill here at Current Habs History
Hill, a native of Duluth, Minn., was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the eighth round of the 1988 NHL entry draft. In 841 career regular-season games, Hill has 60 goals and 229 assists for 289 points.
Two For Elbowing thinks the penalty for on-ice mutilation of players should be commensurate with the time in the box for gear:
Scott Hartnell's hit on Cheechoo: no penalty
Scott Hartnell's double-game-misconduct in game 2: no penalty
Alex Radulov's trying to break Steve Bernier's neck: one game.
Brad May punching Johnsson: three games.
Sean Hill failing the "pee test": 20 games
Not to make light of using a banned substance (steroids? amphetamines?) but -- don't the suspensions seem a bit, well, lopsided?
I'm not suggesting Sean Hill's penalty should be reduced. But doesn't the way the league treats bad play on ice seem -- weak? compared to peeing in a cup and missing?
Let's double all on-ice suspensions. It might make some guys think twice about hitting from behind...
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