reported on Thursday that the NHL player Kasperi from Kapa is suspected of aggravated drunk driving. Districts will be held in Pohjois-Savo in February 2024.
On Friday, Kapanen’s club St. Louis Blues announced the matter. The club expressed its disappointment with Kapanen’s actions and the player apologized for his actions.
NHL history knows a huge number of cases of drunk driving by players or coaches, many really sad ones that have been dealt with at the end of the story.
did background interviews with three Finnish player agents for this story. Based on them, the NHL is mainly concerned about its own image.
– In the NHL, they try to hush up all the nasty things, at least as long as they come up. It’s mostly a conversation, what follows from that, says the agent, who remains anonymous.
Kapanen also survives in his workplace by interviewing.
– When we talk about something like this, which happened in another country in the summer and is not related to work, then maybe it’s just as well. Maybe it would be a little unreasonable to start other activities, says another player-agent.
The NHL’s substance abuse programs don’t even come into question for one mistake.
– If we think about these NHL substance abuse treatments, we won’t have to go there the first time, the player-agent says.
– I think it’s a conversation and the matter will continue. Since it didn’t happen during working hours, they don’t see any problem with it. If you start having problems with working, only then will you be referred to treatment, the third player-agent continues.
The contract requires playing fitness
It is known that a possible drunk driving conviction will not affect the player’s contract situation either. According to player agents, general contracts do not specify cases like this or their consequences.
– Of course, there is a lot of text in the agreements, but I don’t remember any mention of such. However, they are fairly standard contracts. It is not listed there that if you do this or that, this and that will follow. It’s more natural that the player must be able to play, says one of the player-agents.
Perhaps one of the reasons why cases are still popping up in the 2020s is the NHL’s attitude to driving cases. Very rarely has the player suffered any kind of consequences from the employer’s side.
For example Dave Hunter got behind the wheel in 1993 three times in six months, but the only consequence was a seven-day prison sentence.
Of the late brawler hero By Bob Probert repeated drunken driving cases were frowned upon.
Each of the player agents also reminds us of the cultural differences between Finland and North America when talking about the NHL’s attitude to driving incidents.
– In America, it is quite common to have a few beers or drinks in a restaurant and drive home. The attitude climate is completely different, and I certainly don’t defend that kind of behavior. Otherwise, the NHL sees that such pitching problems are smaller than those that other major leagues struggle with there, says one of the agents.
– In North America, it is even allowed to drive in a small car if you don’t cause anything. Then if you cause, the punishments are really tough. But it’s not seen as such a big mistake there for some reason, one of the agents sighs.
History knows many sad cases
Perhaps the most famous case of drunk driving in the NHL was a Canadian player Tim Horton’s fatal accident near Toronto in February 1974.
Alcohol and drugs were found in the blood of the player who lost control of his car at high speed.
Ten years later, the Canadian striker Craig MacTavish drove drunk in his car with the result that a young woman lost her life. The attacker received a one-year prison sentence.
In 1985, a talented Swedish goalkeeper Pelle Lindbergh lost his life after driving his car into a wall after consuming alcohol at a team night out.
Fourteen years later, Carolina defenseman, longtime NHL player Steve Chiasson also died in a car crash. Chiasson had decided to drive home drunk after the end of season party.
In addition, for example Sergei Fedorov, Dominik Hasek, Chris Pronger, Bob Probert, Jamie Macoun, Petr Klima, Dave Hunter and Mike Keenan have been caught behind the wheel under the influence of prohibited substances – some numerous times.
And the cases are not unusual even today.
In the summer of 2022, a defender took the wheel in Sweden Sebastian Aho. Last winter, New Jersey assistant coach Andrew Brunette was arrested in connection with the NHL All-Star Game when he was drunk driving home in a golf cart.
In 2015, Minnesota’s assistant coach at the time, former NHL defenseman Darryl Sydor was arrested because he was drunk driving his son to hockey practice.