Karalahti

[Flonaldo]

Seriusly man shut up about killing, Heatley and his best friend was in a car accident for christ sakes. Heatley almost died himself its not like he planned it. The player closest to killing S.Moore was Skratsnits jumping on his back when he was knocked out cold. Karalahti refused the NHL substance program thats why hes not aloud to play.

Heatley was reckless enough to put himself and his friend in a situation in which they were both at grave risk of losing their lives. Karalahti puts himself at great risk to fall down on his face when he's plastered.

The other requires months of counseling, being locked up, listening to Jesus's teachings and all in all basically being a prisoner. The other requires nothing; no counseling, no suspensions, no "you need to change your ways", no education.

Which is which? And what is more dangerous to yourself and to others around you? Getting drunk at a bar or speeding through city streets at massive speeds?

The hypocrisy around this issue is ridicilous. You can get in fights at bars, get arrested, commit assault, do pretty much anything with a car - but heaven forbid you should down a couple of beers, no hockey player should ever do that.

Some get punished like there's no tomorrow, some just walk away without any repercussions.

 

[swinginutter*]

What a complete crock of ****! The NHL should have no say so in this matter. He simply stated in the past that he will not be a teetotaler. I mean this guy is being cruicified for something that happened early in his career. If the guy wants a drink, let him have it. Everybody has made a meal out of this matter, not only now but even when he was a King. Good luck Jere!

EDIT: You are not allowed to circumvent the obscenity filter
http://www.hfboards.com/faq.php? /Predatore

 

[John Flyers Fan]

I wonder what kind of team Russia will have?

They sound like a mess. They should have one of the best teams, but it sounds as if they may fall apart.

 

[psycho_dad*]

Which is which? And what is more dangerous to yourself and to others around you? Getting drunk at a bar or speeding through city streets at massive speeds?

The hypocrisy around this issue is ridicilous. You can get in fights at bars, get arrested, commit assault, do pretty much anything with a car - but heaven forbid you should down a couple of beers, no hockey player should ever do that.

Some get punished like there's no tomorrow, some just walk away without any repercussions.

By the way, there was alcohol in Heatleys blood, so he had been drinking something. It was not too much, but it clearly states he had alcohol.

Which makes him the equal sinner. Of course his other actions were much worse than what Karalahti has done. So what is the difference? Why does the other one get punished for having a drink, and the other one is not punished for having a drink and taking risks that killed his friend.

Quite sad

 

[SergeiK]

Karalahti made conscious choice in Nashville that he couldn`t live without alcohol. If that decision keeps him from playing World Cup, it was still his decision to make. It´s useless cry when milk is already on the table. In Karalahti`s case beer on the table - which he himself was responsible to spill.

By the way, I think it`s absolute joke that Dany Heatley is playing right now. But law has always been indulgent with killers who play in NHL (MacTavish, Heatley). MacTavish got one year from killing a young girl and Heatley couple of months from killing his teammate. Disgraceful!

But my contempt towards these players won`t change the facts. NHL is the organizer of this tournament. Their game, their rules. Karalahti will play only if NHL allow him to participate.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

They sound like a mess. They should have one of the best teams, but it sounds as if they may fall apart.

If people think USA Hockey is political, just take a look at the Russian Federation.

 

[cagney]

The NHL's decision is just a reflection of the whacked out drug policy of the US. There are people in prison right now serving longer sentences for posssesion of marijuana than others are serving for ****. But that's a whole different thread.

I say let him play. It won't happen though.

PS: I don't think any tournament where national pride is at stake can be considered an exhibition tournament.

 

[triggrman]

First to the guy that posted "The righteous men in Tennesee offered him help from God, but Jere refused because he just didn't know what was good for him" It had nothing to do with anyone from Tennessee, the program was in Vegas was it not?

Did Nashville give up his rights? I had hoped that one day we'd get another shot at him, we did nothing to him to it was all the NHL. We could really use a blueliner like that.

 

[SergeiK]

Karalahti has been one the most photographed person on Helsinki`s nightlife. Our tabloid papers tell us every week about his whereabouts and his movement in bars is widely reported through yellow press. It`s not a easy life for person who likes to spend his freetime in smoky bars. The reporting is so frequent that real news would be: "Karalahti was sober and didn`t cause a scene". Well, that`s Finnish drinking culture. We don`t take couple of beers, we take couple of 6-packs. And Jere is embodiment of that.

Last incident (which I can remember) was when Karalahti went missing on the day that his team, HIFK, had bronze medal game (yes, we have those). He didn`t play on that game.

 

[1897]

First to the guy that posted "The righteous men in Tennesee offered him help from God, but Jere refused because he just didn't know what was good for him" It had nothing to do with anyone from Tennessee, the program was in Vegas was it not?

Did Nashville give up his rights? I had hoped that one day we'd get another shot at him, we did nothing to him to it was all the NHL. We could really use a blueliner like that.

My apologies, I have nothing against Nashville nor Tennessee, only the substance abuse program, wherever it was. I assumed the program was there because that's where he played.

His interview on this issue was on Finnish TV an hour ago, and he said something like "they already once tried to stop me playing hockey, but I couldn't imagine they'd do it again" , so he's probably quite bitter at the NHL. Weren't the Preds a bit unhappy too? And Bettman doesn't want to look like a fool. If you join the WHA, maybe you could get a shot at him then

 

[jepjepjoo]

Well, that`s Finnish drinking culture. We don`t take couple of beers, we take couple of 6-packs. And Jere is embodiment of that.

No true Finnish man would settle for a couple of 6-packs... A bottle of vodka and a twelwe pack of karjala sounds about like a regular friday saturday night (or a week day )

 

[Raimo Sillanpää]

No true Finnish man would settle for a couple of 6-packs... A bottle of vodka and a twelwe pack of karjala sounds about like a regular friday saturday night (or a week day )

No, right now it'd be a twelve pack of Olvi (on special offer at the local Prisma)

 

[Korkki]

No, right now it'd be a twelve pack of Olvi (on special offer at the local Prisma)

Nothing else than Karhu... No matter the price, it is the best beer...

 

[SergeiK]

Let`s move this here

I thought Karalahti was a coke head?

Karalahti had a criminal record for drug related crimes in Finland, so US government wasn`t too keen on granting a visa for him. I suppose US have their hands full with their own addicts.

US and NHL gave Karalahti an opportunity to play in NHL, but with certain duties.
He had to take part in drug-abuse program for NHLers. The program got tighter every time that you failed to follow it. In his LA Kings days Karalahti went missing for days. So at the time he was transfered to Nashville, the substance program was as tight as it gets. Still Karalahti spend his summer in Finland drinking and partying. That`s why NHL tried to force Karalahti to take part in most strictest AA program availeble, but Karalahti refused to take part in it. He spend the whole season in Finland not playing, and giving interviews that his NHL-career is over.

In beginging of season 03-04 Karalahti missed couple of games because he had hit his fist on a bar wall while drunk and broke several bones in his fist.

Fact is that Karalahti likes to sedated from time to time. Good thing is that he`s doing that with legal drugs nowdays. Some might say that he still has a problem with them. He`s gifted defenceman and lot of his actions are forgiven due to that. I wonder what will happen when his playing days are over, but that`s not my problem. That´s Jere`s and his family`s problem.

 

[teme]

What Karalahti or any other player does outside the rink is none of NHL's business anyway. If a player does something illegal, law enforcements and courts will punish him accordingly.

Then again it is NHL's tournament, and if the NHL rules would state that players have to wear funny hats and start obscure personal religions, NHL players would have to do just that. NHL however should have no say over non-NHL players. Banning Karalahti is so riduculous I personally wouldn't mind if entire Team Finland pulled out of the tournament in protest.

 

[SergeiK]

Banning Karalahti is so riduculous I personally wouldn't mind if entire Team Finland pulled out of the tournament in protest.

Because this mess is caused by NHLPA all Finnish players must resign from that hypocratic organization immediatly even if they`re under contract. Miikka Kiprusoff and Ville Nieminen must stop playing for Stanley Cup today and return Finland as soon as possible. That`ll show them.

Jere`s cause is our cause. No matter what...

 

[The Pucks]

One thing you all must understand, the NHL is a private boys club. If you want to be part of it, you must play by their rules.

It is a privilage, not a right, to play in the NHL.

 

[teme]

First, and an aside, right now any player resigning from NHLPA would be on the whole a positive development.

Second, any society, such as NHL or NHLPA can require a number of things from its members. There are legal limits exploration of which would require a lawyer, as well as practical and ethical constraints. For example, should my employer ask me to do a drug test on me, I would decline and call my lawyer. Not because I wouldn't pass, but because it is non of their business.

Third, all of the above is completely irrelevant to this discussion because Jere Karalahti is NOT A NHL PLAYER. If NHL/NHLPA wants to have its own tournament with peculiar rules on which players can participate, it can have it using NHL players. If it allows non-NHL players, NHL rules should not apply to them. It is that simple.

Fourth, the reason this makes me mad is not that I particullary care for Karalahti one way or another. It is just that I feel like abandoning the sport all together when the usual crap about players having a responsibility to be role models comes up. Look, hockey is twelve guys engaging in kind of behaviour that would lead to institutionalization anywhere outside the rink. I don't want someone to be a held as a saint in the first place for doing THAT well. Actually, the more players behave like normal people with their usual faults, the better. Besides those god fearing, family loving, small town boys, with charities as hobbies bore me to tears.

 

[Padawan]

Third, all of the above is completely irrelevant to this discussion because Jere Karalahti is NOT A NHL PLAYER. If NHL/NHLPA wants to have its own tournament with peculiar rules on which players can participate, it can have it using NHL players. If it allows non-NHL players, NHL rules should not apply to them. It is that simple.

Well said. In my opinion the NHL executives and the NHLPA are being hypocrite. They say that Jere can't be accepted because he didn't finish his rehab program there. They say that he didn't do what they wanted and therefore he is not capable of playing NHL type hockey. In their minds Jere Karalahti is a thread to their image. At the same time there's no word on Heatley. They are letting him walk because he is an NHL star and a canadian.

It seems to me that they can't let Jere play because it would make their rehab programs look bad. Also Jere is a helluva player and it would be an advance to other teams if he is not allowed to play. This is ridicoulous. Admit that you made a mistake with Jere and move on. Let Jere play!

 

[triggrman]

Yes and let him play in Nashville. We gave up our top scorer at the time to get him.

 

[psycho_dad*]

Yes and let him play in Nashville. We gave up our top scorer at the time to get him.

Unfortunately he will never play in the NHL and I cant blame him. But he would have been a great addition to your defence. Too bad.

 

[triggrman]

I know, still sucks though and he's exactly what we need.

 

[FlyersFan10*]

As much as I like Jere Karalahti, the NHL is in the right on this one. Truth of the matter is that Karalahti was a heroin addict back in Finland. Before he could get a visa to the U.S., he had to get his heroin charge in Finland looked after and he had to get himself clean and sober. Now, being a recovering addict as well, anyone in the addiction field will tell you that alcoholism and drug addiction go hand in hand. It doesn't matter that Jere had a couple of beers, what matters is that drinking the beers could have caused a chain reaction that could have been potentially bad. Hey, once an addict always an addict and it doesn't matter if you enjoy the drugs or the booze. That's the truth of the matter

 

[hattrick74]

"What Karalahti or any other player does outside the rink is none of NHL's business anyway. If a player does something illegal, law enforcements and courts will punish him accordingly."

i would disagree with this in that you sign a contract to play in the NHL, and like any other business, there are guidelines and rules in that contract. If you violate those rules, the contract can be voided and thus you are fired. also last time i checked getting drunk in a public place is ilegal, is it not? i could be totaly wrong on this but know many people who have gotten arrested for being drunk.

 

[Padawan]

"What Karalahti or any other player does outside the rink is none of NHL's business anyway. If a player does something illegal, law enforcements and courts will punish him accordingly."

i would disagree with this in that you sign a contract to play in the NHL, and like any other business, there are guidelines and rules in that contract. If you violate those rules, the contract can be voided and thus you are fired. also last time i checked getting drunk in a public place is ilegal, is it not? i could be totaly wrong on this but know many people who have gotten arrested for being drunk.

If this is the case then why not Heatley or Thorton didn't get punished accordingly? I'll bet the reason is that because they are stars in the NHL and Karalahti is not. So is this right that the Stars of the NHL gets special treatment? I think it's not right. Same rules to everybody no matter what their position in the game/business is. That's the right way. If Karalahti is not allowed to play and Heatley and Thorton can then the I have lost the respect for NHL and the NHLPA.