Scott Darling on NHL/NHLPA Players Assistance Program - They’re Monsters (NSFW Language)

[SK13]

I still think of it as the team being the league.
100% owners want to void that.

I don't know if THAT is fair. While I have no love for billionaires, and less than no faith in their morality, there are certainly cases where the teams have been supportive of their players seeking mental health and addiction support. I'm thinking of the Habs and Carey Price here, for example.

It would depend entirely on the person experiences and philosophies of the people in that teams management and ownership.

 

[MrHeiskanen]

I know, so many guys have had their contracts terminated! I could list 1000's right now!

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

makes sense.

Its why you never trust Human Resources

I would never go to HR with something like this at work either to be honest. They are there to protect the NHL and not the player.

I am sure there are contractual benefits to going through the NHLPA but other than that, I can easily see what he is saying to be true.

If anyone reading this is young, or hasn't had to deal with HR, don't. They're to help the company and do f*** all for you, unless doing f*** all could get the company in trouble. Don't tell them shit.

Wouldn't be surprised if Darling opened up to them in some capacity and something he said that he thought was helpful to his situation was simply ammunition to try and void his contract.

Could also be him blowing things out if proportion.

I
TLDR; f*** HR and anything related, but could be Darling's fault, too.

 

[Breakers]

I don't know if THAT is fair. While I have no love for billionaires, and less than no faith in their morality, there are certainly cases where the teams have been supportive of their players seeking mental health and addiction support. I'm thinking of the Habs and Carey Price here, for example.

It would depend entirely on the person experiences and philosophies of the people in that teams management and ownership.

That’s literally the PA and his agent structuring his contract as such and insurance writing the check.

Not the canadiens being supportive
LOL

 

[SK13]

That’s literally the PA and his agent structuring his contract as such

Not the canadiens being supportive
LOL

Their support for him has been more than not trying to get his contract killed, though. There are certainly organizations who would be less supportive of him stepping away at 10 million dollars per and staying away. All of the indications are is that they've been very publicly and privately supportive of Price.

My point is that killing a contract is something a team would pursue, not league management, and that would make that specific complaint more about the people who pursued it than a league-wide criticism. We don't actually know of many cases of teams attempting to void contracts due to entering the player assistance program.

The quality of the assistance program? I think that's the more salient criticism.

 

[Breakers]

Their support for him has been more than not trying to get his contract killed, though. There are certainly organizations who would be less supportive of him stepping away at 10 million dollars per and staying away. All of the indications are is that they've been very publicly and privately supportive of Price.

My point is that killing a contract is something a team would pursue, not league management, and that would make that specific complaint more about the people who pursued it than a league-wide criticism. We don't actually know of many cases of teams attempting to void contracts due to entering the player assistance program.

The quality of the assistance program? I think that's the more salient criticism.

That’s just naive thinking that teams are just supportive of paying out millions being supportive.

They get that cause their agents structured it as such and PA fought for rules to enforce those contracts.

 

[SomeDude]

Sounds like someone who just wanted to skate by and do the minimum or leave the program early.

 

[DieSendungmitderMaus]

That’s just naive thinking that teams are just supportive of paying out millions being supportive.

They get that cause their agents structured it as such and PA fought for rules to enforce those contracts.

I wouldn't completely write off the idea that some organisations will be more supportive than others, and especially that they'll pick and choose- see the Kings trying to get rid of Richards' sunk cost in a way that they wouldn't with a player they still see value in.

BUT you're obviously correct in that you never want to be dependent on some employer's goodwill and that the PA is the reason players don't have to be.

I'd be interested in what exactly Darling is unhappy about with the program itself, but I'm afraid we won't hear much more. Would be a great topic for one of the few investigative journalists left covering the NHL to dig into.

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

It probably comes down to how valuable you are as a player.

Boat anchor contract? Yea they’ll use it as ammunition to get your contract voided.

Valuable player? They’ll probably support you all the way through

 

[Voight]

Sounds like someone who just wanted to skate by and do the minimum or leave the program early.

Darlings substance substance problems are well documented but he quit drinking long before he became an NHLPA member.

 

[dirtydanglez]

yikes. thats the last thing you'd want to hear about the pa.

 

[wayninja]

I heard they won't even let you use drugs there!

 

[Negan4Coach]

Quick somebody throw a beachball his way so I can watch him wave helplessly as it goes by

 

[tarheelhockey]

Sounds like someone who just wanted to skate by and do the minimum or leave the program early.

It doesn’t particularly sound like that.

 

[HF2002]

This guy is wasted. He has not recovered in any way. Or at least he's not trying hard enough.

Yeah, if you keep failing drug and alcohol tests, you will lose your employment. Same as the rest of us.

Don't drink at work, don't DUI. Hangovers count as drunk at work.

No sympathy.

 

[cptjeff]

Darlings substance substance problems are well documented but he quit drinking long before he became an NHLPA member.

He had a fairly significant struggles when he moved to Carolina and didn't have his support network with him that first season, and it's been all but officially confirmed that he had a significant relapse that seems to have lasted at least on and off for at least most of his time in Carolina.

IIRC, his girlfriend stayed in Chicago the first season and he didn't know people yet in Raleigh, and found himself isolated, drinking, and playing horrifically badly, which I'm sure led to destroyed confidence and more drinking. His last year he went on indefinite personal leave, apparently for rehab, don't know if that was the period with the assistance program or not. And yes, given his play I wouldn't be surprised if the Canes were looking at terminating his contract. Until Dundon came on the Canes were on an extremely tight budget.

Ultimately, it's just a really tragic story. I hope he's gotten his life back together and don't begrudge him any resentment over how his hockey career ended.

This guy is wasted. He has not recovered in any way. Or at least he's not trying hard enough.

Yeah, if you keep failing drug and alcohol tests, you will lose your employment. Same as the rest of us.

Don't drink at work, don't DUI. Hangovers count as drunk at work.

No sympathy.

Please have sympathy. Addiction is a real medical struggle, it's not just a question of willpower. I've lost a cousin to it.

 

[ReHabs]

You're telling me that the services rendered by a union are substandard? How could this happen??

He didn't say that and the union would always try to get the best service for their members -- it comes out of the pockets of the employer, after all.

Darling's clearly and unquestionably critical of the structure of the PA Assistance Program which leverages your existing contract against your completion of the program. Which is the trade-off you get when you break your contract with substance abuse and are given a chance to keep it.

Sounds like someone who just wanted to skate by and do the minimum or leave the program early.

ding ding ding

It doesn't have to be a criticism of Darling either, but he clearly didn't jive with the structure of the program and it was upsetting for him. The thing is, they will always leverage your contract against your participation in the structure -- that's the whole deal! Otherwise your contract is terminated for breach.

People say stupid things on podcasts.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Nice to see a player speak up. So many are drones that never want to say a bad thing.

 

[GaboriklessWild]

At this point, parents who allow their children to sign NHL contracts should be investigated whether they are fit to be parents. NHL is full of shady doctors, who knows what they are feeding the players, almost zero effort with anti-doping testing, a significant amount of players have some sort of addiction. Which leads to many suicides and NHL related deaths. This league is shady as fck.

At the very least, NHL players should not be allowed to play in international tournaments, especially in the absence of anti-doping tests. But the IIHF is also corrupt as fck.

 

[ijuka]

Please have sympathy. Addiction is a real medical struggle, it's not just a question of willpower. I've lost a cousin to it.

I'm not sure what the benefit is of delegating all blame to somewhere other than yourself. Ultimately, people still are responsible for their own actions.

Attitude like this leads to a lack of agency and general powerlessness. You can affect quite a few things if you just do something about it instead of believing that it's inevitable, it's impossible, that someone else should do something instead, etc.

 

[nhlfan9191]

I'm not sure what the benefit is of delegating all blame to somewhere other than yourself. Ultimately, people still are responsible for their own actions.

Attitude like this leads to a lack of agency and general powerlessness. You can affect quite a few things if you just do something about it instead of believing that it's inevitable, it's impossible, that someone else should do something instead, etc.

A lot of people who haven’t dealt with addiction, whether with themselves, or been affected by it threw someone close, don’t understand the push back a lot of substance abusers give. Just because they enter a program doesn’t mean they’re ready to truly get help and when they find out there isn’t a magic cure with rehab, they look to point fingers as to why nobody can help them. It’s a sad reality. End of the day, if somebody wants to truly get better, it’s on them. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink.

 

[Evergreen]

Let’s be careful taking one person’s account of their experience as a universal truth about the program.

 

[hossua34]

Don't drink at work, don't DUI. Hangovers count as drunk at work.

Not being drunk at work counts as being drunk at work. TF?

This sounds like something a sanctimonious politician would say the week before he gets arrested for DUI.

 

[RRhoads]

At this point, parents who allow their children to sign NHL contracts should be investigated whether they are fit to be parents.

They aren't children anymore, as they are 18+ when they sign.

 

[hossua34]

Also, any organization that makes you waive therapist-patient privilege as a precondition of getting "help" is not out to help anyone - just to protect itself.