Jonathan Toews had some interesting comments regarding steroid use in the NHL in a recent interview with Sportsnet The Fan 590. Toews stated that he believes it's "naive" to think that there aren't steroids in the NHL and he'd like to see the league test players more often.
The bulk of Toews' comments can be seen below:
I think it would be naive to say that there's no one in the NHL that is trying to get the edge in that fashion. But at the end of the day, whether you get caught now or not, down the road at some point those sort of things come out as we've seen in Major League Baseball and cycling.
Eventually … someone is going to save their own butt and throw you under the bus. And that's your legacy. That's what people remember: that you're a cheater and you took performance-enhancing drugs.
I think guys that apologize and plead that they didn't know what they were doing, I think they know exactly what they're doing. So the more tests the better. It protects the guys that are being fair and are putting good things into their body. So I have no problem with (more testing).
Currently the NHL tests players twice a year. One test is conducted with the player's team while the other takes place at a random time without the player knowing that it's coming. In addition to these two tests, the NHL has the ability to test as many as 60 players a year at their discretion.
According to Toews, it's foolish to think that these tests are keeping steroids out of hockey. The Chicago forward believes that it's only a matter of time before steroid usage in the NHL leaks out as it has in baseball and cycling.
If it were up to the Chicago captain, the NHL would test players more frequently in an effort to keep steroids out of the game of hockey.
Do you think Toews is right? Would you like to see the NHL test players more often?
(H/T Toronto Sun)
