CALGARY, Alberta -- Kris Letang could hardly cope in the spring of 2017.
That April, as his teammates were closing in on a second straight Stanley Cup championship, the Penguins' star defenseman underwent a neck surgery to repair a herniated disc that had prematurely ended his season three months earlier. The emotional toll was obvious, but it was compounded by the sheer physical pain of it all. He had been unable to take any pain-killing medications, he says, because his body doesn’t react well to them.
“It was a painful first three weeks,” Letang was telling DKPittsburghSports.com this week.
Two years later, Letang would have different options available to him to deal with the pain. That’s if he were to travel to his native Quebec to recover.
That’s not to suggest he would take advantage of Canada’s new progressive marijuana laws, but he says it’s an option that needs to be explored.
Dating back to its days as a British Dominion, the people of Canada have long been represented by one leaf: The maple. It's on the flag. It's the name of the country's most popular hockey team. However, walk around Canada and you are bound to see at least one T-shirt or poster with the Canadian flag’s iconic red maple leaf replaced with — a cannabis leaf.
That's because our neighbors to the north are undertaking a massive social experiment. Beginning last week, marijuana was legalized for both medicinal and recreational use throughout the nation’s 13 provinces and territories. It joins Uruguay as the only country where weed is completely legal for recreational use.
With seven Canadian-based NHL teams -- the most by far of any major North American sports league -- this could potentially be a problematic situation for the league, right?
Not exactly, says Letang, the Penguins’ players representative to the National Hockey League Players Association.
According to Letang, all players received a memo from the NHL to remind them while the Cannabis Act legalizes marijuana in Canada, it’s still a banned substance in the league. Other than that, it’s essentially status quo for the NHL.
”The Substance Abuse & Behavioral Health Program for decades has been educating players on using drugs, legal or illegal,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. ”That process will continue and we will consider what changes, if any, in our program have to be made. But right now, we think based on the educational level and what we do test for and how we test, at least for the time being, we’re comfortable with where we are.”
Compared to other leagues, the NHL has by far the most progressive pot laws.
The league tests its players for all substances, including marijuana, and does keep track. However, a player can not be suspended for using it. If a player's levels are extremely elevated, they can be referred to the league's Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program. The goal of that confidential program is simply to rehabilitate. There is no isolation from teammates (see Bryant, Martavis) or loss of salary due to fine.
Marijuana for recreational use has been legal in Colorado since 2012 and has been decriminalized elsewhere in the U.S. But like Colorado, what happens in Canada has to stay in Canada. It's still illegal to bring marijuana into the lower 48 or to possess it in large amounts in places such as Pittsburgh.
But as one player said, if someone's hell-bent on using marijuana, they're going to use it, as it's readily available. If you are abusing a most-decidedly non-performance enhancing substance, you run the risk of playing your way out of the league anyway.
"If you're a pro at this level, guys just do what you got to do to show up and do your job," one Penguins player said.
The real interest for the league and its players will be the medicinal aspect. The NHL has not been spared from the opioid epidemic which has swept North America in recent years. Most famously, Derek Boogaard died from an overdose of alcohol and oxycodone, a powerful painkiller
The players I spoke to said the potential of cannabis as a painkiller is intriguing but more needs to be known.
“I think it’s something that guys can look into instead of being addicted to pills and pain-killers,” Letang said. “I am open to it. Absolutely, I am. I just think it has to be behind the right studies.”
As for playing in this new version of Canada, as the Penguins have for the last week, it's just not a big deal.
Much like playing in Las Vegas, the first trip might be a novelty for some but players are professionals and know how to take care of themselves and their bodies.
MORE PENGUINS
• When I asked Patric Hornqvist why some teammates thought he’d make a good coach, he seemed genuinely flattered. But it also doesn’t sound like something that interests him. Hornqvist doesn’t wear a letter on his jersey, but that is just a technicality. He is a leader. “I love the game,” he said. "I think I’m a pretty honest guy on and off the ice. That’s why people probably think I’d be a coach some day. I don’t think so. I love to play. My leadership (style) is to always be positive and to always see the good things we do. And if we don’t play as well, someone has to step up and do the right things.” But as a player, he leaves the game on the ice when he’s away from the rink and only has to worry about himself. Coaches, he says, live the game 24 hours a day and have control of 23 guys. Endlessly breaking down video — which coaches do now far more often than when he broke into the league a decade ago — just doesn’t interest him. — Bradford
• As a player who is 6-foot-6 or taller, Jamie Oleksiak could apply for an exemption from the league to use a longer stick. The 6-foot-7 defenseman simply chooses not to, and his two-goal effort Tuesday night in Edmonton shows why. He says he’s used to using a stick that is slightly — by his standard — shorter and has stuck with it. In fact, he’s used the same CCM model — lie, flex and length — since his OHL days. From heel to knob, his stick comes up to the bottom of his lower lip. Oleksiak is the third-tallest player in the league behind Boston’s Zdeno Chara (6-9) and Winnipeg’s Tyler Myers (6-8). Somewhat curiously, as a defenseman who uses his stick to reach out on poke checks, Oleksiak has almost no knob taped on the end of his stick. He’s very particular about his stick and says, for him, it all comes down to preference. — Bradford
• For decades, Edmonton boasted what was universally recognized as the NHL’s best ice surface at Rexall Place (née Northlands Coliseum). Well, those days are long gone. The consensus regarding Rogers Place, now in its second season of operation, is the ice surface is average, at best. At least one player complained about pucks bouncing and not sitting flat following Tuesday’s morning skate, which was about 12 hours after Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters left the stage at the downtown arena in Edmonton. The ice at New York’s Madison Square Garden had long been considered the NHL’s worst, but it seems to be much improved following the so-called World’s Most Famous Arena’s billion-dollar renovation five years ago. And if the ice is bad there, as one player put it, “It’s still Madison Square Garden and it’s still kind of cool.” — Bradford
• On a similar note, I've had players tell me on this trip that the ice at PPG Paints Arena has taken a significant step backward this season. It had earned rave reviews all through 2017-18, including from visiting teams. Maybe it's early. Maybe there's still too much humidity. But that's the assessment for now. -- Dejan Kovacevic in Calgary
• There's no doubt in my mind, based on multiple conversations, that there was a whole lot of button-pushing happening with how slowly Mike Sullivan and the coaching staff brought Matt Murray back between the pipes after his recent concussion. They wanted a message sent, and they made very sure it was. I'll leave that right there. -- DK
STEELERS
• It used to be the trade deadline was just a meaningless date on the NFL calendar. But we've seen more player movement than ever before in recent years and should see more before next Tuesday's deadline. Steelers' NFLPA rep Ramon Foster has a theory as to why trades have now become more commonplace in a league in which in-season trades were once a rarity.
"I never paid attention to it because the NFL never really moved like that," Foster told me. "I just look at it as the most activity is because of new coaches. I honestly think it’s young coaches trying to get their own system in, get their guys. To explain why you move a guy like Snacks (Damon Harrison) or Eli Apple, it’s young coaches. Look at (Jon) Gruden. It’s a fire sale right now. They realize the quicker they get their guys in, the quicker they can get their coaching going."
At this point, don't look for the NFLPA to get involved in perhaps moving the trade deadline back -- it's at the midway point of the season, a little later than other pro leagues -- or giving players more veto rights.
"It’s a team contract, the team owns the contract, the team can trade the contract," Foster said. "I don’t view it in a way of NFLPA involvement other than there’s a deadline for it.
"You can’t get older guys to buy into your system as quickly as you can younger guys. If you look at the transformation of Cleveland’s roster, they have nine guys that are five years and above. You look at them and the way they’re playing now, they have a new culture, a new system of the way they want to run stuff. That’s what I’m looking at. It’s the same thing with the LA Rams. The culture is young and he’s got his guys." -- Dale Lolley at Rooney Complex
• The Steelers are quietly excited about the opportunity to get safety Morgan Burnett back in the lineup this week. Mike Tomlin was guarded in his comments about Burnett coming back this week because the team thought he would be back a few weeks ago, only to have him aggravate his groin injury in his first practice back. Burnett won't jump back into the starting lineup, but he gives the team someone better capable of covering opposing tight ends in their sub packages. The Steelers have allowed 46 receptions to the position -- second most in the league behind Cincinnati -- and Burnett has been a tight end stopper throughout the course of his career. -- Lolley
• Some were upset by what they saw as "coach speak" from Tomlin when he was asked about the possibility of trading for cornerback Patrick Peterson earlier this week. Tomlin wouldn't address any such possibility for a number of reasons. First, since Peterson is under contract with another team, Tomlin could be fined for speaking about him. Second, as Tomlin noted, any speculation that Peterson might be available was just that -- speculation. Third, if you openly talk about trading for a cornerback, what does that do for the players at that position on your roster? Tomlin will send a message through the media when he feels it's necessary -- remember him calling the team's tight ends JV performers before the team made a deal for Vance McDonald? -- but he's usually very guarded with his words. -- Lolley
PIRATES
• Major League Baseball applies a moratorium on nearly all significant moves during the World Series. It's kind of an old-school thought process, but I've heard it described as nothing more than wanting to keep the focus on the sport's signature event. That's why you'll see a bunch of things announced on an off-day in the Series, as was the case yesterday with multiple managerial hirings. It's also why you won't hear much about the local club for a spell, either. -- DK
PITT
• Pat Narduzzi’s policy of not discussing or disclosing injuries can be frustrating to both fans and media members, but I found one answer he gave me Thursday to be interesting. With receiver Taysir Mack as the only player who was visibly limited during practice Tuesday, I asked Narduzzi if this was the healthiest team he has had in late October. His reply of, “Probably not. We’re not as healthy as you think we are,” provided more questions — questions that won’t be answered — than information. While it’s known tackle Alex Bookser has battled some season-long aches since missing the opener against Albany, Narduzzi’s vague answer makes it sound as though other players are in that same situation. — Matt Grubba
HOUNDS
• After the Hounds were bounced from the playoffs, I had a chance later that night to chat with assistant coach Mark Pulisic. While Bob Lilley will be back next season, Pulisic’s status is less clear. He told me his plan right now is to relax for a few weeks before deciding on his future, and he certainly wasn’t ruling out a second season in Pittsburgh. But much like the top players on the Hounds' roster, Pulisic will be exploring his options. But more importantly, for now, he's going to enjoy some time as a soccer dad with his world-famous son Christian and Borussia Dortmund currently on a run as one of Europe’s hottest teams after dismantling Atletico Madrid, 4-0, on Wednesday. — Grubba