Nick Piccone
This is an interesting way to go into the NHL season, which begins tonight. Tomorrow, the Flyers open the season in Florida, but right now there’s a topic floating around locally that will make a lot of people uneasy, and others that’ll just shrug their shoulders and say they knew about it the entire time.
Speaking with TSN’s Rick Westhead, former Flyers, Todd Fedoruk, said Philly has a history of the police taking care of star athletes. Philly’s the only city he namedropped, which makes this a big deal around here, but it wouldn’t surprise me if this happens in all the major sports cities around, and even the minor ones.
For me, I was 16 years old when I started. I was well on my way before the NHL. My path was completely sidetracked. My career enabled me to use drugs more.
One of the reasons I’m so candid about this is that I want to help others. That’s the main purpose. I’m sick of hearing of guys dying. Ultimately that’s what’s happening. Guys, swallow your pride, humble yourself, and go ask for help because it’s there.
You hear through the inner circle of players that guys are going through stuff. We have a different lifestyle that enables us, makes these choices easier. We’re protected. People will look out for us because of our status and because at heart we’re pretty good guys. It enables the behaviour that can get out of control. A normal person wouldn’t be able to get away with the stuff we do. I got away with stuff because I was a hockey player.
Like getting pulled over by the cops. You’re drunk, but they’re like, ‘You’re drunk, but get home, take care of yourself.’ For me it happened a few times. Driving around and you had a few drinks, and the cop could tell but he was a season ticket holder. So he’d follow you home. I guess it’s a good thing but it enables bad things down the road. I’m not saying it happened every night.
It depends on where you are. In Philly, there’s a history of (police) taking care of us.
Fedoruk went on to say he got into cocaine at the end of his career in Tampa, after relapsing in Anaheim.
Very interesting words from Fedoruk. Not only does that open that throw his teammates under the bus, but the city’s police department, as well. They weren’t too happy.
The PPD’s Lt. John Stanford gave a statement to TSN in response to Fedoruk’s remarks:
We typically don’t respond to the remarks of others; however, I will just say that the department would not condone any member giving someone ‘special treatment’ because of their career or personal status. The law is the law and our responsibility is to enforce it and uphold it, and if it is determined that an officer violated that oath, then he/she will be disciplined accordingly.”
What makes this more notable is how the Flyers careers of Mike Richards and Jeff Carter ended, with the rumored alcohol and painkiller addictions being the main reason they were traded. It wouldn’t surprise me if this was an exaggeration or more leaned towards the truth. Dan Carcillo’s retirement really started the conversation about addictions among hockey players on and off the ice. This might even further the conversation.