1) When the N.Y. Islanders Sean Hill's suspension was announced just prior to Game 5 against Buffalo many believed that this was a very bad stroke of luck for the Islanders. Losing one of their top 4 defenders on the eve of trying to stave off elimination would be a tall order. Especially for a team already under manned and (including FAUXRUMORS) written off before the series.
2) We decided to dig deeper(as we at the FAUXRUMORS Group, LLC) usually do to uncover items that the mainstream press ignores/hides/or just doesn't try to discover. What we found shocked us. Apparently the powers of the NHL decided it was time to teach the Islander organization a lesson. For the past month or so the Islanders have been involved in several close call goal reviews. All of which went against the Islanders. Add to that the fact that the Islanders have the worst PP/PK ratio(The largest disparity of disadvantages to power plays in the NHL) Also the Simon suspension/ and Witt's public tiff with NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell.
3) The team initially was mute with regard to the man advantage issue, and not too vocal with regard to the video reviews UNTIL the Buffalo series when 2 calls helped decide games in their opponents favor. Following the second Garth Snow, the Isle's GM was unusually VERY vocal in his assessment of the NHL's job of officiating. Several other Islander officials including coach Ted Nolan were quoted in the press questioning the league's job in getting the calls correct.
4) The NHL had just enough and although the drug test was done weeks prior and the results and the following inquiry/appeals could have lasted months, the league decided it was time to send a message directly to the Islanders, and other potential/future complainers; tread at your own risk!
5) The Hill test and results were significantly accelerated and the suspension quickly handed down prior to the next Isles-sabres game. As one league official who didn't wish to be identified (BUT wanted to be heard) told FAUXRUMORS that Colin Campbell and Gary Bettman had heard more than they have wanted from the Islanders. "Colin couldn't wait to announce the Hill suspension. I hadn't seen him so giddy since he has been here". It still has not been announced what exactly Hill tested positive for, but you can bet that other players who may be using similar 'enhancers' will urge their teams to stay quiet with respect to league policy/officiating. The message has been sent!
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Holy shit! I thought it seemed awfully fishy how all this happened! I hate Campbell even more than I already did!
Man, Theresa and I were talking when we heard the news last week and she said it looked kinda weird how this all came down.
Pisses me the hell off too! Hill shouldn't have used anything he thought mighta been illegal. I mean I've used steroids years ago when I used to lift in my younger days, but a pro athlete these days should know better!
1) We too were shocked about these turn of events. We're not even fans of the Islanders. (We root for all teams equally)
2) Shows you can't fight City Hall. Just have to bite your tongue and accept it if you're a player/exectutive. fans like us can speak out with our wallets, but in the end that's unlikely to be persuasive enough to sway the powers that be. ; (
Are you trying to say that if the Isalnders didn't say anything about the calls they didn't like that Hill wouldn't have been suspended? Ridiculous!
Well, and I mean you know offense Faux, I take post this with a grain of salt, mainly because I don't know your journalitic credentials. (I mean the title of your blog does mean False rumors ;) )
However IF this is true, the NHL has, once again, proven it doesn't know how to handle administrative business. If they were tired of the Islanders complaining about the officiating they should handle it the right way... Fine them and anyone who bad mouths it. It would have been easier, and more professional, to just fine Nolan and Snow and be done with it. I can't refute that this sounds like something the NHL would do too.
a). A BAD stroke of luck for the Isles? Hill has been one of the WORST d-men I have see this year... He's old and completely washed up... How many more dumb "ill-timed" penalties did he have to receive to have opened up Nolan's eyes to his incompetence? Hill never has been and isn't now a top 4 defenseman (on ANY team)...
b). I don't know whether or not this accusation is true, but I can say that I hope Buffalo didn't get too used to "getting the calls..." They will have EVERY review go against them in the next series... Here's a rumor for you: Bettman, Campbell, Sather, Renney, and Messier were found cuddling and spooning in the same bed over the weekend in a loft on the Upper East side...
c). The review process in the NHL is laughable... What should make things black and white, has created more gray than ever... These idiots can't even get the calls right when the puck is clearly in sight... According to Engblom, "the referee's intent was to blow the whistle..." Get a REAL hairstyle, moron, and stop babbling...
d). How much ya wanna bet that Briere, Campbell, Miller, Afinogenov, Drury, Vanek, and Numminen ALL test positive this week?
1) We agree B-Washington that the style of the NHL IS questionable! However there is a reason for their stealth approach. It hits harder than a direct suspension as it gives an 'uncertainty' component to the NHL's discipline.
2) As to Hill's not being a top 4 defensemen as Antz alleges; That may be true of most teams, but he played top 4 minutes for the Isles. Perhaps that's why he was 'using'. Antz, imagine how bad he'd be without the 'stuff'? LOL
Faux, he obviously wasn't "using" Barry Bonds' "stuff." That shit REALLY, REALLY works...
1) Last we looked Hill's head wasn't the size of a small planetoid, so apparently he isn't using the 'good stuff'.
I think the NHLPA might have something to say about the timeline. The test was reported to them and a timeline of appeal etc. was established with the NHLPA. I highly doubt the NHLPA would be in collusion with the NHL on this one.
Sorry your spculation is way off base!
1) Thanks for your input Shuck, but right now the NHLPA is an organization in name only
2) What has occurred/is occurring to the once strong players union is enough for a book, not just a post. There is no head. No executive committee. Just a lawyer or two to sign routine documents/accountants to count the beans as they say. NOTHING else is being done over there!
3) Therefore saying that the Hill issue was on the up and up because the NHLPA was quiet about it, is a red herring in our opinion
The fact that the NHLPA is managed in trust by a law firm would indicate that things would be more on the up and up then if they were still under the old questioned leadership of the past.
You are implying that the lawyers managing the NHLPA are not doing their job and turning a blind eye to whatever the NHL wants to do?
Again that assertion is baseless. I supposed these are friends of Bettman now in charge of the NHLPA and that is why they turned a blind eye?
Bottom line is while there is no leadership figure in the NHLPA, the daily operations of the union are probably in better hands than they were months ago.
Not to keep harping on it, but if you so strongly believe that the NHLPA is in such disarray they cannot address the issue at hand, then what about Sean Hill himself? What about the agent who represents him? Surely if things were as you say they were we would have heard from Sean Hill himself or from his agent in some form? The NHL drug testing policy is weak and only in place so the NHL can say they have one. That is the real issue.
1) What our sources tell us, and published reports confirm, is that the NHLPA is an entity in name only right now. Can't say if the lawyers in charge of day to day operations are friendly with Gary Bettman or not.
2) There is little oversight of issues such as Hill's and how it was handled. You can bet under Goodenow it would have been discussed in detail/a protest would have been made.
3) The drug policy and its results can be challenged in court by Hill if his agent so wished, but Hill would only be pointing the spot light on himself more than it already has.
4) Our post did NOT say the NHL forged the test results, just that the timing of the decision was done with a purpose. 'Message sent.. Message received'.
I'm with Shuck here. I can't believe that story of Hill. Just a bit far fetched to me!
1) We respect the opinions of all our loyal readers. Read/believe whatever you may wish. We stand behind our sources, as well as all the stories we break here.
2) Read between the lines of Garth Snow's interview yesterday and you can see the isles are still reeling with what the NHL did. Garth learned his lesson the hard way!
3) Incredulous to believe that after 2 thousand+ urine tests over the years Hill is the first to test positive? And the final result/appeals were exhausted the night of a pivotal game?
4) Even without a source that tipped us on this, we would have looked into this issue. There were more red flags than a Chinese parade!
1) Below is a quote from Isles GM garth Snow from an interview yesterday:
Question: During the playoff series, much was made of tension between the NHL office and the Islanders. You don't really think there is any kind of conspiracy, do you?
Snow: I sure wouldn't hope so. I think it was just a heated time. Stuff like that is bound to come up when you absorb a few controversial calls in a row and Colin Campbell is going out of his way to refer to me in the press as a rookie GM. Everyone on both sides needs to put it behind us, and I'm sure we will."
2) Read between the lines folks. Its clear now knows what happened, BUT also knows he's powerless to fight it, and needs to move on less it will happen again
Interesting.
1) so you are interpreting those comments from Snow to indicate that there was a conspiracy to announce the Sean Hill suspension prior to game 5?
2)Unfortunately your assumptions do not match matters in the CBA specifically linked to the Drug Policy.
3) First the CBA provides for all NHL players to be tested twice during the regular season. The Sean Hill test in question was conducted sometime during the final week of the regular season...as confirmed by the NHL, the NYI organization, and several comments from NYI players (April 1-7). They have to be conducted on a team practice day, not game day, leaving April 2, or 4, or (6th being a travel day).
4) Based on that information you are looking at a 16-18 day window to have the test taken, analyzed, results sent to the NHL, NHLPA, Player and Agent. Then the player has 72 hours to file an appeal. The NHL arbitrator then has to review the appeal and render his descision. The NHL must pass on the arbitrators decision within 24 hours of the arbitrators decision.
5)The arbitrator was selected in September 2006 by the NHL and NHLPA. They must be a member of an arbitration organization, not just someone the NHL wants. While the NHLPA may be toothless now, they were not likely to be so agreeable to a NHL sided arbitrator in September.
6) the fact the NHL must release the arbitrator's decision within 24 hours makes it difficult for the NHL to manipulate the timeline of suspension. Perhaps they sped it up and announced it closer to 1 hour than 24 hours, but in reality isn't that fair. Should they not announce the arbitrators results immediately and prevent a guilty player from playing in another game?
7) I would think there would be some other teams shouting loudly if the NHL was sitting on these results for a long time. The Leafs to name 1!
8) If the NHL truly had this information long ago, wouldn't it be more of a jab to the Islanders to suspend Hill during their battle for a playoff spot? Or how about waiting to see if the Isle flop on their own and throw it out in front of game 7 instead?
I think you are giving Gary and Co. far too much credit here! There are far too many people they would need to conspire with them to have made what you allege happen.
1) Using YOUR numbers (and we can't confirm them) if Hill's pee was taken from him April 7th, and it took 18 days to analyze, then another 3 days to exhaust all appeals (All these figures are dubious/unclear other than the fact that a a test was taken)
2) However assuming all your numbers are correct, Hill's results should be ready in about 3 days!!! At the earliest!
3) Again we're NOT defending Hill if he's guilty, just the amazingly fast manner in which this took place. Our sources confirmed our suspician, and they are VERY reliable/would know!
The issue you keeping trying to mud over is that the NHL has 24 hours to announce the result of the arbitration. You claim the NHL timed the announcement of the suspension to be just prior to game 5. There really is not much the NHL could do to time things that way. With the 24 hour window it was basically announce it just before the game or just after.
You are giving Gary far too much credit.
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