Question for y'all - Steroids in Hockey?

I'm taking an ethics class and have to do a paper (in less than a week) on some sort of ethics problem (duh). I'm thinking about doing performance enhancing drugs in sports, particularly amatuer hockey, if i can find enough info. Guess it's on to Barry Bonds and the Mitchell report if I can't find anything else.

Anyway, I don't want names, just is it going on in our league - a little/a lot - in high school, midget, etc. If anyone can give me any info, I would appreciate it. post it here or send me a pm. Hopefully there's not much to tell cuz I'd hate to see our young players screwin themselves up like that.

Thanks in advance for your help.

JDMom

Last edited by jdmom on Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:12 pm; edited 1 time in total

Jdmom , I'll take a shot and say in todays time that almost anyone tested for a steriod would test positive , Doctors today , use steriods in so many different forms to treat so many illness , but as for illegal steriods I couldn't touch that one , I think most people use it for its healing powers , and not to cheat , or gain an up on their competion . I think the cost can be to great , if not perscribed and controled by a doctor.

There are two main types of steroids in society today. Corticosteroids and anabolic steroids. Corticosteroids are used usually to boost the imune system and help figh infections. Medrol dose pak as an example. These have no effect to enhance performance. It is the anabolic steroids that the athelete uses to enhance performance.

Is it used in amature hockey? Sure it is, to refute this would be rediculous. To what extent is the million dollar question. I have no information to support my theory but here it is. Anytime you have an individual who shows a lot of potential and skill but is right on the edge of making it big or not, you put that individual in a position to make a choice. Use steroids and make it big, money and fame. Or dont use them and maybe be an average individual who had potential. Some will use and some will not.

I dont believe, again my opinion, that steroid use in amature hockey is as bad as other sports. It is not all about being the strongest and most powerful in hockey and bulk, to me would hinder a hockey player. Again, yes i believe there is some use but it is minimal compared to other sports.

Thanks for your answers so far (and for not saying only INSERTNAMEOFTEAMYOUDON'TLIKE players would cheat like that) .

At the very least, at the pro levels it appears to have only really been an issue among the fighters. John Kordic was a well-known user, Lyndon Byers has admitted to some use and said that nearly every fighter in the mid-to-late 80's did at least a little just before the start of the season. Speculated users have included Tony Twist and Andrew Peters.

As for the junior, high school, and college levels, no idea. For the most part, as has been said, most anabolic steroids wouldn't help a player much (maybe a little in increasing muscle mass for improving leg speed in skating, or speeding up injury recovery, though something like hGH would be better for that than steroids). But, again, people said the same thing about baseball players, as like hockey, that's a game more of mechanics, hand-eye coordination, and speed (to some degree; more in hockey than in baseball) than brute force.

I know cough meds used to be a BIG problem in pro hockey, not sure about jr's though

I think penicillin is a big problem in juniors, for those with frequent contact with puck bunnies.

You mean popping the suddies? I am not sure how all that got started, but we were going through a LARGE bottle every game. That was junior hockey 10 years ago.

Steroids? I have never seen it, but with the way hockey hits the gyms, I would not doupt it. I have seen some freaking little monsters in the gym. It is not always about bulk, it is about power. Hockey players are more about fast reps then heavy lifting. Those fast reps can really create some serious burn. If steroids is about faster recovery, then by all means it is going to be in hockey.

Stephen Heisler wrote:

You mean popping the suddies? I am not sure how all that got started, but we were going through a LARGE bottle every game. That was junior hockey 10 years ago. Steroids? I have never seen it, but with the way hockey hits the gyms, I would not doupt it. I have seen some freaking little monsters in the gym. It is not always about bulk, it is about power. Hockey players are more about fast reps then heavy lifting. Those fast reps can really create some serious burn. If steroids is about faster recovery, then by all means it is going to be in hockey.

Do you just post just to see your name on your computer screen?

Last chance to contribute. Have to give my report next week (which means I'll miss the Bandits v. North game next week ). Anybody know if they do testing at the Jr. level?

Thanks all!