Former NHLer Akim Aliu's revealed another racist incident he was subjected to during his pro career.
In 2011, as one of the newer members of the ECHL's Colorado Eagles, the Nigerian-born Aliu was invited to the team's Halloween party, but he was told to "come a little bit later" - an instruction he didn't think too much about at the time, Aliu told The Wall Street Journal's Andrew Beaton.
Aliu said he arrived at the party to find Tony Deynzer, the team's head equipment manager, in blackface while wearing an Afro-style wig and an Eagles jersey with Aliu's No. 78 and nickname - "Dreamer" - stitched on the back.
Those attending the party - including Aliu's teammates, staff members, management, and some of their families - encouraged the two to take a picture together, which Aliu shared with Beaton:
The Wall Street Journal
"Guys just started laughing," Aliu said. "All I can do is tell my story."
Aliu, who said he didn't see anyone else at the party who was black, posed for the picture because he didn't want to cause a scene. He said he felt trapped and in shock, and then called his brother immediately afterward.
"I didn’t even grasp the idea of how vicious of a thing that is to do," Aliu said.
The Wall Street Journal
Aliu played only 10 games for the Eagles. He requested a trade, which was eventually granted, and wound up in the Calgary Flames organization before making his NHL debut in 2012.
Deynzer remains the equipment manager of the Eagles, who were the Winnipeg Jets' ECHL team in 2011 but are now affiliated with the Colorado Avalanche. Deynzer, who's been with the club since 2003, didn't respond to requests from Beaton for his story.
The Eagles said in a statement they "had absolutely no knowledge of this event, therefore we feel it would be premature to comment at this time," according to Beaton.
Aliu revealed more than two weeks ago that Flames head coach Bill Peters directed the N-word toward him several times while the two were with the AHL's Rockford IceHogs a decade ago. Peters ultimately resigned from his position with Calgary.
Last week, Aliu met with NHL officials, including commissioner Gary Bettman, to confront racial and conduct issues in hockey. In that meeting, he told them about the blackface incident. On Monday, the NHL announced it will institute a mandatory annual program focused on counseling, consciousness-raising, education, and training on diversity and inclusion.
"They need to accept the fact that there is a problem," Aliu said. "That’s the only way you start."
"Dr. Keith Richardson, the treating physician from the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), indicated that the cancer is located at the base of the tongue. Lapointe will begin his treatments in the coming weeks. This form of cancer has a high cure rate.
"The family wishes to thank the personnel at the MUHC as well as all hockey fans and asks for respect of their privacy as they face this challenge."
Lapointe won six Stanley Cups with the Habs. In 14 seasons with the club, the blue-liner recorded 572 points in 777 regular season games. He enjoyed brief stints with the St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins before his retirement in 1984.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Habs retired his No. 5 in 2014. The 71-year-old is currently employed by the Minnesota Wild as an amateur scout.
He won't play against the Calgary Flames on Monday, but head coach Jared Bednar said there's a possibility Makar could return later in the week, according to The Athletic's Ryan S. Clark.
Makar left Saturday's game against the Boston Bruins after taking a hard hit into boards from Brad Marchand.
The 21-year-old blue-liner has taken the league by storm in his rookie season. His 28 points are tied for second among NHL defensemen and the most among all rookies.
Goaltender Philipp Grubauer is also considered day-to-day after exiting Saturday's tilt with a lower-body injury. Pavel Francouz is expected to handle starting duties in the meantime.
Nikita Zaitsev's agent Dan Milstein said on Friday there's no truth to the story that the Ottawa Senators defenseman kidnapped his own children in Russia.
Milstein said the children are at Zaitsev's parents' home in Moscow. He added that Zaitsev's ex-wife, Margo Gotovtseva, knows where the children are and that they're safe.
She released an additional statement, which contradicts Milstein's words. She says the children were living with her, and although she allowed weekend visitations for the kids to see Zaitsev's parents, she never approved of the children living with them permanently. Gotovtseva added that she hasn't seen or heard from her kids in 12 days.
I reached out to Senators defenceman Nikita Zaitsev's ex-wife Margo Gotovtseva for comment following her Instagram post this morning alleging Zaitsev took their children away from her. Following a statement by his agent, calling her story inaccurate, she posted this, in English: pic.twitter.com/haX7Uqh68D
The Sens announced on Nov. 22 that Zaitsev had gone back to Russia for personal reasons. He missed just one game before returning to the lineup on Nov. 25.
In his first campaign with Ottawa following an offseason trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs, the 28-year-old has recorded seven points in 28 contests.
Near the end of the 2017-18 NHL season with the Buffalo Sabres, Robin Lehner crashed.
The addiction and mental health issues the goaltender had battled throughout his career became overwhelming, and he nearly took his own life.
But he reached out and got help instead. He went on to lead the New York Islanders to a surprise playoff berth last season, and he is now starring for the Chicago Blackhawks.
He recounted that harrowing chapter of his Sabres tenure in a first-person article for The Athletic published prior to last season. After finding the courage to seek treatment, he knew that going public with his story could help lead others to safety.
"It was definitely not an easy decision," Lehner said in a telephone interview before this season about revealing his story. "I worked on the actual article for a little bit. There was a lot of emotions because a big majority of all the people around me didn't want me to do it, which was understandable. I wanted to do it, and I thought it was the right thing to do for my rehabilitation. Also, it was the right thing to do for other people - it could help a lot of other people."
Lehner spent nearly three months in rehab during the 2018 offseason to treathis addiction to alcohol and sleeping pills,as well as his depression. During treatment,he was diagnosed with bipolar I disorder - a condition in which people experience extreme mood swings, including manic episodes. Exaggerated self-esteem, excessive energy, a reduced need for sleep, and poor judgment are some of the potential symptoms of mania. Like Lehner, most people with bipolar I disorder also experience depressive episodes. The illness is chronic, but treatable.
Lehner, who was later also diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, is now a trailblazer of sorts. He's the most prominent NHLer to go public about having a mental illness while still playing in the league. Many players have spoken out after their pro careers, but doing so as a 26-year-old about to hit unrestricted free agency created plenty of risk for Lehner; that's why his lawyer, family, and others advised against it.
The pressure placed on Lehner to keep quiet about his experiences helps illustrate why it's impossible to know how many other professional athletes have endured something similar. The NHL/NHLPA's assistance program is confidential.
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"You couldn't tell when you played with him. He's a very intense guy. He's a competitive person. But you wouldn't necessarily know he's struggling," said Cory Conacher, who played with Lehner for two seasons with the Ottawa Senators.
"I'm sure there's a lot more people out there who haven't spoken out about it. Hopefully what he did will help others come out and help make this thing fade away and make it less and less of a problem to athletes."
People who suffer from mental illnesses often do so in silence before getting help. Lehner's status as a high-profile professional athlete means his openness can make a significant impact.
"One of the biggest problems that we have nationally is a stigma," said Dr. Anita Everett. She's the director of mental health services for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a U.S. government program based in Rockville, Maryland. "That goes to mental health conditions as well as addiction. So we know that's the big reason that a lot of people don’t seek treatment.
"Having a (person) of celebrity status can be extremely helpful. We've seen a lot of that in the entertainment space. It's fabulous when it happens to professional athletes. They can be tremendous role models. It can be very inspiring forpeople ... quietly sufferingand not seeking treatment."
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Lehner's mental illness and addiction almost killed him, but treatment helped get his life back on track, and he went on to put together the best season of his career in his lone campaign with the Islanders.
Lehner was the finalist for the Vezina Trophy awarded to the league's top goalie, and he's maintained his excellent form in Chicago. He is among the league leaders in save percentage (.929) and goals saved above average (9.96).
He'll be the first to tell you that a number of factors - including his improved mental health - contributed to his performancebetween the pipes. But before he hit rock bottom in 2017-18, he was one of the league's more underrated netminders, compiling a .921 save percentage in his first two seasons with the Sabres.
"People like to forget about that," Lehner said. "My last four years of statistics is pretty good. ... I still feel like I don't get enough credit for the numbers I put up in difficult situations."
None of those situations were as difficult for Lehner as early 2018. He was severely depressed and would drink a case of beer a day, according to his piece for The Athletic. This often meant practicing hungover. He stayed away from liquor the night before games, but still needed beer or sleeping pills - often both - in order to fall asleep.
"That was my medicine," he said, "the beer."
Bill Smith / NHL / Getty Images
Even if Lehner, who won last season's Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance, had played like an average goalie after speaking out about his mental illness, he would still be a success story.
"What's really interesting ... is that he did better after treatment and was able to resume with his career," Everett said. "There's a lot of concern that people at that level when they step out, they won't come back. It sounds like his story really demonstrates the value of treatment."
Mental health initiatives are still relatively new. World Mental Health Day and Mental Health Awareness Week have been around since the 1990s, but have gathered steam in recent years. Other campaigns, such as Bell Let's Talk Day in Canada, have dominated social media discussions this decade. Celebrities sharing their stories on these occasions can help fight the stigma that's still attached to mental illness.
"When people are known, they can make a difference," said Dr. Katy Kamkar, a clinical psychologist with the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. "We do know that, for example, whenever we have seen celebrities coming forward … someone that other people can associate with, whether it's mental health or physical health, it does make a difference."
Lehner doesn't see himself as any sort of trailblazer or role model; he just hopes the stigma can be erased.
"If we can change the culture and society's views of these (things) and start cutting down all the bullshit, just change the perception a bit, that's gonna make the most change for everyone," Lehner said.
Montgomery added that the move is what's best for the team.
Radulov declined to comment on the matter through the Stars' public relations department.
After compiling 70-plus points in each of his first two seasons in Dallas, Radulov has eight goals and seven assists in 29 contests this year. The 33-year-old is in the third season of a five-year contract that carries an annual cap hit of $6.25 million.
Nathan MacKinnon is arguably the league's most underpaid player, but he says he isn't looking to make up for that on his next contract.
The Colorado Avalanche superstar is owed $6.3 million per season through the 2022-23 campaign after signing a seven-year, $44.1-million deal in 2016. His $6.3-million cap hit makes him the 82nd-highest-paid player in the NHL even though he's blossomed into a perennial Hart Trophy candidate.
"We have guys that we wouldn't (otherwise) be able to bring in," MacKinnon told Forbes' Jordan Horrobin on Wednesday in Toronto. "On my next deal, I'll take less again. Because I want to win with this group."
There's some irony in MacKinnon saying this while paying a visit to the Maple Leafs. Toronto rosters three of the league's seven highest-paid players by annual cap hit in Auston Matthews ($11.634 million), John Tavares ($11 million), and Mitch Marner ($10.893 million).
The Avalanche are one of the few NHL contenders that isn't in dire cap trouble. MacKinnon's cap hit - which could have theoretically doubled by now had he signed a bridge deal instead of a long-term extension - is a big reason why.
"I was just excited to get paid that much money at such a young age," the 24-year-old said. "Obviously it's pretty (team) friendly now, but I was worth that at the time. … I have no regrets."
MacKinnon won the Calder Trophy awarded to the league's top rookie in 2013-14, but he didn't enjoy a breakout season until his 97-point 2017-18 campaign.
Bridge deals were popular in this offseason's stacked class of restricted free agents. Matthew Tkachuk, Patrik Laine, Brayden Point, Charlie McAvoy, and Zach Werenski were among those who signed contracts of two or three years, setting themselves up for bigger paydays down the road.
Many of these players missed a large chunk of training camp and preseason during negotiations. MacKinnon's linemate Mikko Rantanen signed a six-year, $55.5-million pact less than a week before the start of the regular season.
"I think you want to get paid what you're worth," MacKinnon said. "I'd probably do the same thing. If a team isn't paying you what you think you're worth, holding out is something (players) are entitled to. … I think it's going to continue that way."
MacKinnon is currently tied for third in the NHL with 44 points while the Avalanche hold second place in the Central Division with a record of 17-8-2.
Brannstrom had recorded a pair of assists in 23 games while averaging 13:35 per game.
The 20-year-old Swede was the centerpiece return chip in the deal that sent Mark Stone to the Vegas Golden Knights at last season's trade deadline. Vegas drafted Brannstrom 15th overall in 2017.
Brannstrom totaled 32 points in 50 AHL games a season ago.
A Minnesota judge ruled Wednesday that a former member of the "Miracle on Ice" 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, Mark Pavelich, is mentally ill and dangerous, according to Pam Louwagie of the Minnesota Star Tribune.
The judge ordered the 61-year-old committed to a secure treatment facility.
Pavelich faced criminal charges that he beat a friend with a metal pole after accusing him of "spiking his beer." His friend suffered cracked ribs, a bruised kidney, and a fractured vertebra.
Judge Michael Cuzzo deemed Pavelich incompetent to stand trial based on an expert report, concluding that he was "incapable of participating in the defense due to mental illness or deficiency." The case was put on hold while the state moved to civilly commit him to treatment.
Pavelich's family is convinced he suffers from CTE after repeated concussions and blows to the head sustained during his hockey career. They started to see changes over the last few years but he has refused help. CTE can only be diagnosed after death.
A pair of clinical psychologists who examined Pavelich found him to have post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as other conditions, according to the judge's order. Both psychologists considered him to be mentally ill and dangerous.
Psychologist Chris Bowerman found Pavelich to have delusions and paranoia, including a delusion that family, friends, and neighbors tried to poison him.
Psychologist Jacqueline Buffington found he suffers from "mild neurocognitive disorder due to traumatic brain injury with behavioral disturbance (psychotic symptoms, aggression)," and believes his condition is likely related to head injuries suffered over his lifetime.
Pavelich had seven points in seven games during the 1980 Olympics. He assisted on Mike Eruzione's game-winning goal during the U.S.'s famous 4-3 upset victory over the heavily favored Soviet Union. The Americans then went on to defeat Finland to win gold.
Pavelich played five seasons for the New York Rangers and one apiece with the Minnesota North Stars and San Jose Sharks. He tallied 329 points in 355 career games and fought nine times, according to hockeyfights.com.
The NHL agreed to a maximum settlement of just under $19 million in its concussion lawsuit last year involving hundreds of players. The league didn't admit to any wrongdoing, however.
Not all heroes wear capes, and Mark Borowiecki is perfect evidence of that.
During the Ottawa Senators' off day Sunday in Vancouver, Borowiecki saw a person break into a car and steal a backpack. As the suspect attempted to flee, the veteran defenseman clotheslined the thief off a bike and wrestled him to the ground. Borowiecki retrieved the stolen bag, which contained passports, according to TSN 1200 and Sportsnet's Dan Murphy.
Vancouver police confirmed that Borowiecki assisted in retrieving stolen property.
Borowiecki is 6-foot-1 and weighs 207 pounds. Known as one of the league's toughest players, he's been in 50 scraps during his nine-year career, according to hockeyfights.com.
The 30-year-old has skated in 27 games with the Sens this season, recording 10 points - one shy of his career high.
